Sign of the Cross

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Is it just me, or do other Catholics agree that it is sad when other Christians deny the Sign of the Cross?
 
I just pity all they are missing out on. I find it sad how many CATHOLICS deny the sign of the cross. Watch around at Mass. Or during any public prayer. We are afraid of being “caught red handed” at being Catholic in our secular society.
 
I agree that it is sad. The Sign of the Cross it the most basic prayer. How could any Christian deny such a thing? It is as if they are denying they are Christian.
 
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Forest-Pine:
I just pity all they are missing out on. I find it sad how many CATHOLICS deny the sign of the cross. Watch around at Mass. Or during any public prayer. We are afraid of being “caught red handed” at being Catholic in our secular society.
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Don’t be too quick to judge at Mass. My family and I don’t make the sign of the cross at Mass because I’m in RCIA and my kids haven’t started RCIC yet and no one has taught us how to do it! I finally looked it up online yesterday to learn how to do it properly. :o
 
**I rediscovered the beauty ot the Sign of the Cross after my recent visit to my first Byzantine Church. I’ve been praying the Sign of the Cross differently ever since. **

**
**We make the Sign of the Cross by touching: **
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**

**1. our Head, **
**2. then our Heart, **
**3. then our RIGHT Shoulder **
**4. and then our Left Shoulder. **

Then we make a bow. (We generally always make a bow when crossing ourselves.)

The entire gesture is called a “Reverence”.

We touch the Right Shoulder first (i.e. before the left) in order to symbolise Christ, Who sits at the Right Hand of God. This is the most ancient manner of making the Sign of the Cross, a practice not only used by Byzantine Christians, but also preserved by Church which has retained the most primitive and original liturgical rites - the Great Apostolic Assyrian Church of the East (which uses the Chaldean rite).

http://www.saintelias.com/EtiquetteKK/SignCross/HandCruxSign_illu.jpg**We make the Sign of the Cross with the right hand held thusly: **

1. The first three fingers together (symbolising the Oneness of the 3 Persons of the All-Holy Trinity

**2. The remaining two fingers are tucked down into the palm. **

These 2 remaining fingers represent the 2 Natures of the Christ [Divine and Human]. The placing of these 2 fingers down into the palm symbolises the descent of the Word into our world, i.e. the Holy Incarnation.
 
Sorry to say, but a lot of Catholics, when pressed, cannot tell you why we make the sign of the cross.

Lukelion
 
First and foremost, the Sign of the Cross is a prayer that says affirms belief in the Trinity, acknowledgement that this is our God, and that what we are about to do, say or pray is done in the name of the great I AM.

Secondly, it is an acknowledgement that we are both a creature of bodily form and spirit form (as opposed to angels that are a creature of only spirit form) and that physical act conforms our body with our spirit and mind. BTW, this is why we have prayer postures (kneeling or standing) or do things like genuflect (conform our body to the reverence in our mind and spirit).
 
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Marilena:
The sign of the cross is not over the right to the left. It is,
Forehead, heart, left shoulder, right shoulder. That is the
way I was taught, and have always done it. check this out:

newadvent.org/cathen/13785a.htm

fisheaters.com//sign.html
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Well that ( left to right )is how I was taught and that is what I did for years but now I do it my new way ( the Byzantine way ) just as naturally as if I was doing it all my life and I am still a Catholic. 😃
I like it.
 
contemplative, that was beautiful!
I have always waondered what catholics were doing it for, now I see that is has a really profound meaning.
 
My children brought home from school yet another way view the sign of the cross. . .

We touch our head because we are “to know Him”
We touch our chest because we are “to love Him”
We touch our shoulders because we are “to serve Him”

I thought it was a novel extension of the Baltimore Catechism’s question as to why God created us.
 
I kinda knew some of that being a new convert. But what opened my eyes was someone had a link that had I think St. Benedict stating do not be ashamed to make the sign of the cross in public, if you are ashamed to make the sign then basically you are ashamed of Christ!

That was a eye opener for me!! I will start making the sign now when I pray where ever I am, Ball Game , Restaurant , walking , I do not want to ever feel like I am ashamed of our great Lord Jesus Christ!!
 
Sometimes I hesitate to make the sign of the cross in public (remember–I live in GA!) because I don’t want people to think I’m trying to show off how pious I am… I don’t want people to be put off and think it’s just a show. But I guess the right thing to do would be to not worry what my Baptist neighbors might think, and just do it for God. :getholy:
 
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CatholicSam:
Sometimes I hesitate to make the sign of the cross in public (remember–I live in GA!) because I don’t want people to think I’m trying to show off how pious I am… I don’t want people to be put off and think it’s just a show. But I guess the right thing to do would be to not worry what my Baptist neighbors might think, and just do it for God. :getholy:
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Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels - Mark 8:38

I know you’re not ashamed of God, but it’s this verse that makes me never shy away from doing something to let people know I’m Christian.
 
contemplative said:
**I rediscovered the beauty ot the Sign of the Cross after my recent visit to my first Byzantine Church. I’ve been praying the Sign of the Cross differently ever since. **
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I love this. Although I still do it from left to right, I’ve started holding my 3 fingers together. I think it’s beautiful and makes me think more when I make the Sign of the Cross. I love the reverence of the Byzantine Church.
 
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Ryniev:
Don’t be too quick to judge at Mass. My family and I don’t make the sign of the cross at Mass because I’m in RCIA and my kids haven’t started RCIC yet and no one has taught us how to do it! I finally looked it up online yesterday to learn how to do it properly. :o
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Most everyone in our Parish in Northern Utah makes the sign of the Cross. At least those around me. Six years ago I did not know what it meant, or did I think I would ever be making it. Now it is a very large section of my life. This sign of the Cross is a very good thing. I would never want to go back to those other days, although they did get me where I am today.
 
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Forest-Pine:
I just pity all they are missing out on. I find it sad how many CATHOLICS deny the sign of the cross. Watch around at Mass. Or during any public prayer. We are afraid of being “caught red handed” at being Catholic in our secular society.
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HA! I go out of my way to have Protestants see me do it! 😛
 
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Forest-Pine:
I just pity all they are missing out on. I find it sad how many CATHOLICS deny the sign of the cross. Watch around at Mass. Or during any public prayer. We are afraid of being “caught red handed” at being Catholic in our secular society.
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True. I was like this, but my kids would always do the sign of the cross before saying the blessing before a meal anywhere.

Kids are great!!
 
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