The Sign of The Cross: According to an Angel

Joe Catholic was about to retire for the night and get some well deserved sleep. After a long day at work he needed to end his day with prayer to thank God for all the blessings he experienced and to ask God for his help in the lives of his loved ones. So he began as he always did, making a hurried and thoughtless Sign of the Cross.

Suddenly, his guardian angel, who had seen enough of that, bursted into the room and reprimanded him. “Joe, you are so lazy. Get on your knees and start over. Make that holy gesture with your whole heart and do it slowly!”

Immediately, Joe obeyed by dropping to his knees. It was his first real encounter with his angel and he did not want to mess up. He figured that this must be very important to God if his angel had to intervene.

What follows is their dialogue or what it could have been like…

Joe Catholic: ‘In the’

Angel: Wait stop. What do you mean by ‘in’?

JC: I don’t know. It's just a preposition. It’s really not that important.

A: ‘In’ is the opposite of ‘out’. For those who are out, what could be more important than to be in? For Adam and Eve who were once in Eden but then were out of Eden, ‘in’ is everything. No?

JC: Yes, I suppose ‘in’ matters. But this isn’t Eden.

A: No, you are still technically out of Eden but you are, nevertheless, made ‘in’ the image of God and Jesus promised that he would be ‘in’ you not just with you. He said, humans would be ‘in’ Him just as he is in the Father. That’s the meaning of communion. Anyway, go on…

JC: ‘In the Name…”

A: Stop! What do you mean by ‘Name’?

JC: I think I remember that Jesus told his disciples to ask for what we need in his Name but I don’t know why.

A: The name of God is holy because God is the source of holiness. When it comes to the bible, the name and the person’s core identity and purpose of existence are closely bound together. For example, to say, “Hallowed be thy Name” is to recognize that we are addressing the one, true God.

JC: That makes sense because I know the name Jesus means, ‘God saves’.

A: Yes, Yeshua means 'Yahweh saves'. His name means that he is the Savior and he is God. The name and the Person are one in the same. You’re praying in the name of three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Yet, you are using the singular, ‘name’ as opposed to the plural ‘names’.

JC: I never thought about that. It's true I said, 'in the name of' and not 'in the names of'. 

A. That's because when it comes to God, there is one divine Nature and three divine Persons.

JC: Ok, let me go on. ‘In the name of the Father…”

A: Before you go on I want you to think of the Father as ‘the Planner’.

JC: OK but what is he planning?

A: He is planning what the Son will produce from the cross, namely our redemption and sanctification.

JC: Ok, let me finish here,  ‘In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen”. So if the Father plans it and the Son produces it what does the Holy Spirit do?

A: The Holy Spirit pours it out on us.

JC: Ok, so I guess it’s time to ask what the ‘it’ is that the Father plans, the Son produces and the Holy Spirit pours out.

A: The clue to finding that answer is the ritual action which you just finished.

JC: You mean using my hand to trace the cross over my head and heart as I name each Person of the Trinity?

A: Yes. As I said, the Father planned the cross for our redemption but what else does the cross signify?

JC: Mercy, loyalty, faith and courage.

A: Good. How about adding hope, forgiveness, understanding, compassion, strength, unity, passion and sanctification?

JC: Wow, those are important things that we indeed need to become holy, but you left out sacrifice. Obviously, when people see a cross or especially a crucifix they think sacrifice.

A: Yes…that sacrifice is also tied up with the greatest thing the Father planned and the Son produced from the Cross…love. Not just any love but self-sacrificial love.

JC: These are all important ideas we are reminded of when we look at the crucifix. What wonderful symbols that represent our Catholic Faith!

A: Symbols? No, not symbols ... Signs! After all, we make the Sign of the Cross, not the ‘symbol of the cross’. When you pray those words and make that holy gesture you are actually entering into the power of redemption, the power of the cross and applying what it signifies to yourself in a blessing. 

JC:  That makes sense. From now on I am not just going to go through the motions and mindlessly say the words. It’s just such a habit that I become sort of robotic. 

A: One final thing….that word ‘Amen’ at the end.

JC: Oh yes, I believe that means ‘I believe’. 

A: Do you?

JC: Do I what?

A: Do you believe that the Sign of the Cross is a sign of the Catholic Faith as well as your own personal faith and commitment? Do you believe that it’s a sign that you are not only in Christ but that you have been lavished with his grace which he earned for you from the cross and which you receive through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Do you believe that it is a sign that you are ultimately open to living out the plan of the Father in your life, not just your own human plans? 

JC: Amen! I believe!

A: Good, then never make a rushed, thoughtless Sign of the Cross the same way again.