The sign of the cross is a simple gesture yet profound expression of faith. Why do we make the sign of cross? Many people will have their own justification for their action. I have heard and seen people making sign of the cross when they wake up from the bed, in the church, and before meals, after receiving Jesus into their life and when Eucharist begins and ends, before their travel etc. Why are we doing it? We do it so that we invoke the protection and guidance from God, and to remind us to thank God for everything that he has been to us. As I was growing up, it was my grandmother who taught me how to make the sign of the cross, in our tradition there is a longer and shorter version of it. We do the longer version when we get up from the bed and before the family rosary begins. I was not aware of the significance of making the sign of the cross in the very beginning; however I understood it is a prayer through which we are giving our total being to God, and in return receiving God’s grace. Moreover, it also conveys that when we open our five fingers to make the sign of the cross it recalls to our mind the FIVE HOLY WOUNDS of JESUS through which we are saved and looking for the salvation.
I too believe when an action is repeated throughout the day it becomes part of our life and becomes a habit. How many bad habits we have and why don’t we create a good habit in our life? So start doing the sign of the cross because it sanctifies our day. A patristic father Tertullian wrote “at every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we sit at table, and in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the sign of the cross for our own sanctification and protection”. In moving our hands from our foreheads to our hearts and then both shoulders we are asking God to bless our whole body to retain the righteousness and discard the vice in us. According to Saint Francis de Sales “in first lifting our hand to our forehead we recall that the Father is the first person in the Trinity, and in lowering our hand we express that the Son proceeds from the Father, and by extending our hands to both ways we signify that the Spirit proceeds from both the Father and Son”. This Trinitarian concept makes us feel that we are under the guardianship and protection of our GOD. Then why to worry? Make the sign of the cross at the good times and bad times, to thank Him and when you need Him. He is waiting to see the next sign of the cross that you make……