Do you do the Sign of the Cross before or after prayer?

Since we make the Sign of the Cross before and after all of our prayers, many Catholics don’t realize that the Sign of the Cross is not simply an action but a prayer in itself. Like all prayers, the Sign of the Cross should be said with reverence; we shouldn’t rush through it on the way to the next prayer.

Is there a wrong way to do the Sign of the Cross?

The reader is right: Neither way is right or wrong. However, Catholic children in the Latin Rite should be taught to make the Sign of the Cross in the Western manner–just as Catholic children in the Eastern Rites should be taught to touch their right shoulder before their left. ThoughtCo.

When should you do the sign of the cross?

The priest also uses the sign of the cross when blessing a deacon before the deacon reads the Gospel, when sending an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion to take the Eucharist to the sick (after Communion, but before the end of the Mass), and when blessing the congregation at the conclusion of the Mass.

What is the correct way to cross yourself?

To “cross yourself,” take your right hand and put your thumb, index, and middle finger together. In Western Christianity, you then touch your forehead, the center of your chest, your left shoulder, and your right shoulder. In Eastern (Orthodox) churches, you touch your right shoulder before your left shoulder.

What does the sign of the cross remind us of?

cross, the principal symbol of the Christian religion, recalling the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the redeeming benefits of his Passion and death. The cross is thus a sign both of Christ himself and of the faith of Christians.

How should we pray the sign of the cross?

Like all prayers, the Sign of the Cross should be said with reverence; we shouldn’t rush through it on the way to the next prayer.

What is the correct order of the sign of the cross?

Eastern Christians, both Catholic and Orthodox, reverse the order, touching their right shoulder on the word “Holy” and their left shoulder on the word “Spirit.” The text of the Sign of the Cross is very short and simple: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do Roman Catholics make the sign of the cross?

Roman Catholics aren’t the only Christians who make the Sign of the Cross. All Eastern Catholics and Eastern Orthodox do as well, along with many high-church Anglicans and Lutherans (and a smattering of other Mainline Protestants).

What is the sign of the cross at baptism?

At the beginning of the Baptism ceremony, the sign of the cross is made on our heads and close to our hearts. It signifies that we will belong to Christ. It also is a sign of the grace of redemption that Jesus gave us when He gave His life to redeem us. Then, as children and adults, we are reminded of our Baptism through the sign.