Sign of the Cross during Mass?

[cothrige]

I am curious about something. During the Ordinary Form of the Mass the Sign of the Cross is made only twice that I have noticed. First at the beginning, and then during the blessing just before the dismissal. I am thinking here of the large typical sign, rather than the smaller triple cross preceding the Gospel. What I am wondering is whether this has changed. During the Traditional Mass were there other times when the faithful would make a Sign of the Cross?

 

[bpbasilphx]

Any time devotion prompts.

One traditional place is towards the end of the Creed.

 

[John_oxios]

I am curious about something. During the Ordinary Form of the Mass the Sign of the Cross is made only twice that I have noticed. First at the beginning, and then during the blessing just before the dismissal. I am thinking here of the large typical sign, rather than the smaller triple cross preceding the Gospel. What I am wondering is whether this has changed. During the Traditional Mass were there other times when the faithful would make a Sign of the Cross?

hello Cothrige,
No that hasn’t changed, outside of blessing your self entering the Church with holy water (renewing our baptism vows as we do) the sign of the Cross is made only twice during the Mass, It goes back to the early Church and its Jewish roots, from which a blessing is made at the beginning and end of Worship.
Some people bless themselves before and after Ho;y Communion, also while leaving the Church with Holy Water. But it is written no where is it written we ought to do so.

God Bless,

John

 

[John_oxios]

I am curious about something. During the Ordinary Form of the Mass the Sign of the Cross is made only twice that I have noticed. First at the beginning, and then during the blessing just before the dismissal. I am thinking here of the large typical sign, rather than the smaller triple cross preceding the Gospel. What I am wondering is whether this has changed. During the Traditional Mass were there other times when the faithful would make a Sign of the Cross?

A little more…
the triple sign stems from Deu 6:5 and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

NASB:
Deu 6:5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Deu 6:6 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.

Deu 6:7 "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and **shall talk of them when **you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Deu 6:8 "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

But as Catholics preceding the Gospel it represents :
as we touch our: foreheads : UNDERSTOOD; lips: PROCLAIMED,; hearts:REMEMBERED.

As far as Lawn statues:

Deu 6:9 "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates

Hope that adds a little more meaning for you during the triple signing. I knew the Deuteronomy verse, and then was informed of the Catholic meaning during a dry Mass.

God Bless,
John

 

[Nowhere_Man]

I am curious about something. During the Ordinary Form of the Mass the Sign of the Cross is made only twice that I have noticed. First at the beginning, and then during the blessing just before the dismissal. I am thinking here of the large typical sign, rather than the smaller triple cross preceding the Gospel. What I am wondering is whether this has changed. During the Traditional Mass were there other times when the faithful would make a Sign of the Cross?

Yes, it is, a total of 72 times, counting the ones the Priest makes over objects such as incense and the gifts.

The Signs are made as follows (according to the 1962 missal):

*The beginning of Mass (as in the OF)
*The end of the reading of Psalm 42
*After the peoples Confiteor
*At the end of the Munda cor Meum
*The beginning of the Gospel (as in the OF)
*The end of the Creed
*Three times during the Offertory
*At the beginning of the Last Gospel
*At the Dismissal (as in the OF)

So, that is a total of 11 times by the Faithful, compared to 2 in the OF.

 

[thistle]

I am curious about something. During the Ordinary Form of the Mass the Sign of the Cross is made only twice that I have noticed. First at the beginning, and then during the blessing just before the dismissal. I am thinking here of the large typical sign, rather than the smaller triple cross preceding the Gospel. What I am wondering is whether this has changed. During the Traditional Mass were there other times when the faithful would make a Sign of the Cross?

You may make the sign of the cross as often as you wish during Mass. There are no restrictions on this.

 

[cothrige]

[snip]
*The end of the Creed

This is a very interesting one. If I may ask, at which point would people do this, and is there a specific reason such a practice would come into being? I am trying to think of why people would make the sign of the cross at the end of the creed and I am drawing a blank. Is it because of something said right after the creed perhaps?

 

[PhanxicoXavier]

This is a very interesting one. If I may ask, at which point would people do this, and is there a specific reason such a practice would come into being? I am trying to think of why people would make the sign of the cross at the end of the creed and I am drawing a blank. Is it because of something said right after the creed perhaps?

I believe that traditionally, you cross yourself at “et vitam venturi saeculi”. I am not sure though.

During the Latin Mass, the priest, servers, and congregation make the Sign of the Cross many, many times - I like it!

 

[Nowhere_Man]

The Cross at the end of the Creed is as follows:

I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I await the resurrection of the dead and the life + of the world to come. Amen.

 

[AJV]

Yes, it is, a total of 72 times, counting the ones the Priest makes over objects such as incense and the gifts.

The Signs are made as follows (according to the 1962 missal):

*The beginning of Mass (as in the OF)
*The end of the reading of Psalm 42
*After the peoples Confiteor
*At the end of the Munda cor Meum
*The beginning of the Gospel (as in the OF)
*The end of the Creed
*Three times during the Offertory
*At the beginning of the Last Gospel
*At the Dismissal (as in the OF)

So, that is a total of 11 times by the Faithful, compared to 2 in the OF.

The times the people (or servers) make the sign of the cross in the Traditional Mass are:
[presuming that the elements like the Gloria, Creed, blessing, etc. are included in that Mass, and that the people always follow the server, which may not happen at places like the Introit]

Beginning of Mass
Adiutorium nostrum, at the end of Psalm 42
During the Indulgentiam
At the beginning of the Introit
At the end of the Gloria
At the beginning of the Gospel
At the end of the Creed
At the Benedictus qui venit
At the blessing
At the Last Gospel

By pious custom, people may cross themselves before/after receiving Holy Communion (although servers should not do so).

The people should not sign themselves at the Munda cor meum as that pertains directly to the ordained minister; likewise at the Offertory, they should not sign themselves as those crosses are directed toward the bread and wine (and incense)

The biggest difference is at a Requiem Mass, where the signs of the cross are as follows.

Beginning of Mass
Adiutorium nostrum
During the Indulgentiam
At the beginning of the Gospel
At the Benedictus qui venit
At the Last Gospel (if there is no absolution over the catafalque, in which case the Last Gospel is omitted)

 

[peary1]

I am curious about something. During the Ordinary Form of the Mass the Sign of the Cross is made only twice that I have noticed. First at the beginning, and then during the blessing just before the dismissal. I am thinking here of the large typical sign, rather than the smaller triple cross preceding the Gospel. What I am wondering is whether this has changed. During the Traditional Mass were there other times when the faithful would make a Sign of the Cross?

The Sign of the Cross is made at the appropriate time: at the beginning of Mass, where the priest says “In the Name of the Fathere, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” and at the end when he says the same thing immediately before dismissal.

 

[MikeDunphy]

The Cross at the end of the Creed is as follows:

I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I await the resurrection of the dead and the life + of the world to come. Amen.

This is a very interesting one. If I may ask, at which point would people do this, and is there a specific reason such a practice would come into being? I am trying to think of why people would make the sign of the cross at the end of the creed and I am drawing a blank. Is it because of something said right after the creed perhaps?

I cross myself at about where Nowhere Man says as a sort of extra prayer for loved ones lost over the years. Whether anyone else thinks this way I could not tell you.

 

[Nowhere_Man]

The times the people (or servers) make the sign of the cross in the Traditional Mass are:
[presuming that the elements like the Gloria, Creed, blessing, etc. are included in that Mass, and that the people always follow the server, which may not happen at places like the Introit]

Beginning of Mass
Adiutorium nostrum, at the end of Psalm 42
During the Indulgentiam
At the beginning of the Introit
At the end of the Gloria
At the beginning of the Gospel
At the end of the Creed
At the Benedictus qui venit
At the blessing
At the Last Gospel

By pious custom, people may cross themselves before/after receiving Holy Communion (although servers should not do so).

The people should not sign themselves at the Munda cor meum as that pertains directly to the ordained minister; likewise at the Offertory, they should not sign themselves as those crosses are directed toward the bread and wine (and incense)

The biggest difference is at a Requiem Mass, where the signs of the cross are as follows.

Beginning of Mass
Adiutorium nostrum
During the Indulgentiam
At the beginning of the Gospel
At the Benedictus qui venit
At the Last Gospel (if there is no absolution over the catafalque, in which case the Last Gospel is omitted)

Thanks for the clarification AJV. My Missal isn’t very good at specifying if it is the faithful, the priest, or the servers that cross themselves; so I had to do some guess work.

 

[CappaMagna]

I make a cross with the chalice before I receive Holy Communion via the chalice during the OF Mass.

 

[graceandglory]

Deu 6:6 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.

Deu 6:7 "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and **shall talk of them when **you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Deu 6:8 "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
:

THANK YOU for posting this! I never knew of it!!! In my protestant days I loved this passage of scripture, especially as it relates to being a Mom. How special for me to remember this when I still have to remind my youngest, a convert at age 4, to mark herself before the gospel, sometimes even still guiding her hand.

 

[John_oxios]

graceandglory:
THANK YOU for posting this! I never knew of it!!! In my protestant days I loved this passage of scripture, especially as it relates to being a Mom. How special for me to remember this when I still have to remind my youngest, a convert at age 4, to mark herself before the gospel, sometimes even still guiding her hand.

Hello Graceandglory,
Your Welcome

Keep guiding her til she gets it right, but most of all help her to understand why we do it, Even better why you are doing it
A lot of people just go through the motion without knowing or understanding why.
They do it because everybody else is doing it.

In the liturgy, when the Priest or deacon, announces the Gospel he is about to read, we say in response ‘Glory to you O Lord’
3 times (which is a totality…i.e. Thrice holy) asking when we hear the Gospel (a) that it is understood (b) that we proclaim it (c) like Mary, Remember it in our hearts.

God bless,
John

 

[ameanderer]

Signing a cross at the* Benedictus qui venit* derives from history. During the medieval Mass, the choir stopped singing at the end of the Sanctus so that the people might observe the priest elevating the elements. The people then made the sign of the cross for these elements, at which point the choir began singing the Benedictus. The choir or congregation today no longer makes that break, so the sign of the cross for the Benedictus itself is not liturgically correct.