As Catholics, we make the Sign of the Cross every time we pray. But do you know what it means? It is a very powerful symbol of our Catholic faith!
Saint Anthony the Abbot said,
“The illusions of this world soon vanish, especially if a man arms himself with the Sign of the Cross. The devils tremble at the Sign of the Cross of Our Lord, by which He triumphed over and disarmed them.”
In a viral video published by Ascension Presents, Father Mike Schmitz breaks down the three symbols hidden in the Sign of the Cross and what they mean.
Father Mike Schmitz explains the Sign of the Cross as a symbol of the Holy Trinity, the Cross of Jesus Christ, and the purpose of human life:
1) The Holy Trinity
“As Roman Catholics, the way we trace the Sign of the Cross, there are three meanings behind this. The first is it’s the Holy Trinity, right? The deepest mystery of the Christian faith, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—that we believe that God is one but three divine persons,” Father Mike explains.
2) The Cross of Jesus Christ
“Secondly, we recognize that when we trace the Sign of the Cross on ourselves, we trace the cross, which is the price that God himself paid for you, for your heart, for your soul, to win you back,” Father Mike continues.
3) The Purpose of Human Life: To Know, Love, and Serve God
“You know, in the old Baltimore Catechism, it asked the question, ‘Who made you?’ And the answer is, ‘God made you.’ The second question is, ‘Why did God make you?’ And the answer is, ‘God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this life so I shall live with Him forever in the next.’ Father Mike says.
“When we make the Sign of the Cross, we remind ourselves of the reason why we exist: to know God, to love Him, and to serve Him in this life so I shall live with Him forever in the next,” he continues.
“We often hold our hands with an open palm. It’s the palm of blessing, and if you do that, it reminds us of the fact that when you were baptized, you were also anointed a kingdom priest. And so you’re blessing yourself with that open palm of blessing,” Father Mike concludes.
Father Mike’s video explaining the Sign of the Cross comes from Ascension’s new special, “Learn Every Part of the Mass and What It Means,” which has already generated nearly one million views on YouTube.
“Father Mike walks viewers step-by-step through an entire staged Sunday liturgy, pausing to explain what is happening and why it matters,” Ascension wrote in a press release.
On May 1, Ascension will also launch a new podcast with Dr. Edward Sri on the Ascension App, explaining the meaning of “every part of the Mass.”
“The Mass in a Month is a 31-episode podcast designed to walk listeners through every part of the Mass in bite-sized daily reflections,” the press release adds.