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While our words in the prayer of the sign of the cross are an invocation of the Trinity, the shape of the cross we make during this prayer are a reminder of the cross of Christ. Jesus' death on the cross was the action by which he destroyed death, so the sign of the cross is a constant reminder of our salvation.
Roman Catholics make the sign of the cross in the following order: The right hand moves from top (forehead) to bottom (chest) and then from left (left shoulder) to right (right shoulder). Most Eastern Christians do it in a different order: From top to bottom and then from right to left.
During Mass, we make a little cross on our head, lips, and heart, because these outward gestures made with our bodies are pointing to an inward prayer that is happening in our hearts.
Making the sign of the cross (Latin: signum crucis), or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity.
In lieu of Holy Communion, some parishes invite non-Catholics to come forward in the line, with their arms crossed over their chest, and receive a blessing from the priest.
Crossing oneself is a common practice for Christians in liturgical churches, especially but not limited to the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican (Episcopal) churches.
In Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches, the sign of the cross is usually made with the tips of the first three fingers brought together and the last two against the palm. The first three represent the Trinity, while the last two represent the two natures of Jesus – divine and human.
According to the Catholic Church, there is no explicit prohibition on getting a tattoo. However, the Church does have teachings on the human body and how it should be treated and respected.
Kneeling is the ultimate posture of submission and surrender. In the Catholic Church we genuflect and kneel to indicate, by bodily attitude, a total submission of our minds and hearts to the true Presence of Christ. It is an exterior manifestation of the reverence inspired by His Presence.
Crossing yourself or someone else is an act of sanctification, a physical reminder that you/they are set apart as holy for Christ. Because it is often done at the mention of the Trinity (“Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”), the sign of the cross is also a physical reminder of belief in the Triune God.
Moving from left to right symbolizes moving from the curse to the side of blessing, or from Hades to Paradise. If we hold three fingers together while making the sign of the cross, they symbolize the trinity, and the two other fingers together represent Christ's two natures, that he is fully man and fully divine.
The Catholic Church's opposition to contraception includes a prohibition on condoms. It believes that chastity should be the primary means of preventing the transmission of AIDS.
As a Catholic, may I be cremated? Yes. In May 1963, the Vatican's Holy Office (now the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith) lifted the prohibition forbidding Catholics to choose cremation.
Although the answer to this week's question may seem obvious, there are many people who wonder—may I marry a non-Catholic and still be married in the Catholic Church? The answer is “yes, so long as you do so with the assistance of your parish priest from the beginning.”
Kissing the cross (as we do on Good Friday) is an ancient gesture of devotion. It implies a humble acceptance of one's own cross in imitation of Jesus.
During the worship service it is especially appropriate to cross oneself at (1) the beginning of the service during the Invocation (In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit), (2) after the Declaration of Grace; (3) during the Creed when we declare our belief in the resurrection (“Resurrection of the ...
Since a cross lies horizontal when someone is carrying it on their shoulders, like Christ carrying the cross, some believe it can symbolize a person's choice to accept the Lord and His teachings. The symbolism behind this meaning is that devout Christians must take up their own cross and follow the Lord.
They believed a depiction of any human form is idolatrous. Crucifixes, therefore, disappeared from Protestant sanctuaries.
The symbol is less common in churches of other Protestant denominations, and in the Assyrian Church of the East and Armenian Apostolic Church, which prefer to use a cross without the figure of Jesus (the corpus).
Prayer to Mary is a way of being drawn towards Jesus. Just as a Protestant might go to a pastor to say, “pray for me” with the assumption that your pastor will point you to Jesus—so also a Catholic will pray to Mary with the confidence that she will direct us to the Lord Jesus. It is an act of intercession.
The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday. On this special day of reflection, Catholics wear a marking of the cross in ash on their foreheads. The ashes symbolize our mortality – “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” But you might be wondering, where do the ashes for Ash Wednesday come from?
If you don't profess the Catholic faith, then it isn't appropriate to act as if you do. (Technical point: in very rare circumstances and only with the Bishop's permission, a Protestant who believes the teachings and requests Communion can receive the Eucharist [ CCC 1401].
If you have not been baptized, you are either an unbeliever (which is obvious disobedience) or you're a Christian who hasn't followed through to obey the Lord's command to be baptized (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 17:30). Either way, if such a person takes communion, he would be eating and drinking judgment upon himself.
Pope Benedict XVI has said the use of condoms is acceptable in exceptional circumstances, according to a new book. He said condoms could reduce the risk of HIV infection, such as for a male prostitute, in a series of interviews given to a German journalist.