Sign of the cross

[po18guy]

From, in my opinion, the world’s greatest living theologian:

The Sign of the Cross

  The most basic Christian gesture in prayer is and always will be the sign of the cross. It is a way of confessing Christ crucified with one's very body ... To seal oneself with the sign of the cross is a visible and public Yes to him who suffered for us; to him who in the body has made God's love visible, even to the utmost; to the God who reigns not by destruction but by the humility of suffering and love, which is stronger than all the power of the world and wiser than all the calculating intelligence of men. The sign of the cross is a confession of faith: I believe in him who suffered for me and rose again; in him who has transformed the sign of shame into a sign of hope and of the love of God that is present with us. The confession of faith is a confession of hope: I believe in him who in his weakness is the Almighty; in him who can and will save me even in apparent absence and impotence. By signing ourselves with the cross, we place ourselves under the protection of the cross, hold it in front of us like a shield that will guard us in all the distress of daily life and give us the courage to go on. We accept it as a signpost that we follow ... The cross shows us the road of life — the imitation of Christ. . .Whenever we make the sign of the cross, we accept our Baptism anew; Christ from the cross draws us, so to speak, to himself. . .We make the sign of the cross on ourselves and thus enter the power of the blessing of Jesus Christ. We make the sign over people to whom we wish a blessing ... Through the cross, we can become sources of blessing for one another.

• Pope Benedict XVI

 

[Todd977]

If you make the sign of the cross, what does it mean to you?

If making the sign of the cross is not part of your spiritual experience, what is the reason for not signing?

From the Baltimore Catechism:

488. Why do we make the sign of the cross?

We make the sign of the cross to express two important mysteries of the Christian religion, the Blessed Trinity and the Redemption.

489. How are these mysteries expressed by the sign of the cross?

When we say “In the name,” we express the truth that there is only one God; when we say “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” we express the truth that there are three distinct Persons in God; and when we make the form of the cross on ourselves, we express the truth that the Son of God, made man, redeemed us by His death on the cross. (source)

The sign of the cross also reminds me of these questions and answers from the Baltimore Catechism concerning our purpose in life:

4. What must we do to gain the happiness of heaven?

To gain the happiness of heaven we must know, love, and serve God in this world.

5. From whom do we learn to know, love, and serve God?

We learn to know, love, and serve God from Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who teaches us through the Catholic Church. (source)

[hand to head,] to know,
[heart,] love,
[and shoulders] and serve God.

The sign of the cross also reminds me of my Christian baptism, especially when made with holy water.

319. How would you give Baptism?

I would give Baptism by pouring ordinary water on the forehead of the person to be baptized, saying while pouring it: “I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (source)

 

[rweidn]

Without ever really reading or thinking about it I always felt instinctively that it was some kind of seal of protection. It always fascinated me when boxers did it in the ring as the bell rang for Round 1.

 

[Tommy999]

When I was younger, almost everyone I saw make the sign of the cross were Catholics, especially sports figures like baseball players as they stepped up to the batter’s box, soccer players as they entered a game or after scoring a goal, and that sort of thing. Occasionally at a restaurant I might see a non-celebrity person do it after saying grace, which I respected.

In terms of the sports figures who did it, I assumed it was more of a “good luck charm” or “God help me do my best” or something to that effect sort of gesture.

As I grew older, I realized that it shouldn’t just be a Catholic thing, because Jesus died on the cross for all of us, not just Catholics. Therefore, I make the sign of the cross occasionally to help me focus (I have ADD) on Christ and His death on the cross and as a reminder that I belong to Him and He belongs to me and to all whose who seek Him.

Hardly anyone I know at my church makes the sign of the cross. I assume they consider it to be a ‘Catholic only’ practice. I do it, especially in my private devotional life. I find it helps keep me grounded.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

I like what the others before me have posted and agree. I’ll simply add this:

For me, the Sign of the Cross is akin to my identity as a child of God. We’ve seen on TV shows or elsewhere that occasionally people will (comically to me) begin their prayer with, “Hello God. It’s me, Bill.”

In a real sense for me, the Sign of the Cross is both a public and personal ‘confession’ that I believe and belong. I also see it as saying, “Hello, Lord… it’s me, Cor…” I’ve often struggled with doing it in public places, such as before a meal in a restaurant; I’m not ashamed of my faith or my Lord, but I do squirm about being in any kind of spotlight, so the attention drawn has been uncomfortable (and probably mostly imaginary!). I think it’s important for me to grow beyond that, though, and not only be proud of my faith for the sake of my own soul and the Lord’s honor, but also as an example to my children and others around me.

 

[Bookcat]

In the early Church for the sign of the cross anytime they did a + on the forehead-- I still use this personally in addition to the common form now…

“Be the cross our seal, made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in every thing; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink, in our comings and in goings; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are travelling, and when we are at rest”. St. Cyril of Jerusalem

And regarding the sign of the cross per se:

“Making the sign of the cross – as we will do during the blessing – means saying a visible and public “yes” to the One who died and rose for us, to God who in the humility and weakness of His love is the Almightly, stronger than all the power and intelligence of the world.”

-Pope Benedict XVI
Angelus
September 11, 2005

He also talks about it when he was Cardinal in the Spirit of the Liturgy…as a renewal of baptism…as a shield…etc…go read that chapter