The Sign of the Cross

 

Several months ago I wrote a piece on Building Faith about genuflecting – making the sign of the cross. Blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of many branches of Christianity. This blessing is made by the tracing of an upright cross or + across the body with the right hand, often accompanied by spoken or mental recitation of the trinitarian formula – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I’ve also enjoyed watching the teaching videos put out by the Reverend Matthew Moretz entitled, Fr. Matthew Presents. I’ve used a number of them with young people and especially enjoy the one in which he explains the Ascension using Mary Poppins as a metaphor for coming and going (check it out here).

But I just discovered his presentation on making the Sign of the Cross. With a little humor for the kids included, he covers the history and various practices of making the sign of the cross – when we see it in church as well as how we might make it part of our personal devotion.

Check it out!