It should not be surprising for a Catholic to put forth a question like; “why do we make the Sign of the Cross?” Many are they who make this sign on daily basis without knowing the exact reasons for making it.
The origin of this sign in the church has not been traced, but sources believe that it started around the year 200 AD; and this is traced from Tertullian saying: "We Christians wear out our foreheads with the sign of the cross» By the 4th century the sing of the cross involved not only the forehead but marking the whole body. From this period the Sign of the Cross has been considered a Christian identity because it was done by Christian on various occasions.
Marking one's self with the cross is the invocation that of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and is a sign of our belief; it is indeed both a "mini-creed" that asserts our belief in the Triune God, and a prayer that invokes Him.
It indicates the sign of the cross of our salvation where Christ died to set us free from sin.
We make the sign of the cross before prayers to invoke God in three persons whom we are praying to.
When the Sign is made
v At the beginning and end of prayers;
v When passing a church to honour Jesus in the Tabernacle;
v Upon entering a church;
v After receiving Communion;
v In times of trouble or fear
v In times of temptation or drive away evil;
v When passing a cemetery or otherwise recalling the dead;
v When seeing a Crucifix;
v And any time one wishes to honour and invoke God.
The making of the Sign of the Cross is therefore the sign of our belonging to the cross of our Lord Jesus. It is both a sign and a prayer.
Because of God’s power in the Sign of the Cross, Satan hates it, and our using it makes demons flee. Amen.
Have a nice day with Jesus
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