THE SIGN OF THE CROSS.


From - "The teachers handbook to the catechism" by Rev. A. Urban.


The sign of the cross is that sign whereby we outwardly
profess that we are Christians.

Before the time of Christ the cross was a sign of shame, ignorance
and dishonor. It was branded upon the forehead of criminals, so
as to disgrace them before the whole world. But this was not to remain
so. Through Jesus, the sign of the cross became honorable.
Religious history relates the following: The Emperor Constantine,
while yet a heathen, took the field against his enemy Maxentius.
But the enemy s army was far stronger than his. Then Constantine
prayed fervently to the true God for His assistance, and behold there
was visible in the heavens to him and his whole army a brilliant cross
with the inscription : "By this sign shalt thou conquer 1" Constantine
had a standard made like this cross, and had it carried before
him in battle. He fought the enemy courageously and defeated him.
From that time (it was in the year 312 after Christ,) Constantine
was the champion and protector of Christianity. The cross now be
came a sign of honor and victory. It gleamed upon the crown of
Constantine, and was displayed at Rome, which formerly was the
headquarters of paganism, high up the Capitoline Hill, to proclaim
the triumph of the crucified Saviour to the whole world. The word
"cross" has a threefold meaning.

First, it signifies the wood, the cross beams, which Jesus dragged
up to Calvary, under the weight of which He sank again and again
to the ground, to which He was nailed with hands and feet, and upon
which He hung for three hours in the most excruciating agony, until
He drooped His head and died.

Secondly, it signifies the sign which we make with our hand to
remind us of the sacrifice of the cross, or as a blessing.

Thirdly, the word "cross" signifies that suffering and tribulation
with which Divine Providence visits us, and which we should bear
with patience and resignation to the will of God. Therefore Christ
said : "Take up thy cross, and follow me"

The sign of the cross can be made in two ways, hence we speak
of a "large" and a "small" cross. The large cross is made thus:
We put the right hand to the forehead, then on the breast, and then
to the left and right shoulders, saying : "In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." We touch the
forehead to signify that Christ, the Son of God, was from all eternity
with the Father, and is equal to the Father in His essence. When
we touch the breast it should remind us that Jesus descended from
heaven into the virginal womb of Mary and became incarnate. The
touching of both shoulders should remind us that the Holy Ghost
proceeds at the same time from the Father and from the Son. We
pass from the left to the right side, to remind us that by the death
of Christ upon the cross, we were brought from the left of damnation,
to the right of salvation.

The small cross is made in this wise : We open our right hand,
and with the thumb we make the sign of a small cross : i, upon the
forehead; 2, the mouth; 3, the breast. This also has its meaning:
I, we make the sign of the cross upon the forehead. The forehead
is part of the head which is the seat of reason. Words come from
the mouth, and desires and intentions from the heart. We should
remember, therefore, that all our thoughts, words, and works should
have reference to God, that we should know God with our reason,
confess Him with our mouth, and love Him with our heart.

Never make the sign of the cross thoughtlessly ! The priest gives
every Benediction and blessing in and out of the Church in the form
of the cross. This is to remind us that every blessing comes to us by
the grace of the Most Blessed Trinity, and that by the death of Christ
we partake in the greatest blessing and in the greatest benefits. The
sign of the cross reminds us of two of the most important mysteries
of our holy religion, namely :

I. The mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity; and 2. The Mystery
of the Incarnation of the Son of God.

The custom of making the sign of the cross is very old and
descends from the Apostolic times. From the earliest days of the
Church the faithful have been baptized, anointed, consecrated and
blessed with the sign of the cross.

When should we make the sign of the cross ?

It is good and wholesome to make it frequently, especially when
we rise, and when we go to bed, before and after prayers, and in all
temptations and dangers.

When we make the sign of the cross on rising, it ought to remind
us:

1. That we should recommend ourselves to God s protection during
the day.

2. That during the day we should do only what will tend to the
praise, honor and glory of the Most Blessed Trinity ; and

3. That we should bear with patience and for the love of God all
sufferings and contradictions, all crosses which God sends us, and
especially the difficulties of our state of life and calling.

When we make the sign of the cross at night before lying down to
sleep, we should commend ourselves thereby during the night to the
Almighty protection of God, in which we shall sleep safely and with
out fear.

The sign of the cross at night reminds us of the blessings which
the Most Blessed Trinity has granted us during the day, and exhorts
us to return fervent thanks for them at the end of the day.

The cross at night also reminds us of the false steps, of the great
and small sins which we committed during the day whereby we
offended God and nailed Him afresh to the cross, and exhorts us
thereby to renounce our sinful lives. How unfortunate would it be
for us if God were to call us to His judgment seat during the night?

Thirdly, we make the sign of the cross before and after prayers.
This should remind us of the words of Christ: "Whatsoever you
ask the Father in my name, that He will give you." But it should
also remind us of the merciful mediation of our divine Saviour with
our heavenly Father, without which our prayer could not expect a
hearing.

Fourthly, it is a beautiful custom to make the sign of the cross be
fore every important undertaking. Therefore the Apostle St. Paul
says : "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things
to the glory of God." Ought we to be ashamed, then, to make the
sign of the cross before leaving the house or undertaking a journey?
Is it a disgrace if we bless the bread that we are about to eat with the
sign of the cross ?

Certainly not ! Of course the custom of making the sign of the
cross must not be used for superstitious purposes. For instance, it
would be foolishness and sinful for a person to make the sign of the
cross over the bread before it is baked, with the sole intention and
belief of protecting it from witchcraft.

Fifthly, we should make the sign of the cross in all temptations
and dangers. Temptations are those occasions whereby we are en
couraged to sin. Now sin being the greatest evil, being indeed even
greater than the death of the body, it is very evident that if we are
afraid of sinning, we ought to make the sign of the cross so as to
ward off the temptation. If it was through the sign of the cross
that the Emperor Constantine was helped to gain the victory, why
should it not help us to gain the victory over our greatest
enemy ?

However, not only in dangers which threaten our salvation, but
in bodily dangers, too, we should make the sign of the cross. Every
one in danger looks for protection and help. And if in any great
danger we commend ourselves to the protection of the Almighty, to
Him who can protect and help us in every necessity, is this a sin or
foolishness? Certainly not. Never be ashamed, therefore, in the
time of danger to have recourse to God ; He will not let you be disgraced.

Why is it wholesome to make the sign of the cross frequently?
Answer: "Because, by devoutly making the sign of the cross, we
arm ourselves against the snares of the devil, and draw down the
blessings of heaven upon us."

The sign of the cross should be made devoutly, and not thoughtlessly.
When it is made devoutly it arms us against the snares of
the devil. We use arms to combat a powerful enemy or opponent.
The devil is a powerful opponent of ours, for his thoughts and actions
are constantly directed towards accomplishing our ruin, i.e., to
lead us into temptation. If we do not want to be overcome in the
combat with the enemy, we must be prudent, and fight valiantly.
There is no better weapon to use against the devil than the sign of
the cross. The cross is also a sign of victory. Before it the tempter
flies, by the sign of the cross he loses his power.

Through the sign of the cross the blessing of heaven descends
upon us.

A cup of poisoned wine was once handed to St. John. He made
the sign of the cross over it, drank the contents, and it did not hurt
him. In this way are all the blessings of the Church given, by the
sign of the cross.

A cross is given to the dying, to encourage them to be resigned
to the divine will, and to confide in the divine mercy.

Who ever suffered more, or more innocently than Jesus Christ?
Can we then have a more exalted model in death ?

We also adorn the graves of the departed with a cross. The cross
upon a grave reminds us, in the first place, of the resurrection of
Jesus, and at the same time of our own resurrection from amongst
the dead. Jesus by His resurrection triumphed over death, and on
the tree of the cross gained the victory over it, and we also, and all
the dead, shall rise again from the grave and triumph over death.
The cross upon a grave should remind us also that the departed be
lieved in Christ, and died trusting in Him.

The Catholic Church has instituted two feast days for a particular
veneration of the holy cross, namely, the feast of the Finding of the
Holy Cross, and the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The
feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, which is celebrated annually
on the 3rd of May, reminds us of the memorable occasion of the finding
of the true cross, by St. Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine
the Great. The second is the feast of the Exaltation of the
Cross, which is celebrated yearly on the I4th of September, and re
minds us how the pious Emperor Heraclius once entered victoriously
into Jerusalem, about the year 629 after Christ, and himself carried
the holy cross which had been regained from the Persians, up to
Mount Calvary.

I will now tell you what a particle of the cross is : The word particle
comes from the Latin word "particula," i. e., a small portion.
A particle of the cross is therefore a small portion, a splinter, of the
true cross, which generally is preserved in a receptacle covered with
glass, and presented to the faithful to kiss, so that we may return
thanks to the divine Redeemer for His agonizing death upon the
cross, and obtain His blessing. You have doubtless heard of the so-
called "Mission crosses"?

These are erected when a Mission closes in a parish. These Mission
crosses are to remind us of the good instructions and exhortations
which were given during the Mission, as well as the good resolutions
which we then made. We will now have a repetition of to days lesson.