Sign of the Cross

For those of you who are new to this blog, please visit the previous postings:
POST I: Why Do Catholic's Do That?

THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

You've probably seen it done a million times!

Baseball players, neighbors, children, movie stars (ok, probably not movie stars), and, of course, every Catholic during the Mass (if you've ever attended a Mass).

The Sign of the Cross is a special blessing one can infer upon themselves in order to begin a prayer, end a prayer, or grant a sense of peace, among many other functions and uses. In actuality, the Sign of the Cross, is, in it's own way, a very short prayer.

In order to bless yourself with the Sign of the Cross, you should trace, with the right hand, two imaginary lines, intersecting at right angles, starting at your (1) head and then to your (2) heart, and then again from your (3) left shoulder to (4) right shoulder, while saying (internally or externally), (1) In the name of the Father, (2) and the Son, (3) and the Holy (4) Spirit. The idea is that, in crossing yourself, you trace cross over your body, in remembrance to the cross Jesus was crucified upon. Further, the Sign of the Cross affirms with a simple gesture, the existence of the Blessed Trinity (God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit).

THE BIBLE [1]

While the Sign of the Cross is not explicitly outlined within the covers of the Bible, the practice isn't without merit.

Genesis 4:15 - But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

Ezekiel 9:4 - and the Lord said to him: Pass through the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and mark an X on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the abominations practiced within it.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 - But the one who gives us security with you in Christ and who anointed us is God; he has also put his seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.

Revelation 14:1 - Then I looked and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

Revelation 22:4 - They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

Matthew 28:19 - Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
< While the "X" mentioned in Ezekiel isn't exactly a "T," the similarities are evident, but there's more to it than that. In the Hebrew version of the Bible, the "X" is actually stated as "tav," otherwise known as the letter "Tau" in Greek (the last letter of the alphabet), also referred to as "T".

However, as is demonstrated above, several mentions of markings and writings on foreheads, are referenced in the Bible. And obviously, in the passage from Matthew, the actual "statement" used while making the Sign of the Cross, is cited, linking this sacred prayer to the actual act of Baptism. St. Augustine, a Church Father from the 5th century, once stated, "What else is the sign of Christ but the cross of Christ?"[2]

CHURCH SACRAMENTALS

In order to explain the Sign of the Cross a bit further, we must discuss Sacramentals.

Sacraments (there are 7, which we'll get in to much later on this blog), are "efficacious (outward) signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us." [3]

Sacramentals, then, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, are "sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments." [4]

In reference to the above passage, Matthew 28:19, the Sign of the Cross is directly tied to the Sacrament of Baptism, which is the process where the recipient is formally introduced and adopted into the one true Church of Christ. Since the one being baptized is done so, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, also having a "Cross" traced over their bodies, the blessing (The Sign of the Cross) is a way of commemorating not only the Baptism, but also the crucifixion of Christ. The Sacramental, the Sign of the Cross, then, is a sacred sign bearing resemblance to the sacrament of Baptism.

CHURCH TRADITION and APOLOGETICS

In arguing for Biblical Roots of Catholicism, one of the most prominent arguments one will encounter is the assumption that religion can be practiced without tradition. As is widely documented, Catholicism is a religion comprised of both a Biblical basis and a traditional basis. Tradition cannot be removed from the practice of religion for many reasons, one being that, you can't possibly know where you've been and where you're going without tradition. As is demonstrated in the examination of the letter "X" in the Ezekiel passage, without knowing tradition, it would be impossible to really understand the Biblical basis for the Sign of the Cross. A casual Christian reader could (and likely would) completely miss the historical fact that, in Greek (the language the Gospels were written in), that "X" mark, was actually a "T."

Dr. Donald A Carson, a renowned Protestant Scholar, famously stated, "A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text." The irony in Dr. Carson's statement, that has become so widely known, especially when referencing the Bible, is that one major development of the Protestant reformation was the notion of "Sola Scriptura," otherwise known as "Only Scripture." The Protestant denominations seem to think that they have completely thrown tradition out the window, yet, they claim such statements as, "A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text."

The problem is that, at least for English readers, the Gospels were written in Greek, translated into English, and botched (in certain ways) along the ways, such as understanding the translation of the Bible in its root form. Without researching the Greek basis for the Gospels, all meaning is completely lost. We'll get much more in to this in later postings.

The reason for the above commentary about tradition is that Catholicism is deeply rooted in tradition and, as we proceed, you, as the reader, must understand this idea because tradition, the Church Fathers, and Language analysis will be prominently featured within this blog. But, for now, hopefully I've been able to explain the Biblical and traditional merits of the Sign of the Cross.

Some will argue that Christ wasn't crucified on a literal cross, or that Christians shouldn't demonstrate their faith outwardly (by wearing religious jewelry, or by practicing the Sign of the Cross in public, for instance) - that the DEEDS are what's important, therefore, essentially rendering the Sign of the Cross completely useless (and sometimes, blasphemous). In Catholicism, we believe in the whole package. Your worship life, along with your works life, as well as the manner in which you demonstrate your faith, molds the worshiper into a true beacon of God. Faith is not something that can be turned off. It's ever evolving, ever present, and it penetrates everything.

I, for one, am happy to bless myself in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Sign of the Cross reminds me of who I am, where I've come from, where I'm going, and whose family I'm really a member of. I bless myself proudly and often. At the minimum, I know, if I can't come up with the "just right" words for a prayer on the spot, that my prayer's beginning and end will be spotless, and that's a comforting thought! So, in the name of Christ, go bless yourself.

SUBJECTS COMING SOON!

Holy Water
The Crucifix and the Risen Christ
Feeling Unwelcome in the Catholic Church (Communion)
Catholic Prayer Feels So "Scripted"
Do Catholic's Worship Statues
Why Do Catholic's Pray to Saints

Until then...

Peace, Love, & Hope,

David M. Brunsman

REFERENCES
[1] The New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)
[2] The Works of Aurelius Augustine; Editor: Marcus Dods, (c) 1874, Pg. 510
[3] The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1131, (c) 1995, Pg. 320
[4] The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1667, (c) 1995, Pg. 464