Why do Catholics Make the Sign of the Cross?

Why do Catholics Make the Sign of the Cross? February 22, 2017

The Cross
Photo by Billy Kangas

Many wonder at why we use the cross so much in Catholic life. We make its sign on ourselves, our homes, our children, our possessions, our heart, our lips and our forehead…

The answer is simple. The shape of the Christian life is cruciform.

The Gospel always calls us to follow Christ’s example to lay out life aside for the life of others. The cross not only mediates between the Christian and God but also the Christian and neighbor, wife, child, job and even persecutor. In all these things we approach no longer from our own vantage point but from God’s. Learning to love more deeply, give more fully and serve as a continual posture.

The shape of the Christian life is cruciform


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