The Sign of the Cross

Mass, as all our prayer as Catholics, begins by making the sign of the cross. We always begin our prayer in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. By making the sign of the cross we acknowledge that our God is a holy Trinity, and that we belong to God. Yes, the sign of the cross reminds us that we belong to God, and follow him. We belong to God, so our life isn’t about us; our life is about God. Our culture tells us that we can do whatever we want as long as we don’t hurt anyone. Our culture tells us that we belong to no one. As Christians, we know that we belong to God, he created us, and he saved us from our sins. Our life isn’t centered on us, but on God.

The priest then greets us, and we respond with: “And with your spirit.” We find St. Paul using that phrase four times (Gal 6:15; 2Tim 4:22; Philippians 4:23; Philemon 25). “And with your spirit,” also recognizes the unique work of the Holy Spirit through the ordained priest to celebrate the Eucharist. It is Jesus Christ who is head of the community gathered for Mass and it is his Spirit who is the primary actor in the liturgy. The priest celebrates Mass in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. We see that especially when the priest prays the prayers Jesus used at the Last Supper.