Sign of the Cross before the Gospel during Mass

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There is a tradition of making the sign of the cross on our forehead, lips and heart with a prayer that we understand, speak and take to heart the gospel.

Where did this practice come from? I asked three priests during our recent parish retreat and they did not know.

Also I’ve found out people say different prayers. What do you say if you do this?
 
I don’t do this because I always thought that it was something that the person proclaiming the gospel was to do and figured that the congregation simply copied the actions of the priest. Am I wrong for thinking like this?
 
Timothysis said:
I don’t do this because I always thought that it was something that the person proclaiming the gospel was to do and figured that the congregation simply copied the actions of the priest. Am I wrong for thinking like this?
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I was told that the three crosses represent knowing, speaking, and loving the gospel. We all should do that! In the Tridentine rite the triple cross is made when the gospel is read at the altar. if the gospel is re-read in the vernacular from the pulpit the triple cross needn’t be made, though many do. The reason (and I’ll happily be corrected if I’m wrong) for this is because the sermon is technically not part of the Mass.
 
Ottaviani said:
I was told that the three crosses represent knowing, speaking, and loving the gospel. We all should do that! In the Tridentine rite the triple cross is made when the gospel is read at the altar. if the gospel is re-read in the vernacular from the pulpit the triple cross needn’t be made, though many do. The reason (and I’ll happily be corrected if I’m wrong) for this is because the sermon is technically not part of the Mass.
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But is it something that everyone should do, not just the priest?
 
Timothysis said:
But is it something that everyone should do, not just the priest?
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everyone.
Much of it stems from the habit of a particular parish too. Like singing the ordinaries, some parishes do, some don’t. It’s nothing that’s etched in stone, at least not to my knowledge.
 
Ottaviani said:
everyone.
Much of it stems from the habit of a particular parish too. Like singing the ordinaries, some parishes do, some don’t. It’s nothing that’s etched in stone, at least not to my knowledge.
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Gottcha…I’ll have to get back into the habit. You wouldn’t believe how hard it was for me to stop!
 
Larrymelocik said:
There is a tradition of making the sign of the cross on our forehead, lips and heart with a prayer that we understand, speak and take to heart the gospel.

Where did this practice come from? I asked three priests during our recent parish retreat and they did not know.

Also I’ve found out people say different prayers. What do you say if you do this?
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Hi,
I do the sign of the cross. I grew up with that, that was tradition from our community…
As I make the sign of the cross on my forehead I say, “Be in my mind”
as I make the sign of the cross on my mouth I say, “my mouth”
and as I make the sign of the cross on my heart I say, “and my heart for all eternity.”
View attachment 5342
 
While specific prayers said during the Sign(s) of the Cross may vary, the basic idea is to profess our belief in the Word of God and our desire to profess it.

According to the “Red Book” (a.k.a. the Latin-English Booklet Missal printed by the Coalition in Support of Ecclesia Dei, available at many TLMs), “With the priest we sign ourselves on the forehead to show our belief in the Gospel; on our lips to show that we respect It in speech; and over our hearts to show that we love It.”
 
What is said seems to vary but be in the same vein.

What I’m still curious about is where the custom origionated.

Any ideas out there.
 
From what I’ve read and have heard on EWTN, the original sign of the cross was with the thumb and only on the forehead. Later the big sign of the cross was made over the whole upper body. I would say that the three little crosses are just a development of various customs.

scborromeo.org/papers/signcros.PDF
 
It may also be a reference to the silent prayer that the priest prays right before announcing the Gospel reading (I attend the TLM):

*"Cleanse my heart and my lips, O almighty God, Who didst cleanse with a burning coal the lips of the prophet Isaias; and vouchsafe in Thy loving kindness so to purify me that I may be enabled worthily to announce Thy holy Gospel. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to bless me. The Lord be in my heart and on my lips, that I may worthily and becomingly announce His gospel. Amen."*

Just a guess. I don’t recall these prayers being present in the new Mass though.
 
mgsk said:
It may also be a reference to the silent prayer that the priest prays right before announcing the Gospel reading (I attend the TLM):

*"Cleanse my heart and my lips, O almighty God, Who didst cleanse with a burning coal the lips of the prophet Isaias; and vouchsafe in Thy loving kindness so to purify me that I may be enabled worthily to announce Thy holy Gospel. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to bless me. The Lord be in my heart and on my lips, that I may worthily and becomingly announce His gospel. Amen."*

Just a guess. I don’t recall these prayers being present in the new Mass though.
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Hi mgsk,

In the Ordinary Form priest says silently…
“Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God,
that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.”

As far as the 3 signs of the cross, it is not stated in the OF’s Order of the Mass that the laity do so.

I’ve noticed some laity do and some do not. The same holds true in the Extraordinary Form I’ve attended as well. I always do out of habit.
 
Saints_Alive said:
In the Ordinary Form priest says silently…
“Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God,
that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.”
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Thanks for that.
As far as the 3 signs of the cross, it is not stated in the OF’s Order of the Mass that the laity do so.
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It looks like it’s covered in the GIRM though (134):

“At the ambo, the Priest opens the book and, with hands joined, says, The Lord be with you, to which the people reply, And with your spirit. Then he says, A reading from the holy Gospel, making the Sign of the Cross with his thumb on the book and on his forehead, mouth, and breast, which everyone else does as well.”
 
Ottaviani said:
I was told that the three crosses represent knowing, speaking, and loving the gospel. We all should do that! In the Tridentine rite the triple cross is made when the gospel is read at the altar. if the gospel is re-read in the vernacular from the pulpit the triple cross needn’t be made, though many do. The reason (and I’ll happily be corrected if I’m wrong) for this is because the sermon is technically not part of the Mass.
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👍👍
 
mgsk said:
Thanks for that.

It looks like it’s covered in the GIRM though (134):

“At the ambo, the Priest opens the book and, with hands joined, says, The Lord be with you, to which the people reply, And with your spirit. Then he says, A reading from the holy Gospel, making the Sign of the Cross with his thumb on the book and on his forehead, mouth, and breast, which everyone else does as well.”
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Good enough then, now we know. Thanks !
 
In English I say; Oh God, bless my mind, my lips, and my heart, that I amy worthily hear Your Holy Gospel.
:):)🙂
 
I think the three cross are just meant to accompany the prayer the priest/deacon reads before the Holy Gospel:

Dominus sit in corde meo et in labiis meis: ut digne et competenter annuntiem evangelium suum. Amen.

translated:
The Lord be in my **heart **and on my **lips **that I may worthily and fittingly proclaim His Gospel. Amen.

There are only two parts of the body mentioned in the prayer, but I suspect the third sign of the cross is there to keep with the Trinitarian pattern of the Mass.

I’d love to hear and expert’s answer. I’m sure this information is in some of the great books on the Mass that I haven’t got a copy of yet.
 
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