Why Do Catholics Make the Sign of the Cross?
Why do Roman Catholics make the Sign of the Cross when they say, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"? Making the Sign of the Cross may be the most common of all actions that Catholics do. We make it when we begin and end our prayers; we make it when we enter and leave a church; we start each Mass with it; we may even make it when we hear the Holy Name taken in vain and when we pass a church where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.
But do you know why we make the Sign of the Cross? The answer is both simple and profound.
In the Sign of the Cross, we profess the deepest mysteries of the Christian Faith: the Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--and the saving work of Christ on the Cross. The combination of the words and the action are a creed--a statement of belief. We mark ourselves as Christians through the Sign of the Cross.
And yet, because we make the Sign of the Cross so often, we may be tempted to rush through it, to say the words without listening to them, to ignore the symbolism of tracing the shape of the Cross on our own bodies. A creed is not simply a statement of belief--it is a vow to defend that belief, even if it means following Our Lord and Savior to our own cross.
What is the symbolism of dipping our fingers in holy water and making the sign of the cross?
It recalls our baptism into Christ, which makes us members of the Church, the Body of Christ.
Why and when should we genuflect?
Genuflection is a sign of reverence to the Blessed Sacrament. So, it is customary and proper to genuflect whenever we come into or leave the presence of the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the Tabernacle.
What is the meaning behind the making of the cross on our forehead, mouth and heart before the reading of the Gospel?
It mirrors the blessing a Deacon receives prior to proclaiming the Gospel - "may God be in your mind, on your lips and in your heart as you proclaim His holy Gospel."
Why did Jesus "ascend" into heaven and why was Mary "assumed"? What is the big significance and difference between the two ways of getting to heaven?
Jesus was God, so he ascended into heaven. In other words, He went there by His own power. Mary was not God, so she was taken up into heaven by Jesus - she was "assumed."
Through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults-- those who wish to become Catholic or wish to learn more about the Catholic Faith are invited to participate in a group of inquiries. For more information contact Molli Vassar at
mvassar@atlanticbb.net
