Harvest Fields Audio Recordings

The Sign of the Cross is a declaration of faith in God as he revealed himself. It serves as a condensed version of the Apostles’ Creed. Touching the forehead, breast and shoulders, we declare our trust in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are proclaiming our faith in what God has done — the creation of all things, the saving of humanity from sin and death, and the formation of the Church, which offers new life to all. When we sign ourselves we are making ourselves au fait  with God’s presence and opening ourselves to his action in our lives.

At baptism the Lord claimed us as his own by marking us with the Sign of the Cross. Now, when we sign ourselves, we are asserting our allegiance to him. By tracing the cross on our bodies, we are denying that we belong to ourselves and stating that we belong to Him alone (Lk 9:23). So signing ourselves acknowledges that we are Christ’s sheep and can rely on his care.