“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Most Catholics have said those words thousands of times. We make the Sign of the Cross before Mass, before meals, when we pray, and perhaps many other times throughout the day. But because we do it so often, it can become almost automatic.
Here are three things to remember the next time you “cross yourself”:
1. The Sign of the Cross is a sacramental.
The Catechism describes sacramentals as sacred signs instituted by the Church that help prepare us to receive grace and sanctify the circumstances of our lives (CCC 1667). Holy water, blessed medals, crucifixes, and rosaries can all be sacramentals. So can the Sign of the Cross!
2. It is a prayer all by itself.
We aren't simply making the shape of a cross. As we say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” we invoke the Holy Trinity while tracing the instrument of Christ's sacrifice over our bodies. Fr. Matthew Pawlikowski, former chaplain at West Point, in the Good Catholic series Spiritual Warfare, encourages us to make the Sign of the Cross SLOWLY and to say it with intention.
3. The earliest Christians did it throughout the day.
Around the beginning of the third century, Tertullian described Christians tracing the cross during the ordinary activities of life: when coming and going, getting dressed, sitting down to eat, and even going to bed.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem later encouraged Christians to make the cross boldly over the bread they ate and the cups they drank, when leaving and returning home, before sleeping, upon waking, while traveling, and while resting.
In other words, the Sign of the Cross wasn't reserved for church.
It’s one of the shortest prayers we know, and probably one of the prayers we say most often. But we shouldn’t rush through words that invoke the Holy Trinity and recall the Cross of Christ.
The Sign of the Cross is a prayer that brings to mind Christ's death on the Cross in the same way that a crucifix brings it to mind. The Italian Handpainted Crucifix from the esteemed Pelligrini Collection features exquisite craftsmanship with remarkable detail. Discover yours today at The Catholic Company!
