Crossing is common among Christians in liturgical churches, especially the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican (Episcopal) Churches. It is used to begin and end prayers and ceremonies, as well as sometimes as a standalone gesture to ask God to bless us. Many Christians also make the sign of the cross when pronouncing or hearing the name of the Holy Trinity; the father the son and the Holy Spirit.
=Steps
Method 1 of 2: Western tradition
Step 1. Follow this tradition in the Latin Rite and Protestant Churches
This method is common in the Western Catholic Church and in Protestant traditions that support the sign of the cross, including most Anglican and Lutheran Churches.
Step 2. Raise your right hand
Many believers make the sign of the cross with an open hand, with the five fingers reminding of the five wounds of Christ. Others raise the index and middle fingers together, symbolizing the divine and human nature of Christ. In the two-finger position, the thumb is often bent towards the ring finger and they touch each other.
Many other hand movements are also in use. There is no set requirement anywhere to make a specific hand movement, but most religious leaders encourage you to follow the tradition of your congregation unless you are benefiting spiritually from another form
Step 3. Touch your forehead with the fingertips of your right hand
The sign of the cross is used in all kinds of situations, both privately and in church. At the beginning of a worship service or when you bless yourself outside the church, it is usually accompanied by the invocation of the Holy Trinity. Start with 'In the name of the Father…'
Or in Latin: 'In nomine Patris…'
Step 4. Now touch the center of your chest
Then move your hand down slightly. Say 'and of the Son…' During this gesture, some people place their left hand on their chest, with their right hand just above it.
In Latin: '…et Filii…'
Step 5. Touch the front of your left shoulder
Say 'And of the Holy…'
Latin: '…(et Spiritus) Sancti.'
Step 6. Touch your right shoulder in about the same place
Say, "…Spirit."
Latin: '…et Spiritus (Sancti).'
Step 7. Say 'Amen'
You may now join your hands.
In many Latin countries it is customary to make a small cross with the thumb (see below) and kiss it before saying Amen. In the Philippines, this gesture has changed over time to simply touching your chin with your thumb
Step 8. Learn the little cross
Some of the early Christians who blessed themselves formed a cross with their thumb and forefinger and placed it on their foreheads. Today Roman Catholics make the sign with the same hand shape before the Gospel reading in mass. Place the small cross on your forehead first, then on your lips, and then on your chest.
There are many interpretations for this blessing. A common meaning asks you to approach the Gospel with an open mind, confess it with your mouth, and keep it in your heart
Step 9. Cross when entering a church
If you belong to the Latin Rite, it is tradition to bless yourself when you enter a church. Dip your fingers in the fountain of holy water and then make the sign of the cross. You may use the large or the small cross.
Many Catholics also cross themselves when they pass a church and after receiving communion
Method 2 of 2: Eastern tradition
Step 1. Hold the tips of your right thumb, index and middle fingers together
In Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches, most people use the three-finger blessing. Your fingers represent the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, brought together in the Deity. Bend the other two fingers toward your palm. These fingers symbolize the two attributes of Jesus Christ (meaning He is fully human and fully divine). This ancient custom probably dates back to the 400s AD.
Step 2. Bring your hand from your forehead to the bottom of your chest
Bring your hand first to your forehead, then down to your solar plexus. Some people put it in the middle of their chest instead, as in the Western tradition, but others fear that this will create an inverted crotch, with a short bottom. (The inverted cross traditionally symbolizes humility, but is also used by anti-Christian groups.)
You can also bring your hand all the way to the floor from your forehead. This is sometimes used during the Great Lent of Easter, or in times of great tribulation
Step 3. Cross yourself from right to left
Contrary to the Latin tradition, the oriental cross starts at the right shoulder and ends on the left. This is a tradition from many centuries ago, and was once shared by the Western Church.
Step 4. Recite a blessing
There are many ways to do this. Here are two examples, separated with slashes - to show how you move your hand:
- "Lord / Jesus Christ / Son of God / have mercy on us."
- “My hope is the Father. / My refuge is the Son. / My protection is the Holy Spirit. / Holy Trinity, Glory to You.'
Tips
- Oriental Orthodox Churches usually cross from left to right, as in the Western tradition, but sometimes use the Eastern hand shape, or their own traditions (such as one finger raised, to symbolize the one nature of Christ). This also applies to the Eastern Catholic Churches from the same countries - that is, the Alexandrian, Armenian and Syrian Churches.
- The words, or "formula," can be said aloud or silently, depending on the situation.