Sign of the Cross

[mariaclare]

I know there are several threads on this already, but I’m still confused and I just needed clarification. I went to a Catholic primary school for seven years, and in Kindergarten my teacher taught us how to make the sign of the cross. Since I am left handed, I was told to do it opposite to everyone else - i.e. up, down, right, left. The mirror image. I never questioned this - even though my sister is also left handed, and does it the other way. I just always assumed **I **was doing it the right way. No one ever said anything (even when I was an altar girl), but now it’s 15 years later and I’m just becoming more and more uncomfortable with it as I’ve realised no one else really signs like this.

Do I need to switch to my right hand? Or can I use my left to cross left to right? Since I’ve been doing it wrong for so long now, inside and outside church, do I need to speak to a priest about it?

I feel so silly, but I’m kind of upset about it.

 

[LoyalViews]

Properly, it is done with the right hand.
People in the Roman/Latin Rite cross themselves like this , as the left shoulder before the right.

In the Eastern Rite, they do it like this :byzsoc:, as the right shoulder first.

Also, some people kiss their hand on “Amen”.

 

[srlucado]

I’m left-handed, and I just learned to cross myself right-handed. Easy adjustment.

 

[glenconnor]

I cross myself left handed when I pray my rosary left handed. I wouldn’t worry about how you sign yourself. It’s what the gesture means and stands for rather than which shoulder you touch first or which hand you use, in my opinion.

 

[mick321]

I cross myself left handed when I pray my rosary left handed. I wouldn’t worry about how you sign yourself. It’s what the gesture means and stands for rather than which shoulder you touch first or which hand you use, in my opinion.

More power to you.

I think you should continue to sign yourself with your left hand. Better yet, maybe you should volunteer your time teaching the rubric to to young Catholics in your area. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re wrong.

 

[LoyalViews]

Well, reading all this, I must correct myself when I said

The Proper way to do it is with your right hand

I have seen many people do it with their right hand, so what I said was wrong
Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea MAXIMA Culp!

 

[SunnaB16]

From a fellow left-hander:
Don`t let anyone convince you to change!

For the past 18 months, ive had the good fortune of being able to attend an FSSP-celebrated Solemn High Mass every Sunday. At various times during Mass we make the Sign of The Cross. Holding the Missal in my right hand means theres no choice. If anyone doesn`t like it: he can lump it!

 

[mick321]

More power to you.

I think you should continue to sign yourself with your left hand. Better yet, maybe you should volunteer your time teaching the rubric to to young Catholics in your area. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re wrong.

Being a Traditional Catholic Forum, I thought the humor in my response [above] would be obvious. I should not have made that assumption. My apologies.

In all seriousness:

The starting position is with both hands joined at chest level, palms together, fingers together and pointed upward. During the action, the left hand is properly kept at chest level. The fingers of both hands are held together throughout.

When making the Sign of the Cross, the right hand is used to symbolize Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father. Starting at the forehead symbolizes the Father, the Creator and source of all things. Descending to the lower chest symbolizes the Incarnation of Christ who came down from heaven and became flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the Roman Rite, one then proceeds from the left shoulder to the right shoulder. Within the context of the Sign of the Cross, the left symbolizes death and darkness and the right truth and light. This action represents the transition from misery to glory, from death to life, and from hell to paradise. As Christ passed from death to life and sits at the right hand of the Father, so too may we pass from death to life in Christ through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit.

I learned the rubric as a first grade student in 1962. Several months ago a similar thread prompted me to contact my former teacher. Although she has been retired from the classroom for many years, I was able to locate her at the motherhouse of her order in Indiana. Long story short, she learned the rubric as a first grade Catholic school student in 1933. She told me that its source was the Missale Romanum of Pius V, promulgated in 1570. In the strictest sense, it was intended as instruction for priests to use at the beginning of every Mass.

 

[Erin_Anne]

Our Nuns at School would always make the lefties put their left hands behind their backs when crossing themselves to train them to do it with their right hand. Nobody ever complained - that’s just the way it was.

mick321’s explanation is right on.

E.A.

 

[SunnaB16]

Our Nuns at School would always make the lefties put their left hands behind their backs when crossing themselves to train them to do it with their right hand. Nobody ever complained - that’s just the way it was.

And those of us who were left-handed were sharply rebuked by the nun; and made to feel that there was something wrong with us.
You right-handers have absolutely no idea of what we go through. You live in a world which makes virtually no concessions to us…and yet we make up circa10% of the population, unlike “gays” etc.

 

[thomas_jd]

The sign of the cross is a prayer affirming our belief in the Holy Trinity.Upon completion we bring our hands, palms folded together,fingers pointing up which allows the prayers to ascend upwards to Heaven in the same way as candles smoke or the incense smoke rises up.To me the saying of the prayer, not how someone was taught to use a right or left hand is all that matters. All prayers should begin and end with the Sign of the Cross.
I think God may be listening to you more than watching your hand. This is what I believe.

 

[Erin_Anne]

And those of us who were left-handed were sharply rebuked by the nun; and made to feel that there was something wrong with us.
You right-handers have absolutely no idea of what we go through. You live in a world which makes virtually no concessions to us…and yet we make up circa10% of the population, unlike “gays” etc.

I’m left handed… well, technically ambidextrous because they also made us write with our right hand.

E.A.

 

[mick321]

And those of us who were left-handed were sharply rebuked by the nun; and made to feel that there was something wrong with us.
You right-handers have absolutely no idea of what we go through. You live in a world which makes virtually no concessions to us…and yet we make up circa10% of the population, unlike “gays” etc.

I certainly remember that some of us were forced to operate pencils, scissors and tennis racquets with our right hand before we even knew we were left-handed. In high school, the driver training instructor forced to operate the gear selector with our right hand. If that was not enough, the photography teacher demanded that we release the shutter on 35mm cameras with our right hand. Before long, we were branded with the labeled ambidextrous, and told it was a gift. Life’s so unfair…

 

[Incomplete]

Interesting timing on this thread. I currently cannot use my right hand. It’s temporary but might last awhile. Friends have encouraged me to make the sign of the cross with my left hand. I don’t, but I do bow my head when we make the sign of the cross at Mass.

 

[Brenda_V]

I am left handed - started school in 1964 and do not ever remember a Sister or any one else making me feel bad because of it. I hated the “left handed” scissors the schools always seemed to have enough of, they were never sharp and I had probably already figured out how to tilt the “right handed” scissors to make them work.

Now, Sr. Mary Edmund taught us how to make the Sign of the Cross by starting with folding our hands, fingers pointing up, thumbs crossed (to represent the Cross), then you put your left hand on your chest and moved your right hand to your forehead move your right hand to touch your left hand then move your right hand to cross your chest (left shoulder) move your hand to your other shoulder bring your hands back together, fingers pointing up, thumbs crossed again

In talking with other left-handers though I find that I am not just forced to be ambidextrous, I am. I eat with my right hand, write and crochet with my left and everything else that requires right-left usage will switch back and forth - like when using chopsticks, if my left hand gets tired, I switch to my right hand and am equally good (not perfect but I can use them).

Oh, and I learned to drive in a standard car with the shift stick on the steering column. Drove my moms Trans Am too with a rarer 5 speed “on the floor”.

Brenda V.

 

[peary]

I know there are several threads on this already, but I’m still confused and I just needed clarification. I went to a Catholic primary school for seven years, and in Kindergarten my teacher taught us how to make the sign of the cross. Since I am left handed, I was told to do it opposite to everyone else - i.e. up, down, right, left. The mirror image. I never questioned this - even though my sister is also left handed, and does it the other way. I just always assumed **I **was doing it the right way. No one ever said anything (even when I was an altar girl), but now it’s 15 years later and I’m just becoming more and more uncomfortable with it as I’ve realised no one else really signs like this.

Do I need to switch to my right hand? Or can I use my left to cross left to right? Since I’ve been doing it wrong for so long now, inside and outside church, do I need to speak to a priest about it?

I feel so silly, but I’m kind of upset about it.

When I was in elementary CCD, the good sister who taught us said that you can do it with either hand, and, if left-handed, you touch your forehead for “In the Name of the Father,” your chest for “and of the Son,” and your left shoulder for “and of the Holy…,” and right shoulder for “Spirit. Amen.” This can be done with the left hand without a problem.

 

[mariaclare]

Thanks so much for everyone’s help! Feeling much better about it now, but I think I’ll switch to doing it right-handed all the same

The starting position is with both hands joined at chest level, palms together, fingers together and pointed upward. During the action, the left hand is properly kept at chest level. The fingers of both hands are held together throughout.

When making the Sign of the Cross, the right hand is used to symbolize Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father. Starting at the forehead symbolizes the Father, the Creator and source of all things. Descending to the lower chest symbolizes the Incarnation of Christ who came down from heaven and became flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the Roman Rite, one then proceeds from the left shoulder to the right shoulder. Within the context of the Sign of the Cross, the left symbolizes death and darkness and the right truth and light. This action represents the transition from misery to glory, from death to life, and from hell to paradise. As Christ passed from death to life and sits at the right hand of the Father, so too may we pass from death to life in Christ through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit.

Thank you for this, it was really illuminating! I thought there had to be some symbolism behind it.

And fellow lefties, commiserations! At least we’re not living in the 13th century, huh?

I am left handed - started school in 1964 and do not ever remember a Sister or any one else making me feel bad because of it. I hated the “left handed” scissors the schools always seemed to have enough of, they were never sharp and I had probably already figured out how to tilt the “right handed” scissors to make them work.

I started primary school in 1994, so no one was admonishing me for being left-handed, luckily! I’m not ambidextrous, however I use cutlery and scissors right-handed. I remember there were about 5/6 left handed kids in my class, and one pair of left-handed scissors. Eventually I just decided to avoid the daily stampede and teach myself to do it right handed.

 

[Layman]

And those of us who were left-handed were sharply rebuked by the nun; and made to feel that there was something wrong with us.
You right-handers have absolutely no idea of what we go through. You live in a world which makes virtually no concessions to us…and yet we make up circa10% of the population, unlike “gays” etc.

Ha ha ha! If this is not meant as irony, it sure reads like it. The pain, ooo, the suffering …!

Let’s have a pity party!

On a serious note, the Latin for left is ‘sinister’. In occultism, the ‘Left-hand’ path is the path of black magic. So the connotations are bad.

Deliberately choosing to use your left hand is just weak. It’s a simple motion to learn. But hey, we’re in the era of “What I feeeeeel is what’s right”.

[Can’t believe what I’m reading here.]

 

[IrishAm]

Militant lefties arise!! Sign of the cross with the left hand. Don’t shake anyone’s right hand, make them accommodate you with the left!!!

Good grief. (And, yes, I am left-handed. And I manage to make the sign of the cross, and shake hands, with the right. Were I missing my right arm/hand, I would make other accommodations and assume others will understand, but, blessedly, it is there and it works.)

(I actually wonder if you were “taught” to make the sign of the cross with your left hand or if you were just so dominantly left handed at the time that you continued to do so and no one considered it a big enough deal to correct, assuming you would come around eventually? Our memories of such things tend to get distorted. My own grown children will swear they were “told” this-and-that and I know better. And my father always told how his first grade teacher X “made” him write with his right hand, until his mother informed him “SHE DID NOT! Why do you always say that? She even put you in the special desk that accommodated left handed writers. You just decided that year you didn’t want to sit in that desk and changed hands!”)

 

[Erin_Anne]

On a serious note, the Latin for left is ‘sinister’. In occultism, the ‘Left-hand’ path is the path of black magic. So the connotations are bad.

Very valid point. During their “practice” Lucifarians (Traditional Satanists - as opposed to LeVayan Satanists) make the sign backwards, and with their left hand.

E.A.