What if every time
we made the Sign of the Cross, we did so with intention, with the knowledge
that the act gives voice to the depth of our faith as baptized Christians in
whom Christ has come to dwell? Consider
this reflection by Bert Ghezzi:
The Sign of the Cross is not merely a pious
gesture. It is a powerful prayer.
The Sign of the Cross is a profession of
faith in God as he revealed himself. It
serves as an abbreviated form of the Apostles’ Creed. Touching our forehead, breast and shoulders,
we declare our belief in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are announcing our faith in what God has
done – the creation of all things, the redemption of humanity from sin and
death, and the establishment of the Church, which offers new life to all. When we sign ourselves we are making
ourselves aware of God’s presence and opening ourselves to his action in our
lives.
First-century Christians began making the
sign of the cross as a reminder and renewal of what happened to them when they
were baptized. It still works the same
way for us. When we sign ourselves we
are declaring that in baptism we died sacramentally with Christ on the cross
and rose to a new life with him… We are asking the Lord to renew in us those
baptismal graces. We are also
acknowledging that baptism joined us to the body of Christ and equipped us for
our role of collaborating with the Lord in his work of rescuing all people from
sin and death.
To read Bert
Ghezzi’s complete article Why Catholics Make the Sign of the Cross, and how intentionality doing so was transformative in his life, click here.
Image source: Wall painting of St. Paul the Apostle making
the sign of the cross, Ephesus, 4th century, http://www.pc-freak.net/blog/christian-origin-crossing-finger/
No comments:
Post a Comment