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THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
“LET THE SIGN OF THE CROSS BE CONTINUALLY MADE ON THE HEART AND IN ALL OUR ACTIONS. LET US MAKE IT ON OUR BREASTS AND ALL OUR FRIENDS, THAT WE MAY BE ENTIRELY COVERED WITH THIS INVINCIBLE ARMOUR OF CHRISTIANS.” – ST GAUDENTIUS
BY MARIA HALL
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Of all the signs and symbols we use in prayer, the Sign of the Cross is the most common. It permeates the Mass, the sacraments and our personal devotions. We even see athletes making the sign of the cross before they race. If we see someone making the sign of the cross, we think “Catholic!” This universally understood sign sums up our identity.
But because we make the sign of the cross so frequently, we are in danger of taking it for granted. The symbol of the cross dominates Lent and Holy Week, so it is the perfect time to reflect on the significance of tracing it upon ourselves and how it has the potential to be a unique source of evangelisation.
ORIGINS AND HERESY
One of the earliest records of Christians using the sign of the cross was in 211 AD when Tertullian wrote about how Christians would sign themselves regularly: …in all our travels and movements, in 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.
In times of persecution, this was impossible. The fish, anchor and Chi-Rho were less obvious and easier-to-use symbols. When they were able, Christians crossed themselves on the forehead. When Constantine made Christianity legal, the church was free to identify itself publicly. From this point, the custom of making a larger cross developed and we see it appearing in liturgical ceremonies. In the 4th century, St Basil refers to the Apostles as those who “taught us in writing to sign with the sign of the cross”. Of sacred functions, St Augustine says, “if it be not applied to the foreheads of believers; to the water, with which they are regenerated; to the chrism, with which they are anointed, and to the holy bread, with which they are nourished, no rite is duly performed.”
In those early days, the sign of the cross was as much a part of everyday life as it was in the church’s liturgy. St Athanasius (c 370 AD) writes of the blessing of meat before a meal: “When thou art sat down at table, and beginest to break thy bread, having signed it with the sign of the cross – give thanks.”
St Cyril of Jerusalem instructs his catechumens to not be afraid of the sign of the cross and to use it freely on the forehead: “Use that sign, eating and drinking, sitting and lying, rising from bed, conversing and walking; in one word, use it on all occasions.” But Christians didn’t always get it right; in the 5th century, St Caesarius had to warn people not to cross themselves when they were on their way to commit adultery or steal!
In the 5th and 6th centuries, the Monophysite heresy threatened to split the church. It held that Christ did not have two natures, human and divine, but that he was solely divine.
In opposition to this, Christians began to sign themselves making a large gesture across their chest (using two fingers representing both natures), making sure that it was visible to everyone.
OLD TESTAMENT AND THE COSMOS
The early Christians were aware of the connection between their practice and events in the Old Testament. In Ezekiel 9, God’s messenger was instructed to “go through the whole city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is distressed or troubled.” This mark was the Tav, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which was the shape of a cross. It was the seal of God which placed his people under special protection. This is mirrored In Revelation, where the 144,000 who were saved, were “marked with God’s seal on their foreheads”.
Justin Martyr described the sign of the cross as the “greatest symbol of the strength and rule of Christ.” He also drew on Plato and his ‘Prophecy of the Cross’ for inspiration. In the astronomical world, it was understood that there were two great movements in the stars; the ecliptic movement of the sun and the orbit of the earth. They intersect and form the shape of a cross, imprinted across the entire cosmos, connecting with the Demiruge, the Creator of the World. Justin saw this as the explanation for God:
The Cross of Golgotha is foreshadowed in the structure of the universe itself. The instrument of torment on which the Lord died is written into the structure of the universe. The cosmos speaks to us of the
Cross, and the Cross solves for us the enigma of the cosmos. It is the real key to all reality. – Pope Benedict XVI
LEFT TO RIGHT?
Originally, we traced from right shoulder to left, the right shoulder reminding us that Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. The right therefore represents all that is good. Pope Leo IV (d 855) decreed that all blessings should be given from right to left but the faithful got into the habit of copying the priest and so therefore
their actions were a mirror image; left to right.
By the end of the Middle Ages, the Eastern and Western churches had differing styles. In the 15th century, the Brigittine nuns of the Monastery of Sion in England stated that “one should begin with the head and move downward, then to the left side and to the right.” This was because “Jesus came down from the Father (head), was born as man (breast), suffered on the cross (left) and ascended into heaven (right).” This custom has survived to the present day.
MIRACLES
There are numerous stories involving miracles caused by the sign of the cross. St Benedict (d 548) was sent to sort out a monastery where the monks had fallen into unruly ways. Benedict sought to restore discipline, but the monks weren’t happy and plotted to kill him. One day they put poison in his drink, but Benedict’s habit was to bless what he was about to receive and as he made the sign of the cross over the glass, it shattered into pieces!
‘The fire in the Borgo’ (1517) was painted by a pupil of Raphael. It depicts a miracle attributed to Pope Leo. A serious fire had broken out in the district next to the Vatican. He stood in front of the old St Peter’s and blessed it with the sign of the cross and the fire went out!
RENEWED FERVOUR
Arise betimes from your bed, cross your breast and your forehead, wash your hands and face, comb your hair and ask the grace of God to speed you in all your works; then go to Mass and ask mercy for all your trespasses… when ye have done, break your fast with good meat and drink, but before eating, cross your mouth; your diet will be better for it.
The Young Children’s Book dating from the 15th century
Recently Pope Francis has said how it hurts him when he sees children making the sign of the cross so badly. He said, “Children must learn to pray. Maybe they’ll forget or choose a different path, but that prayer will remain in their hearts, because it is a seed of life, the seed of dialogue with God.” We must be careful to teach young people properly and however rushed we may be, always make the sign with thought and care.
All of us are all guilty of making many lacklustre signs. Pope Benedict reminded us that “the most important aspect… is doing it while you are fully present in the moment.” That is our challenge.
IN THE NAME?
The words we say are a grammatically incomplete phrase, so what do we do “in the name”?
The answer is everything! Our entire Christian lives are lived in the name of our Creator. He is concerned with everything we do, and we do it for him. This should give us enormous comfort, but it is also a huge responsibility. Whoever said being a Christian was easy?
This Lent and Holy Week, we might reflect on what this simple gesture means and strive to make it with renewed sincerity and conviction.
Let us pray the sign • May it remind us of our baptism, that we have been chosen by Christ to do his work on earth. • May it remind us of our belief in the Triune
God, source of all Creation. • May it remind us of the cross upon which
Christ suffered, died and saved us for eternal life with him.
Let us live the sign • Let’s not be afraid to make the sign in public and allow others to see the work of
Christ in action. • Let’s bless our children at night-time. • Let’s make it at mealtimes, when we see an ambulance, when we pass a church. • Make the sign in moments of temptation or despair. • Let’s make the sign of the cross with confidence, to show the world who we are.
AMEN!
Finally, we can’t forget this powerful concluding word. It is our ‘yes’ to everything the sign of the cross means, everything we believe in. It deserves our respect and to be spoken with passion and love. This Lent, let’s banish dull Amens!
The most basic Christian gesture in prayer is and always will be the sign of the cross. It is a way of confessing Christ crucified with one’s very body. We make the sign of the cross on ourselves and thus enter the power of the blessing of Jesus Christ. We make the sign over people to whom we wish a blessing ... Through the cross, we can become sources of blessing for one another – Pope Benedict XVI
FURTHER READING
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, The Spirit of the Liturgy (Part Four) Bert Ghezzi, The Sign of the Cross: Recovering the Power of Ancient Prayer (free to download at wordonfire.org)
Maria Hall is a music director at St Wilfred’s Church, Preston, England. A qualified teacher, she has a Master’s degree from the Liturgy Centre, Maynooth, and is a consultant on liturgical matters for schools and parishes. www.mariahall.org
Praying the Rosary
MEDITATING THE GOSPEL STORY WITH THE MOTHER OF THE LORD
By Fr George Wadding CSsR
Archbishop Fulton Sheen said that when we pray the rosary in a prayerful, contemplative manner, it lifts us into a world where “we see and enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known.” Fr George Wadding CSsR is well-known for his thoughtful but simple and imaginative style of writing. In this little book, he invites us to explore the twenty scenes from the story of Jesus our Redeemer that make up the Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous and Glorious mysteries of the Rosary. Walking and praying with Mary, we accompany the Lord along his way. This beautifully illustrated book is for beginners, as well as those who have been praying the rosary for many years. It can be used by the family or a prayer group. It is ideal for those who wish to pray the rosary tranquilly, resting in the mysteries, like Mary, ‘who pondered them in her heart.’ It is well-bound but still small enough to slip into a handbag or a pocket, and the colourful images for each decade will long stay in the memory. May God’s Spirit be with all who seek comfort in its pages.
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