The Sign of Grace [Sign of the Cross]

Catholic Exchange ^ | 07-05-04 | by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D

[Salvation]

by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.

The Sign of Grace

07/05/04

			To some, being Italian-American means overindulging in pasta and joking about tough guys. But being Italian means being heir to a rich tradition stretching back before the Caesars. Included are philosophers like Seneca, poets like Dante, artists such as Michelangelo, and saints like Francis of Assisi.

To some, being Catholic means giving up chocolate for Lent. But those who explore their Catholic heritage discover thousands of years of meaning, insight, and life-giving resources: inspiring stories about people from Abraham to Mother Teresa, practical instruction by some of the most brilliant thinkers of all time, tried and true spiritual practices that make people grow in character and happiness.

In John 10:10, Jesus said “I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” That recalls Isaiah who, speaking of God’s people, says: “Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent” (Is 66: 10-14). The Catholic Church is all about preserving and enjoying the whole, rich heritage of Christ. In fact, the word “Catholic” comes from the Greek word for “whole.” The problem is that some preserve outward practices of this heritage, like giving up something for Lent, but have lost the connection with the meaning and power of the practice.

Take for example the sign of the cross. For some it is just a mechanical part of “logging on” and “logging off” of our time “connected” to God via prayer. For others, it seems no more than a good luck charm to make superstitiously before stepping up to bat.

To see what it really means, we need to look where it comes from. In baptism, a cross is traced on the foreheads of the baptized. The same happens in confirmation, when it is done with sacred oil called “chrism.” As the cross is traced, the name of the triune God is pronounced, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

How far back in time does this practice go? Paul says “I bear the brand marks of Jesus in my body” (Gal 6:14-18). Notice that in the book of Revelation, those doomed to death have the mark of the beast on their foreheads while the 144,000 in white robes have been sealed with the name of God and the Lamb (Rv 7:3-4, 11:1). Sounds a lot like the sign of the cross, doesn’t it?

In the early Church, the sign of the cross was seen as the brand mark on the body of a Christian that indicated that he or she was now the property of a new master and under the protection of that master. The blood of the lamb on the doorposts of the Israelites protected them from the Angel of Death who “passed over” their homes. The sign of the cross on the Christian says “Hands off!” to the power of darkness. Note that Jesus says to His disciples “I have given you power to tread on snakes and scorpions and all the forces of the enemy, and nothing shall ever injure you” (Lk 10:19). The sign of the cross is the sign of this power.

But this sign means even more than belonging to the triune God. It indicates how and why we’ve come to belong to God and to be entitled to His protection. It means that for my standing with God, I do not trust in the good deeds that I’ve done or the “good person” that I am. Rather, I stake my claim to heaven on what Jesus did for me on Calvary. It means that I am saved by a pure gift of His love, by grace. “May I never boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (Gal 6:14).

Each time I make this sign, it is a renewal of my “decision for Christ,” my intimate relationship of love with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit which comes as a pure gift of God’s decision for me, to give me grace through faith, baptism and confirmation. In this simple little sign is contained the very essence of the gospel.

The good news is that everything in the Catholic heritage is like this — full of rich meaning that we’ve forgotten. But we can recover the meaning and reactivate the power. Let’s get busy exploring and unpacking the amazing Catholic tradition!


Dr. D'Ambrosio studied under Avery Cardinal Dulles for his Ph.D. in historical theology and taught for many years at the University of Dallas. He appears weekly on radio and TV reaching six continents and his books, tapes, videos, and CDs are internationally distributed. Information on his free resources, talks, CDs, videos and books is available on his website, www.dritaly.com.

For a copy of Marcellino D’Ambrosio’s book or CD Getting More out of the Mass, visit www.crossroadsinitiative.com.

(This article originally appeared in Our Sunday Visitor and is used by permission of the author.)

[Salvation]

For your information and discussion.

[Salvation]

The good news is that everything in the Catholic heritage is like this — full of rich meaning that we’ve forgotten. But we can recover the meaning and reactivate the power. Let’s get busy exploring and unpacking the amazing Catholic tradition!

[Salvation]

Catholic Discussion Ping!

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[Dominick]

One thing I notice, few Catholics make the Sign when they pass a Catholic Church. I still Sign, but not many Catholics I know will make the Sign when passing a Church.

[Coleus]

[thor76]

That is a combination of a diminished sense of reverence in general, and a loss of faith in the very real and total presense of Christ in the tabernacle.

[Salvation]

I try to remember. Thanks for the reminder.

[Salvation]

But if we don't put that example back out there by our own ACTIONS, what will happen? Absolutely nothing. So we do have a responsibility here.

When I am in a restaurant I make the Sign of the Cross, pray the grace before meals, make another Sign of the Cross and then eat.

Some eyebrows are raised, but I really don't care.

[Salvation]

LOL! Good one!

[thor76]

Agreed! That would be setting an excellant example!

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

A couple of questions from an interested non-Catholic...

How do you make the sign of the cross and when is it appropriate to do so? I've watched people do it over the years and they do it so quickly that it's difficult to follow.

[Salvation]

Touching your forehead: "In the name of the Father"
Touching your chest: "And of the Son"
Touching your left shoulder: and of the Holy"
Touching your right shoulder: "Spirit."

Folding hands: Amen

Some cultures will switch the shoulders and go from right to left. Also Hispanics bring their hand back up to the lips before folding them. (I'm not an expert on the Hispanic part, so maybe someone else can check in with more to this detail.)

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

Thanks. And when is it appropriate to make the sign of the cross?

[Salvation]

**And when is it appropriate to make the sign of the cross?**

It is basically a prayer. Can be said (done) anywhere or anytime.

[tiki]

About 30 years ago they started a new evangelical church in our town and many Catholics joined in. There was one young Catholic whose father joined and for his father's sake ran the music program. It was all very charismatic and emotional and he considered joining but something held him back and he couldn't make the commitment. Then one day he was walking in front of a Catholic Church and a 4 yr old rode his tricycle in front of it at the same time. The little boy stopped and made the sign of the Cross and then peddled on. It really made an impact on him and made him think seriously about what he was thinking of giving up., After that he never considered leaving the Church.

That evangelical church couldn't survive the egos and conflicts present in every human situation because it was just the one congregation. No, "sign of the cross" no tradition to sustain them, no hierachy and no history to connect them. Some returned to their old churches, some lost their faith, some started new churches, which have petered out and some still "church hop". There were no roots to sustain them.

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

Thanks again. :-)

[COBOL2Java]

How do you make the sign of the cross and when is it appropriate to do so? I've watched people do it over the years and they do it so quickly that it's difficult to follow.

From The Catholic Encyclopedia [I've supplied the Latin translations. Hey, 4 years of Latin in High School was good for something! :-)]:

Sign of the Cross

A term applied to various manual acts, liturgical or devotional in character, which have this at least in common: that by the gesture of tracing two lines intersecting at right angles they indicate symbolically the figure of Christ's cross.

Most commonly and properly the words "sign of the cross" are used of the large cross traced from forehead to breast and from shoulder to shoulder, such as Catholics are taught to make upon themselves when they begin their prayers, and such also as the priest makes at the foot of the altar when he commences Mass with the words: "In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti"[In the Name of the Father, and of The Son, and of the Holy Spirit]. (At the beginning of Mass the celebrant makes the sign of the cross by placing his left hand extended under his breast; then raising his right to his forehead, which he touches with the extremities of his fingers, he says: In nomine Patris; then, touching his breast with the same hand, he says: et Filii; touching his left and right shoulders, he says; et Spiritus Sancti; and as he joins his hands again adds: Amen.) The same sign recurs frequently during Mass, e.g. at the words "Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini" [Our Help is in the Name of the Lord}, at the "Indulgentiam" after the Confiteor, etc., as also in the Divine Office, for example at the invocation "Deus in adjutorium nostrum intende" [O God, come to my assistance], at the beginning of the "Magnificat", the "Benedictus", the "Nunc Dimittis", and on many other occasions.

Another kind of sign of the cross is that made in the air by bishops, priests, and others in blessing persons or material objects. This cross recurs also many times in the liturgy of the Mass and in nearly all the ritual offices connected with the sacraments and sacramentals. A third variety is represented by the little cross, generally made with the thumb, which the priest or deacon traces for example upon the book of the Gospels and then upon his own forehead, lips, and breast at Mass, as also that made upon the lips in the "Domine labia mea aperies" [Lord, open my lips} of the Office, or again upon the forehead of the infant in Baptism, and upon the various organs of sense in Extreme Unction, etc.

[NYer]

How do you make the sign of the cross and when is it appropriate to do so? I've watched people do it over the years and they do it so quickly that it's difficult to follow.

Thank you for posing an excellent question! As a Roman Catholic (Western Church) attending a Maronite Catholic liturgy (Eastern Church), I have also seen some parishioners make the sign of the cross and then bring their right hand up to their lips. Here is an historical perspective.

The Sign of the Cross is not traced on the body in the same way by all Eastern Christians. At the words, "... and of the Holy Spirit," the majority of Eastern Christians move the hand horizontally from the right shoulder to the left. This was the universal custom of the Catholic Church, East and West, into the Middle Ages. For example, Pope Innocent III in the 13th century directed that the sign of the Cross be traced in this way by all Catholics, with two fingers and the thumb of the right hand joined (see the New Catholic Encyclopedia [1967], p. 479). Sometime later in the West, the direction was reversed to movement of the hand from the left to the right.

The joining of two fingers and the thumb was a reaction to the Monophysite heresy, which denied the two natures of Christ, signified by the two fingers. With the addition of the use of the joining of the thumb and two fingers the Trinity is signified. This heresy began in the Syriac Antiochene area. Since Maronites defended the true teachings regarding the natures of Jesus, they restored the practice of making the Sign of the Cross with the two fingers and the thumb joined.

The Sign of the Cross is made at the beginning and end of all prayers. In the Maronite liturgy, it is also the response given when the priest blesses the congregation throughout the liturgy, using the Book of the Gospels, the Consecrated offerings and the handcross.

[Salvation]

Fantastic example of how we can evangelize.

And we shall be taught by little children.

[Salvation]

**Since Maronites defended the true teachings regarding the natures of Jesus, they restored the practice of making the Sign of the Cross with the two fingers and the thumb joined.**

I've never heard of this!