The Sign of the Cross

Catholic Education Resource Center CERC ^ | 2003 | FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS

[Salvation]

The Sign of the Cross    FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS

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My friend is Greek Orthodox. In his Church, they make the sign of the cross crossing themselves from the right shoulder to the left, but we do the opposite. Why is there a difference? When did this come into practice?

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The sign of the cross is a beautiful gesture which reminds the faithful of the cross of salvation while invoking the Holy Trinity. Technically, the sign of the cross is a sacramental, a sacred sign instituted by the Church which prepares a person to receive grace and which sanctifies a moment or circumstance. Along this thought, this gesture has been used since the earliest times of the Church to begin and to conclude prayer and the Mass.

The early Church Fathers attested to the use of the sign of the cross. Tertullian (d. ca. 250) described the commonness of the sign of the cross: "In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupies us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross" (De corona, 30).

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386) in his Catechetical Lectures stated, "Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the cross our seal, made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink, in our comings and in our goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are traveling, and when we are at rest" (Catecheses, 13). Gradually, the sign of the cross was incorporated in different acts of the Mass, such as the three-fold signing of the forehead, lips, and heart at the reading of the gospel or the blessing and signing of the bread and wine to be offered occurs about the ninth century.

The earliest formalized way of making the sign of the cross appeared about the 400s, during the Monophysite heresy which denied the two natures in the divine person of Christ and thereby the unity of the Holy Trinity. The sign of the cross was made from forehead to chest, and then from right shoulder to left shoulder with the right hand. The thumb, forefinger, and middle fingers were held together to symbolize the Holy Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Moreover, these fingers were held in such a way that they represented the Greek abbreviation I X C (Iesus Christus Soter, Jesus Christ Savior): the straight forefinger representing the I; the middle finger crossed with the thumb, the X; and the bent middle finger, the C. The ring finger and "pinky" finger were bent downward against the palm, and symbolize the unity of the human nature and divine nature, and the human will and divine will in the person of Christ. This practice was universal for the whole Church until about the twelfth century, but continues to be the practice for the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches.

An instruction of Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) evidences the traditional practice but also indicates a shift in the Latin Rite practice of the Catholic Church: "The sign of the cross is made with three fingers, because the signing is done together with the invocation of the Trinity ... This is how it is done: from above to below, and from the right to the left, because Christ descended from the heavens to the earth, and from the Jews (right) He passed to the Gentiles (left)." While noting the custom of making the cross from the right to the left shoulder was for both the western and eastern Churches, Pope Innocent continued, "Others, however, make the sign of the cross from the left to the right, because from misery (left) we must cross over to glory (right), just as Christ crossed over from death to life, and from Hades to Paradise. [Some priests] do it this way so that they and the people will be signing themselves in the same way. You can easily verify this — picture the priest facing the people for the blessing — when we make the sign of the cross over the people, it is from left to right...." Therefore, about this time, the faithful began to imitate the priest imparting the blessing, going from the left shoulder to the right shoulder with an open hand. Eventually, this practice became the custom for the Western Church.

In the classic work, The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite by Adrian Fortescue and J. B. O’Connell, the sign of the cross is made as follows: "Place the left hand extended under the breast. Hold the right hand extended also. At the word Patris [Father] raise it and touch the forehead; at Filii [Son] touch the breast at a sufficient distance down, but above the left hand; at Spiritus Sancti [Holy Spirit] touch the left and right shoulders; at Amen join the hands if they are to be joined." Although this practice may have evolved from the original and still current practice of Eastern Rite, it nevertheless has been the standing custom for the Latin Rite Church for centuries.

No matter how one technically makes the sign of the cross, the gesture should be made consciously and devoutly. The individual must be mindful of the Holy Trinity, that central dogma that makes Christians "Christians." Also, the individual must remember that the cross is the sign of our salvation: Jesus Christ, true God who became true man, offered the perfect sacrifice for our redemption from sin on the altar of the cross. This simple yet profound act makes each person mindful of the great love of God for us, a love that is stronger than death and promises everlasting life. The sign of the cross should be made with purpose and precision, not hastily or carelessly.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Saunders, Rev. William. "The Sign of the Cross." Arlington Catholic Herald.

This article is reprinted with permission from Arlington Catholic Herald.

THE AUTHOR

Father William Saunders is dean of the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College and pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Sterling, Virginia. The above article is a "Straight Answers" column he wrote for the Arlington Catholic Herald. Father Saunders is also the author of Straight Answers, a book based on 100 of his columns and published by Cathedral Press in Baltimore.

Copyright © 2003 Arlington Catholic Herald

[bboop]

It sounds like Tertulian was doing it (250 AD) even as the Church was still putting the Bible together in its final form.

[D-fendr]

I thought there were crosses in Protestant churches.

[Iscool]

I thought there were crosses in Protestant churches.

Some...Not all...

[D-fendr]

Thank goodness there’s some Biblical churches left.

Do they put their hands together when they pray?

[Iscool]

Disbelief in the Trinity will surely lead to hell.

Nonsense...People are saved by accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior...Understanding the process often comes later...

Creation of one’s own church will surely lead to hell.

More nonsense...I two or more are gathered together, Jesus is in the midst of the bunch...

When a person gets saved, he/she is the church...The Body...Has nothing to do with a religious organization of sinners, some possibly saved and some not...

The 'church' is spiritual...It is NOT physical...It doesn't matter how big and expensive your church is, or even if you have one... If you are not in the 'spiritual' church, you aren't in the church at all and you are not a Christian...

Privately interpreting Scripture will surely lead to hell.

As your church should well know since it is the King of private interpreters...But alas, you are wrong again...

Fortunately, you don't have to be right about too many things in the scripture other than the way to salvation...If you got THAT right, you'll still make it to Heaven, and lucky for you guys...

[Iscool]

If you don’t understand Christianity, you’re unlikely to be able to be a Christian, Iscool.

I don't agree at all...All you need to know is that you are a sinner and that a God exists that can save you...And all you have to do is ask Him...

The Trinity is part of Christianity.

Yes, it certainly is...But knowing that will not save you...And not knowing that will not prevent you from getting saved...

[Iscool]

You are right, belief alone will save no one. The Epistle of James says, Faith without works is dead being alone. there just saying that we accept Jesus Christ does not mean that we are saved.

You start twisting things like that, someone's going to think you are a Catholic...

I did NOT say belief in Jesus Christ as your Saviour would not save you...I said belief in the Trinity as 1 in 3, and 3 in 1 will not save you...

Nice try though...

[Iscool]

but I think the "royal road" to a deeper faith in the God who reveals Himself and His love to us is found in the Church.

Can't be...Your church would be nothing without the scripture, even tho it's (the scripture) severely abused...

There are plenty of folks that have a very 'deep faith' in God who never set foot in one of your churches but are fed directly thru the word of God, the scripture...

[D-fendr]

Yep, just say the sinner’s prayer. All ya gotta do. One time. It’s in the Bible.

[D-fendr]

That’s right. You can believe God is four-in-twelve if you want and Jesus and The Father are cousins if you want. Don’t matter.

Trinity is just another of those traditions of men.

[Mad Dawg]

I don’t see how your post contradicts mine — except for the “Can’t be” part. You put some other controversial statements in there, but while I disagree with them to some extent, they don’t have anything to do with what I said.

[AlaninSA]

OK, good. I thought you were denying the Trinity. My apologies. I fully agree with you that (a) “All you need to know is that you are a sinner and that a God exists that can save you...And all you have to do is ask Him...” and (b) “But knowing that will not save you...”

But you’re wrong on this point:

“And not knowing that will not prevent you from getting saved...”

[Mad Dawg]

But you’re wrong on this point:

“And not knowing that will not prevent you from getting saved...”

Knowing that God is a Trinity in Unity will not save you. Satan knows that. (He may even understand it better than I do, which ain't hard.)

Not knowing it will not damn you, I think. You could not know it through invincible ignorance or other incapacity. You could have been given the grace to say the sinner's prayer and know as little about the Catholic Church and what she teaches as some of our antagonists here know (or even less), and not have their opportunities to learn. "A broken and contrite heart He will not despise." Willful ignorance on the other hand could prove to be mortal.

I think the "means of grace" provide immeasurable assistance, and sound doctrine is better and more useful than no or wrong doctrine.

[servantboy777]

whoa.....slow down there. The sign of the cross is nothing more than an acknowledgment of that persons acceptance of the Holy Trinity and Yeshua.

No, the sign of the cross won’t save you....the faith that causes one to cross himself in honor of the Lord is what saves him.

Belief in the Holy Trinity is indeed belief in G_d in three distinct persons. Jesus himself breathed on them (the apostles) and began the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

[IrishBrigade]

Excellent post, thank you...

...agreed...post #13 was an excellent response, albeit no doubt unheeded, to an insolent previous post...

[IrishBrigade]

Your church would be nothing without the scripture, even tho it’s (the scripture) severely abused...

...a litle bit of detailed explanation of the above inane utterance would be of benefit...to us beknighted, uncool children of the papacy...

[FormerLib]

And the “sign of the cross” as a personal unction, is found where in the Bible?

Doesn't the Bible tell us that it does not contain all of the works of Jesus Christ?

If it cannot contain all of His works, how could it contain all of the works of His Church?

[FormerLib]

You can make the sign of the cross a million times a day...It surely won't save you...

And denying the Cross will? I think not.

[FormerLib]

...but are fed directly thru the word of God, the scripture...

Good thing the Church you disdain assembled those New Testament books for you.

Or did they get that part wrong, too? Oh, dear!

[Pyro7480]

Trinity is just another of those traditions of men.

What!? How can a church claim to be a "Biblical church" if it doesn't believe in the Trinity?