Sign of the Cross

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Elzee:
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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I also do that as well. I think the symbolism there is rather significant, and should not be lost, especially for us Catholics.
 
Do you make the Sign of the Cross when you pass in front of a church?

I do, and i think it is a way of say hi to Jesus and keep him in my thoughts…

I was wondering if this is a latin american custom or if is done worldwide…
 
Pablo A.:
Do you make the Sign of the Cross when you pass in front of a church?

I do, and i think it is a way of say hi to Jesus and keep him in my thoughts…

I was wondering if this is a latin american custom or if is done worldwide…
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I’ve never heard of it, myself. Maybe it is a Latin American custom? I don’t see anything unusual about it, though. Sometimes I do the sign of the cross at pretty random times myself.
 
What a wonderful thing, the Sign of the Cross. I would agree that converts to Catholicism do feel they were previously denied the Sign of the Cross. It was the very first thing my (convert) husband wanted to learn. He said those exact words that he felt “denied it” by his former Evangelical church. He brought me back to using it in restaurants as I didn’t for fear of looking holier than thou. He pointed out that it was no ones business and he wasn’t going to change for anyone else’s feelings.

Since my husband is generally introverted and usually chooses not to stand out in public I knew this was him exercising the role of spiritual head of the family. I remember to do it now even when he is not with me.
 
Pablo A.:
Do you make the Sign of the Cross when you pass in front of a church?

I do, and i think it is a way of say hi to Jesus and keep him in my thoughts…

I was wondering if this is a latin american custom or if is done worldwide…
Click to expand...
It’s likely a Spanish custom, since we Filipinos do that as well.
 
Whenever I feel the slight doubt as to whether to cross myself in public, I take a deep breath and recollect that I am in the presence of God. And then I make the sign of the cross slowly. It is a prayer in and of itself.

in XT.
 
Pablo A.:
Do you make the Sign of the Cross when you pass in front of a church?

I do, and i think it is a way of say hi to Jesus and keep him in my thoughts…

I was wondering if this is a latin american custom or if is done worldwide…
Click to expand...
My farmer German-heritage Grandfather always made a point to drive by the Church and make the sign of cross whenever he came to town and on his way back to the farm. When I was early in grade school, I asked him what he was doing. He said, “I don’t have time to stop in today and pray but I want God to know that I’m thinking of him.” That little witness has had a profound impact on me. I have recalled that little moment almost 40 years ago as many times as any other experience with my Grandpa (he died 32 years ago).
 
Pablo A.:
Do you make the Sign of the Cross when you pass in front of a church?

I do, and i think it is a way of say hi to Jesus and keep him in my thoughts…

I was wondering if this is a latin american custom or if is done worldwide…
Click to expand...
Yes, I was made aware of that when I lived up north. When I worked in New York City and walked from the train station to work I always made the Sign of the Cross when passing the Church. One day for lunch I was walking with my Jewish girlfriend and she noticed and asked me about that. I was very happy to tell her!
 
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blessedrosary:
Is it just me, or do other Catholics agree that it is sad when other Christians deny the Sign of the Cross?
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I am an “other Christian” aka Episcopalian.

I make the Sign of the Cross , we do not deny it. At mass, entering church, leaving church, before praying, after praying, after absolution (sp?) before sermon (when Father says In the Name…) before and after receiving Communion.

There are a lot of Protestants who do not know the meaning of the Sign of the Cross, therefore, if someone asks me about it…It’s simply the opportunity to discuss my faith.
 
Pablo A.:
Do you make the Sign of the Cross when you pass in front of a church?

I do, and i think it is a way of say hi to Jesus and keep him in my thoughts…

I was wondering if this is a latin american custom or if is done worldwide…
Click to expand...
We were always taught to do this as well. I hardly ever see anyone do this anymore though.

I am Hispanic by the way.
 
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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:l
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According to the Catholic Encyclopedia online, this was not the original method of making the sign of the cross. The Eastern Orthodox method was the correct method for both Orthodox and Roman Catholics until the Middle Ages, when the Roman Catholics decided to change their minds and do it differently. Whereas the Orthodox kept the method that had always been in use up until then.
“At this period the manner of making it in the West seems to have been identical with that followed at present in the East, i.e. only three fingers were used, and the hand traveled from the right shoulder to the left.”
See:
newadvent.org/cathen/13785a.htm
 
I live in Louisiana and most of our Catholics are French in origin and we all make the sign of the cross passing in front of a Catholic Church. That brings up another point…I’ve never seen a Catholic do it in front of a protestant church…:whistle:
 
I used to teach 6th grade at a Presbyterian elementary school in Georgia. When we prayed I always did the sign of the cross. The kids thought that was great and wanted to know why they didn’t have a “special sign” so they made on up that included clapping, a foot stomp, and something else - LOL! I did have to stop that and explain what the sign meant - but not as eliquently (sp?) as Contemplative.

Contemplative, I hope you don’t mind if I pass that on to the Religious Education teachers where I live (I’m the RE Coordinator 🙂 )
 
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Brian_C:
I live in Louisiana and most of our Catholics are French in origin and we all make the sign of the cross passing in front of a Catholic Church. That brings up another point…I’ve never seen a Catholic do it in front of a protestant church…:whistle:
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Perhaps it’s because Christ is physically present in a Catholic Church in the Eucharist (assuming there is some of the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle). Also, the sacrifice of Christ is re-presented in the mass each week (and usually each day if it’s a decent size parish), making it a holy place.

As any protestant (including me 2 years ago) will tell you, a protestant church is just a place to meet. As for Anglican churches, well, there’s no guarantee of validity of their Eucharist… so I guess their churches would not be the same as a Catholic church is for us.

-Michael
 
I don’t know, that may depend on denomination. We always referred to church as the house of the Lord, not just a place to meet. I mean, I don’t have a problem with it, especially since I am in RCIA anyway, but I was just curious while we were on the subject.
 
In the West it is left then right, but in the East where the Sign of the Cross was invented it is right then left.

When Easterners taught memebers of the Latin Church the Sign of the Cross, they did so backwards. Instead of mirroring it like they were supposed to, they imitiated the backwards Sign of the Cross.
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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:
Click to expand...
 
Forgive me if I misinterpret the tone of your post, but that sounded a little condescending and insulting. Besides, this was pointed out earlier in the thread.
 
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forthright:
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.
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I was taught as a child that we touch our forehead, heart, and shoulders to remind us to love God with all our mind, with all our heart, and with all our strength.
 
Besides making the sign of the cross when passing in front of the Church, it was also a custom for a man to tip his hat in certain places in the world. The reason was out of respect for the Blessed Sacrament and the Real Presence of Christ in the Tabernacle. This is the reason it is not done when passing by Protestant Churches.

Abp
 
Question for my Hispanic brothers & sisters… some in our parish, after receiving communion & making the sign of the cross seem to be kissing their fingers? Is that a tradition?
 
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