Signing the Cross in front of a Church?

[sweetirishct]

Limbo and Purgatory are not the same thing. Limbo has recently been brought into question, but it was never really official doctrine. Limbo is what you’re thinking of as a “a supposition that was developed to explain where souls go if not baptised”. Purgatory is a long standing teaching of the church, and has Biblical backing such as: Mt 5:48, Heb 12:14, Jam 3:2, 2 Sm 12:13-14, 1 Jn 5:16-17, Mt 12:36, 2 Macc 12:44-46. There are still more Bible passages than these to support the church teachings on Purgatory. Purgatory is for all Baptised sinners. There are two really great booklets by Fr. Paul O’Sullivan O.P. that you may be interested in reading on the subject. They are Read Me or Rue It, and How to Avoid Purgatory.

We kinda have to do our own research on Purgatory to understand it, as I don’t feel like the doctrine is very well known or very well taught. It is very real though! I’d like to encourage you to read up on it if you have the time at all to do so. I think it’s real important for us to know and understand. God bless!

thanks for the clarification… I didn’t realize the distinction…

And thanks for the references!!

 

[rwoehmke]

I learned this practice from my Irish wife and her family. Her Ma and Da came from Ireland. Her great grandmother died from the “green mouth disease”. They ate grass rather than denounce their Faith in front of the Black and Tans and starved to death. When ones forebearers paid such a price for the Faith it is hard to just toss it away. Be steadfast SweetirishCT!

 

[anamchara]

There are great stories of working men in decades gone by who would be headed home on the streetcar, shooting the breeze and cussing left and right. Then the streetcar would pass the Church. They’d all nod, remove their hats momentarily, or make the sign of the cross. Then they would return to cussing left and right again!

Thats funny, I can picture it before I converted a Catholic friend told me that she grew up always signing as they drove by any Catholic church. I started doing it and got into the habit and then later I converted, this wasn’t the reason but I’m sure it helped. It’s a beautiful thing to do.

 

[patrick457]

It really is a beautiful custom. I picked it up from my grandma in the Philippines. It’s like saying Hi to Jesus who is inside His house.

 

[jwedgie09]

Signing the cross on yourself is in reverence to the Eucharist in the tabernacle

 

[Cradle]

I received a wonderful gift the other day after Confession. As I walked out of the church, I saw this man on a bicycle. His back was behind me, but I saw the motion: he crossed himself as he passed the church. On a bike! It definitely warmed my heart.

 

[starling]

In the local Catholic culture here, when you walk or drive in front of a Catholic church, you do the sign of the Cross on your forehead. It’s an old tradition, a sign of respect, that goes back generations.

 

[airforcemom]

I’ve always crossed myself when passing in front of a Catholic Church. Not sure if they do it in Arkansas but my husband and I do. I think its the little things like this that makes the Catholic Church so special. I also keep Holy Water in my house and bless myself as often as I think about it. I also try to thank the Lord for dying for me and the whole world at 3 pm everyday - that was easier to do when I worked and I always ended the prayer with the Sign of the Cross.