By Mariana Kelly
The Sign of the Cross is one of our most fundamental sacramentals in our faith. It is one of the first actions we learn as Catholics. It is the action we do at the start and end of each prayer we say.
But why do we make the sign of the cross?
We make the sign of the cross to show others that we are Christian and to profess through this act some of the essential elements of what we believe. Each time we make the sign of the cross we are reminded of the great gift of the Incarnation – when Jesus became man and gave up His life on the cross for our salvation. When we say the words, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," we are also bringing to mind and expressing the mystery and unity of the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – three Persons in one God.
Next time when you make the sign of the cross, try and remember to say it with love and reverence, thinking all the while what each gesture and each word reminds us of in our faith.