Definition of Terms:
|
The sign of the cross is an ancient prayer that dates back to the earliest days of the Church. It is a highly recognizable and common gesture which involves making the sign of the cross by touching one’s forehead, chest, left shoulder, and right shoulder with the right hand. The gesture symbolizes the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—while also invoking God’s protection and grace. The sign of the cross served as a reminder to early Christians of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for the salvation of humanity. It was seen as an act of humility and surrender, acknowledging their dependence on God and His saving power.
It is crucial to emphasize that the sign of the cross was not considered by early Christians to be a magical formula or a guarantee of physical protection, as the early Church was highly suspect of anything that resembled the superstition common to pagan religions of the time. Rather, the Church viewed its significance as a visible expression of faith that was important to Christian identity and served as a reminder of their beliefs. It’s practice was deeply rooted in the Christian tradition and theology, with its power lying in the faith and devotion of the individual making the sign.
The theological basis for the sign of the cross is rooted in Scripture. Christ emphasizes the significance of the cross as a symbol of discipleship in Mark 8:34: “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'” In Galatians 6:14, the Apostle Paul speaks about boasting only in the cross of Jesus Christ and calls it a stumbling block for non-believers in 1 Corinthians 1:18, emphasizing the significance of the cross as a symbol of salvation and faith. The sign of the cross invokes the names “In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” and represents the belief in the Holy Trinity (Matthew 28:19). Thus, the Sign of the Cross serves as a reminder for Christians of their baptism and membership in the Body of Christ.
The act of making the sign of the cross is also itself a prayer. The Bible encourages believers to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). As a prayerful expression of faith, the sign of the cross is an opportunity for believers to remain mindful of God’s presence throughout their day. The sign of the cross is sometimes used to seek God’s blessings and protection. In Psalm 121:7-8, it is written, “The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Making the sign of the cross can be seen as a way of calling upon God’s protection in accordance with this scripture.
The Old Testament alludes to the sign of the cross in Ezekiel 9:4: “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” This verse, although not related to the New Testament, shows a similar concept of marking or sealing believers for their faithfulness to God. The mark was given to those who remained faithful to the Lord and would be spared from God’s wrath and judgment. The word used here for mark is the Hebrew letter, taw. In Greek it is the letter tau, which is T-shaped. This mark on the forehead of the faithful is also found in Revelation 7:3, 9:4, and 14:1.
The sign of the cross has been in use since the early Church, as we find evidence in the Church Fathers that the practice was already familiar to Christians by the second century. Tertullian of Carthage wrote in 211 C.E.;
“In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupieth us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross” (The Crown 3:2).
St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote;
“Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the cross our seal, made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink, in our comings and in goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are travelling, and when we are at rest”(Catecheses 13:36).
In the fourth century, St Jerome records the sign of the cross being traced on the lips (Jerome, “The Life of Paulus the First Hermit”) and Aurelius Clemens Prudentius records Christians tracing the cross on the heart (Prudentius, “Cathemerinon.”, 6:129). Epiphanius of Salamis tells of a holy man Josephus, who gave a vessel of water the power of overthrowing magical incantations by “making over the vessel with his finger the seal of the cross” (Panarion 30:12). Sozomen (VII, xxvi), describes how Bishop Donatus “made the sign of the cross with his finger in the air.”
Even discounting extant writings, such as the Church Fathers, describing the sign of the cross, there is ample evidence that the early church practiced the sign of the cross. Paintings and frescoes found in church catacombs as well as early Christian pottery and artwork often depict the sign of the cross. The practice can also be seen in some of the artwork still preserved in some of the oldest surviving church structures.
In the catacombs of Rome, there are numerous depictions of the sign of the cross. For instance, in the Catacomb of Priscilla, there are frescoes showing Christians making the sign of the cross in prayer and during baptisms. Early Christian sarcophagi, or stone coffins, would often feature reliefs showing scenes from the life of Christ and biblical stories. In some of these reliefs, individuals are depicted making the sign of the cross, indicating its significance in the beliefs and practices of early Christians. Some ivory diptychs from the early Christian period show images of individuals making the sign of the cross. These small portable items were often used for personal devotion and reflect the significance of the gesture in individual piety.
The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, Italy contains mosaics dating back to the 5th century, depicting biblical scenes, including scenes with figures making the sign of the cross. The mosaic in the apse of the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, dating back to the 6th century, depicts the Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora making the sign of the cross during a religious procession. These examples provide tangible evidence of the early Christian practice of the sign of the cross and illustrate its integration into their art and religious expressions. The prevalence of such depictions across different regions and time periods reinforces the notion that the sign of the cross was a common and significant practice in early Christianity.
The practice of making the sign of the cross is not as common in Protestant traditions as it is in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. However, some Protestant Reformers did not entirely reject the sign of the cross and occasionally made references to it. Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, said;
“We should remember our Baptism and be glad we are Christians. Whenever you make the sign of the cross, say: ‘I thank thee, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, thy dear Son, that thou hast kept me this night from all harm and danger.'” (Luther’s Small Catechism)
Bible Verses:
Matthew 28:19
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
Ezekial 9:4
“Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it”
Mark 8:34:
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'”
Galatians 6:14:
“May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
1 Corinthians 1:18:
“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Matthew 28:19:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Revelation 7:3:
“Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.”
Revelation 9:4:
“They were told not to damage the grass of the earth or any green growth or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”
Revelation 14:1:
“Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion! And with him were one hundred forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”
Church Father Quotes:
Tertullian of Carthage (155-240 A.D.)
“In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupieth us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross” (The Crown 3:2).
“The flesh, indeed, is washed [in Baptism], in order that the soul be cleansed; the flesh is anointed, that the soul may be consecrated; the flesh is signed [with the cross], that the soul too may be fortified; the flesh is shadowed with the imposition of hands [in Confirmation], that the soul also maybe illuminated by the Spirit; the flesh feeds on the body and blood of Christ, [in the Eucharist] that the soul likewise may be filled with God.” –On the Resurrection of the Flesh, chapter 8
Origen of Alexandria (184-253 A.D.)
“We, however, are not ashamed of the cross of Christ; on the contrary, we even glory in it. We who boast in the cross of Christ, if we have taken up the cross of Christ, have crucified the passions of our flesh.” (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 32.221)
Lactantius (250-325 A.D.)
“Diocletian, as being of a timorous disposition, was a searcher into futurity, and during his abode in the East he began to slay victims, that from their livers he might obtain a prognostic of events; and while he sacrificed, some attendants of his, who were Christians, stood by, and they put the immortal sign on their foreheads. At this the demons were chased away, and the holy rites interrupted.”-The Deaths of the Persecutors 10 (Written in 318 A.D.)
Ephraim the Syrian (306-373 A.D.)
“Seal thyself with the sign of the cross, that you may drive away from you all the snares of the adversary. Fix thy thought on the most sweet name of Jesus, and thou shalt attain the blessings of paradise.” (Homily on Our Lord, 2.10)
Athanasius of Alexandria (296-373 A.D.)
“If you see with your own eyes men and women and children, even, thus welcoming death for the sake of Christ’s religion, how can you be so utterly silly and incredulous and maimed in your mind as not to realize that Christ, to Whom these all bear witness, Himself gives the victory to each, making death completely powerless for those who hold His faith and bear the sign of the cross?” –On the Incarnation 5:29
“Then, too, demons used to deceive men’s minds by taking up their abode in springs or rivers or trees or stones and imposing upon simple people by their frauds. But now, since the Divine appearing of the Word, all this fantasy has ceased, for by the sign of the cross, if a man will but use it, he drives out their deceits. Again, people used to regard as gods those who are mentioned in the poets—Zeus and Kronos and Apollo and the heroes, and in worshipping them they went astray.” –On the Incarnation 8:47
“In the very presence of the fraud of demons and the imposture of the oracles and the wonders of magic, let him use the sign of the cross which they all mock at, and but speak the Name of Christ, and he shall see how through Him demons are routed, oracles cease, and all magic and witchcraft is confounded.” –On the Incarnation 8:47
Cyril of Jerusalem (313-386 A.D.)
“Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the cross our seal, made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink, in our comings and in goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are travelling, and when we are at rest”(Catecheses 13:36)
“David says: ‘You have anointed my head with oil.’ With oil, He anointed your head, your forehead, in the God-given sign of the cross, so that you may become that which is engraved on the seal: A HOLY THING OF THE LORD.” –Catechetical Lectures 22:7
Basil the Great (330-379 A.D.)
“The cross is a symbol of power. It has the effect of bringing everything under one rule. By tracing the sign of the cross on our bodies, we repel the harmful influences that come from evil spirits.” (Homily on the Martyr Julitta, 13)
Gregory of Nyssa (335-395 A.D.)
“The sign of the cross is the strength of the faithful, the resurrection of the dead, and the trophy of enemies. Therefore, neither the angels nor men, nor the demons themselves, are ashamed to confess it.” (Oratio Catechetica Magna, 37)
John Chrysostom (347-407 A.D.)
“When, therefore, thou signest thyself, think of the purpose of the cross, and quench anger, and all the other passions. When thou signest thyself, fill thy forehead with all courage, make thy soul free. And ye know assuredly what it is to have a pure soul and a pure body; and I say not to you to hold your hand in a certain way, but I wish that ye also should be pure in soul.” (Homilies on the Gospel of John, 21.8)
Ambrose of Milan (340-397 A.D.)
“Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the cross our seal made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat, and the cups we drink; in our comings and in our goings; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are traveling, and when we are at rest.” (De Sacramentis, Book 2, Chapter 2)
Rufinus of Aquileia (344-411 A.D.)
“The person who rehearses the Creed, making the sign of the cross upon his forehead, while he says the word, that each believer may know that his flesh, if he have kept it clean from sin, will be a vessel of honour, useful to the Lord, prepared for every good work; but, if defiled by sins, that it will be a vessel of wrath destined to destruction.” -Commentary on the Apostles’ Creed 43 (Written ca 407-409). Translated by W.H. Fremantle. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 3. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1892.)
Jerome of Stridon (347-420 A.D.)
“With this sign thou shalt overthrow the adversary, and quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. With this sign thou shalt free thyself from the daily bondage of sin.” (Commentary on Ephesians, 3.13)
“[A woman with three sick children came to Hilarion and] on reaching the saint she said: ‘I pray you by Jesus our most merciful God . . . to restore to me my three sons, so that the name of our Lord and Savior may be glorified in the city of the Gentiles. . . On coming thither he made the sign of the cross over the bed and fevered limbs of each [child] and called upon the name of Jesus. Marvelous efficacy of the name! . . . In that very hour they took food, recognized the mourning mother, and with thanks to God warmly kissed the saint’s hands” (Life of St. Hilarion 14 [A.D. 390]).
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 A.D.)
“We have the sign of Christ. When we sign ourselves, we do not begin with the forehead, then move to the breast, and then go on to the rest of the body. No: we begin with the breast. For it is in the heart that faith comes first, and with the heart we believe in Christ unto justice. By the mouth, indeed, confession is made unto salvation; but it is with the heart that one believes to justice.” (Sermons, 215.4)
“In the same city of Carthage lived Innocentia, a very devout woman of the highest rank in the state. She had cancer in one of her breasts, a disease which, as physicians say, is incurable. . . . This lady we speak of had been advised by a skillful physician, who was intimate with her family, and she betook herself to God alone in prayer. On the approach of Easter, she was instructed in a dream to wait for the first woman that came out of the baptistery after being baptized and to have her make the sign of Christ upon the sore. She did so, and was immediately cured” (The City of God 22:8 [A.D. 419]).
“What is the sign of Christ, as everyone knows, if not the cross of Christ? For unless that sign be applied, whether to the foreheads of believers, whether to the very water out of which they are regenerated, whether to the oil by which they are anointed with chrism, or whether to the sacrifice by which they are nourished, none of these is properly administered.” –Homilies On John [118, 5]
John Cassian (360-435 A.D.)
“No evil spirit can stand against it, no temptation can bear up against it; grace and righteousness are received through that sign, sins are driven out, diseases are put to flight, the head of the serpent is crushed, and we who have been destined for death are made alive.” (The Institutes, 12.13)
Sulpicius Severus (363-420 A.D.)
“Then truly the tyrant stormed on hearing such words, declaring that, from fear of the battle, which was to take place on the morrow, and not from any religious feeling, Martin withdrew from the service. But Martin, full of courage, yea all the more resolute from the danger that had been set before him, exclaims; ‘If this conduct of mine is ascribed to cowardice, and not to faith, I will take my stand unarmed before the line of battle tomorrow, and in the name of the Lord Jesus, protected by the sign of the cross, and not by shield or helmet, I will safely penetrate the ranks of the enemy.’” –Life of St. Martin Chapter 4 (Written 403 A.D.)
Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 A.D.)
“With the sign of the cross, we put to flight every adverse power of the devil.” (Commentary on Luke, Homily 91)
Maximus of Turin (380-465 A.D.)
“His cross is our victory; His gibbet is our triumph. Rejoicing, let us lift this sign upon our shoulders, let us bear the banners of victories, let us bear the immortal labarum [1] on our foreheads. When the devil will look upon this sign on our posts, he will tremble; and they who do not fear the golden Capitols, [2] fear the Cross; they who condemn regal scepters, and the purples of Caesars, and the feasts, are terrified by Christ’s filth and fasts.” –Sermon VII: On the Day of the Holy Epiphany. Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina, ed. J.-P. Migne, Tomus LVII (Paris: J.-P. Migne, 1862)
“Therefore, in Ezekiel the prophet, when all to whom the angel was sent were slain, and began to be killed by the saints, in a like manner, those were saved on whom the letter Tau, that is, the picture of the Cross, was signed (cf. Ez 9). Let us exult, therefore, beloved brethren, and let us raise holy hands to the similitude of the Cross, to heaven. So when armed demons see us, they are oppressed… both trophies and victories of triumphs are adorned with the Cross, which, not only on our foreheads, but in our souls, we ought also to have, so that, when we are thus armed, we will tread upon asp and basilisk in Christ Jesus (cf. Ps 91:13), Whose is the glory, unto the ages of ages. Amen.” –Sermon VII: On the Day of the Holy Epiphany. Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina, ed. J.-P. Migne, Tomus LVII (Paris: J.-P. Migne, 1862)
Narsai of Nisibis (399-502 A.D.)
“The cause of the signing on the forehead is that it may be for the confusion of the devils ; that when they discern it on the head of a man they may be overcome by it.” -Homily XXII (B) on Baptism. The Liturgical Homilies of Narsai, vol. 8, no. 1. Translated into English by Dom R. H. Connolly M.A. Cambridge, 1909
Caesarius of Arles (468-542 A.D.)
“I beg you, beloved brethren, let us consider more attentively why we are Christians and bear the cross of Christ on our forehead. For we ought to know that it is not enough for us that we have received the name Christian, if we do not do Christian works. If you say a thousand times that you are a Christian and continually sign yourself with the cross of Christ, but do not give alms according to your means, and you do not want to have love and justice and chastity, the name of Christian will profit you nothing….” –Sermons 13:1-2 [ante A.D. 542]).
Non-Catholic Quotes:
Martin Luther (1483 – 1546):
“We should remember our Baptism and be glad we are Christians. Whenever you make the sign of the cross, say: ‘I thank thee, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, thy dear Son, that thou hast kept me this night from all harm and danger.'” (Luther’s Small Catechism)
John Calvin (1509 – 1564):
“Let us not think it strange that the Evangelists and apostles lay such stress on the cross in the preaching of the Gospel. It is no small matter that the whole doctrine of faith is directed to the preaching of the cross.” (Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.16.17)