Hi! I am currently enrolled in the RCIA class at the local Catholic church and are converting from Protestantism. Having no Catholic background, I get confused on when to make the sign of the cross. Can someone please give me a list of the different occasions of which it is appropriate to make the sign? So far I know before and after prayers and when a person passes by a Catholic church. Thank you so much!

-- Jessica (jess498@yahoo.com), January 13, 2004

Answers

Hello Jessica and welcome!

Check out this thread about how to make the sign of the cross, if you are confused on that. They also might address some questions you may have there.

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00BhDG

As for when, I cannot help you on that as I am still officially Protestant myself, though considering conversion.

May God bless you,

-- Emily (jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), January 13, 2004.

Hi Jessica,

Welcome to the faith. In addition to the occasions you mentioned most people most often make the Sign of the Cross when entering a Church, chapel or prayer room. I can remember as a child making the Sign of the Cross in a Christian home or business that had holy water available for that purpose. You can make the Sign of the Cross any time you wish. When it is made it is testimony from the individual of his/her love for Christ.

The Sign of the Cross is a "sacramental". A sacramental helps us to keep focused on our mission in life and directs our attention back to the sacraments Jesus gave us by gently nudging us to think about our Saviour in pious ways. In doing this a sacramental helps us in becoming holier.

Since Jesus only preached publicly for three years, He didn't have much time to set up all the ways in which He wanted us to apply and use these sacraments daily, so He left that up to His Church to work out. The Church over the years has adopted and instituted many sacramentals to assist us in enjoying the sacraments more fully.

I hope you feel welcome here Jessica. Feel free to ask any questions you like. There are many knowledgeable people here who can provide you with the answers you are looking for.

-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), January 13, 2004.

Hello Jessica,

Its good to see your zeal at wanting to fit in with the family of the Kingdom of God. There are no rules on making the sign of the cross. Just some customs that have developed and changed over time as all customs naturally do.

You can make the sign of the cross at whatever motivates you. It is a good outward sign, and it can help develop an inner awareness of Christ's presence all around us and within ourselves.

Just be a little sensitive as there are those outside the family that will be a bit put off and may not be understanding of your zeal. What is better for them is probably to see a smiling face connected with good acts done for Christ.

God bless you on your journey.

-- Pat Delaney (pat@patdelaney.net), January 13, 2004.

Welcome Jessica, thanks for asking this question. Sometimes I make the sign of the cross with my left hand because my right hand is full, and I always wanted to ask someone about that.

I am a Protestant convert to Catholocism too! I am very excited for you!

God Bless,

Gail

-- Gail (rothfarms@socket.net), January 13, 2004.

Gail, some cultures (Africa comes to mind) will emphatically encourage you to "sign" with your right hand. It's the proper "Latin rite" way I suppose, but my mother is now 90 years old, blind and in a wheel chair. I take her to mass every Sunday and I get a talking to if I don't stop by the holy water so that she can make the Sign of the Cross with her "left" hand. She is left-handed and she's been doing it this way since childhood. Does that make her any less loving in the eyes of our Saviour? I don't think so.

-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), January 13, 2004.

According to what I've been told, it's just a tradition that we use our right hand to make the Sign of the Cross, dating back to the time when people thought that left-handedness was evil. It's really not important whether you use the right or left hand. One of my brothers is left-handed and genuflects on his left knee, but uses the right hand to make the Sign of the Cross.

Incidentally, teachers teach children to make the Sign of the Cross in a 'mirror' fashion, so that they will do it the 'proper' way. In some really smart children, this leads to them making the Sign of the Cross 'back to front' and with the left hand, as they work out the difference and imitate the teacher precisely!

God bless

Sara

-- Sara (sara_catholic_forum@yahoo.co.uk), January 13, 2004.

Sara is right. To the Lord both our hands are as holy and blessed as the rest of our bodies. When Paul said that our bodies are "temples of the Holy Spirit" he didn't exclude any part.

The Ancient Romans called the left hand SINISTRA, whence our word sinister, denoting a bad omen, something evil. That's why since old times things done with the left hand were considered evil.

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), January 13, 2004.

Right you are Enrique! Some priests from the "old school" (again, particularly in Third World countries) still insist on Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist using their right hand exclusively for giving out communion. Old habits die hard!

-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), January 13, 2004.

No one seemed to remember a rule of thumb: a Catholic has the virtual obligation every day to make the sign of the holy cross immediately upon rising from sleep. The last thing he/she does every night before retiring is again that same sign of the cross. I like to say the ''doxology'' while making the sign on my body; ''Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), January 13, 2004.

Jessica:

Read more here.

-- jake (j@k.e), January 13, 2004.

I like making the sing during the 'Glory Be' as well.

As for using the left hand, many (maybe even all) of the Eastern Catholic Churches always use their left hand.

Dano

-- Dan Garon (boethius61@yahoo.com), January 13, 2004.

Thanks so much to all of you for clarifying it for me. I appreciate it!

-- Jessica (jess498@yahoo.com), January 13, 2004.

actually, sara,

genuflection should always be done on the right knee.

this dates back to the midievil times. a proper kneeling was done on the right knee whereas kneeling on the left before a ruler could be taken as a grave insult

FURTHERMORE, kneeling on the right knee is a grave sign of trust. if one were to be carrying a sword it would be much more difficult to stand and commence combat if you are kneeling on your right knee. therefore, to kneel in such a way shows trust in two ways: first, you show that you trust whom you are kneeling to not to strike you down while you are paying them respect and second, you trust that while you are kneeling they will shelter you if someone should attack you, at least until such time you could defend yourself again.

if it was REQUIRED that man bow to an earthly ruler on their right knee, i cannot see doing it any other way for the King of Kings

-- paul h (dontSendMeMail@notAnAddress.com), January 13, 2004.

Actually, genuflection on the left knee is for secular rulers and for bishops, cardinals, et al. Right knee is now reserved for the Blessed Sacrament, the crucifix offered for veneration on Good Friday, and for relics of the True Cross.

While genuflection on the left knee to a bishop (esp. while kissing his ring) seems to have fallen out of favor in the US, some bishops and cardinals here still are comfortable with it. I have done so with Bishop Bruskewitz of Lincoln, NE, for example on several occasions, as well as to several Cardinals of the Roman Curia.

-- TJ (sigil7@excite.com), February 13, 2004.