THE SIGN OF THE CROSSTHE SIGN OF THE CROSS

In the course of history no symbolhas expressed the mentality ofChristians more faithfully than thecross. The cross is the concrete ex-

pression of the Christian mystery, victorythrough defeat, of glory through humiliation.of life through death. It is the symbol of a Godwho became man to die as a slave to savecreatures. It is the symbol of a life that is notafraid to look to the height and breadth anddepth of things because in every direction itsarms remain outstretched.

It is interesting to note that long beforeChrist the symbol of the cross was held inhigh esteem and venerated by many pagancultures as a sacred sign of the stability andthe integrity of the universe. pointing to thefour directions of the compass and gatheringto itself the entire cosmos. More amazing still,this ancient symbol would in the “fullness oftime” become the instrument of redemptionand the means of the glorification of the Sonof Man; as St. John Chrysostorn says. “I callHim king because I see Him crucified: it be-longs to the king to die for His subjects.” Cru-cifixion, death, salvation, kingship, glory –the cross!

IN CHRISTIAN HISTORYIN CHRISTIAN HISTORY

Because the pagan world could notand would not understand such adeep mystery. such "foolishness",the early Christians hesitated to use

the cross openly as a sign of the new faith.When it did appear, it was usually disguised

as an anchor or was intertwined amid vines.With the liberation of the Church from perse-cution under the Emperor Constantine, how-ever, the cross slowly emerged as the sign ofthe Christians. Eusebius relates that the crosseven supplanted the Roman eagles on themilitary standards: En touto nikaEn touto nika (Gain the vic-tory with this).

Despite their reticence to use the crossas a public symbol before the fourth century,the Christians did make wide use of it as earlyas the second and third centuries to signthemselves on the forehead. In the secondcentury Tertullian reports: “In all our travelsand movements, in all our coming in and go-ing out… whatever employment occupies us,we mark our foreheads with the sign of thecross.” In the fourth century St. Cyril ofJerusalem writes, “Let us not be ashamed toconfess the Crucified. Let the cross be ourseal, made with boldness by our fingers onour brow and in everything…”

By the sixth century in the East. probablydue to the raging Monophysite heresy whichdenied the double nature of Christ as bothGod and man, two fingers began to be used totrace the sign of the cross, now no longer onthe forehead but more boldly with a largersign made on the body. The succeeding cen-turies saw further modifications emanatefrom Eastern tradition because of a desire toprofess more explicitly the belief in the triuneGod and the double nature in Christ. Thethumb and two fingers were extended to sym-bolize the Trinity while the ring finger and thelittle finger were folded back on the palm toprofess the God/Man. Jesus Christ.

This newer usage also spread to theWestern Church where we read Pope Leo IV.writing in the middle of the ninth century. in-structing his clergy: “Sign the chalice and thehost with a proper cross… with two fingersoutstretched and the thumb hidden withinthem, by which the Trinity is symbolized. Takeheed to make this sign rightly.” In the thir-teenth century Pope Innocent III directedmost explicitly that the sign of the cross bemade with three fingers from the forehead tothe breast and from the right to the left shoul-der, the actual way it still is made by the ma-jority of Eastern Christians. The WesternChurch retained this ancient form till aboutthe fourteenth century when gradually theopen hand was introduced and the sign be-gan to be made in an inverted fashion, fromleft to right, perhaps mistakenly following thelead of the priest who in blessing inverts hismovement so it would be seen correctly bythe congregation before him.

OUR PRESENT FORMOUR PRESENT FORM

Eastern Orthodox and EasternCatholics place great emphasis onthe sign of the cross as a professionof faith in the three basic doctrines

of Christianity: the Holy Trinity, the double na-ture in Christ and the mystery of redemption.This act of faith in the teachings of Christiani-ty is also an act of consecration to God of allhuman activities: thoughts, affections, and ac-tions.

The gesture is presently made byjoining the fingers (thumb, index andmiddle finger together and erect; thirdand little finger down on the palm) andlifting the hand first to the forehead,then to the breast, to the right and thento the left shoulder. In the Scripturesright generally represents good and leftevil, and in the Creed the Son is said tosit at the right hand of the Father, thusthe signing of the right shoulder first.Eastern Christians sign themselves oftenespecially at every mention of the nameof the Holy Trinity and in conjunctionwith the metany or bow made to rever-ence holy things such as the altar or anicon.

SYMBOL OF FAITHSYMBOL OF FAITH

The sign of the Cross is a symbol offaith, a sign that shall be contradict-ed, a standard to lead on toward fi-nal victory as St. John of Damascus

teaches: “For wherever the sign shall be, therealso shall He be”.

THE PRIESTLY BLESSINGTHE PRIESTLY BLESSING

When a priest blesses with the sign ofthe cross, his hand is held in a pos-ture meant to convey that the bless-ing is not from the priest himself but

from Christ God. The fingers spell out “IC XC”,the first and last letters of the Greek for Jesus(IHCOYC) Christ (XPICTOC). “At the name ofJesus every knee should bow, of things inheaven, and things in earth, and things underthe earth” (Philippians 2:10).

THE SIGNOF THE CROSS

OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICESOFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICESMELKITE EPARCHY OF NEWTONMELKITE EPARCHY OF NEWTON

http://melkite.org/http://melkite.org/

Photos courtesy Rev. Brendan McAnerney, O.P.Photos courtesy Rev. Brendan McAnerney, O.P.