The Sign of the Cross: A Rookie Anglican Guide
Why do Anglicans make the Sign of the Cross? When do they do it? How do they do it? I am often asked: “Why do you cross yourselves?” Often this is followed by “Isn’t that superstitious, like the baseball players who sign themselves before batting? Isn’t it a dead, rote ritual?” Sometimes, people don’t feel it’s rote or superstitious, but they wonder why and how to make the Sign.
The answer, quite simply, is that the Sign of the Cross is a bodily confession of faith. It proclaims, without words, belief in the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and in the crucified and risen Christ. What the Creed says aloud, the body silently enacts.
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What is the Sign of the Cross?
The Sign of the Cross is an ancient Christian practice of making the Sign on oneself, another person, or an object. With the hand tracing the form of the Cross over the body, traditionally touching forehead, chest, and shoulders, the Christian quite literally marks themselves with the shape of Christ’s saving work.
Why Make the Sign of the Cross?
The Sign of the Cross is not magic or a superstitious act. Its power lies not in the motion itself; it lies in the faith and intention. It is a sign that points beyond itself to Jesus’s accomplishment and God’s promises. Here are some reasons why we make the Sign of the Cross:
Signing the Cross Expresses Our Belonging to Christ
Fourth-century Church Father St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote,
Let us not be ashamed to profess the Crucified One; let us confidently seal our forehead with our fingers, let us make the sign of the cross on everything, on the bread we eat and over the cup we drink. Let us make this sign as we come and go, before sleeping, when we lie down and when we arise, while traveling and while resting.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 4
For St. Cyril, it was important to make the Sign of the Cross as a profession of faith.
Signing the Cross is an Act of Sanctification
Sanctification means “setting apart.” Our souls, our bodies, and our lives are sanctified—set apart for Christ, under and in his Cross. For example, many people sign themselves before receiving communion. They are set apart to God. When we mark our children with the Cross, we tangibly set them under Christ’s Cross. When we sign our food, our house, or another object, we set it apart as holy in Christ and give thanks to God.
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
1 Peter 1:2
Making the Sign is a Prayer in Itself
Prayer often follows it, either aloud or in one’s own mind and heart. Usually, the spoken prayer is “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Singing the Cross is a Marker of Belief in the Triune God, Not Superstition
Because the Sign of the Cross has become so closely associated with this Trinitarian formula, when we sign ourselves, we also mark ourselves as orthodox Christians who worship and love the Triune God. If we choose to see it that way, it can become that, but it is not fundamentally a superstitious act. Instead, it is a fundamentally Christian act. In other words, if we make it superstitious or rote, we are denying its fundamental purpose. Let’s avoid the mistake of the first-century Jews, whom Jesus accused of nullifying the holy law of the Lord with their superstitions. The Church, virtually since its inception, adopted the Cross, and the Sign thereof, as its salute to our Master, Jesus the Almighty, Arisen God.
How Do I Make the Sign of the Cross?
The Starting Hand Position
First, place your hand in a position with your forefinger and middle fingers touching your thumb. You’ll notice that this places three fingers together, with two fingers folded down toward the palm. The three fingers together symbolize the three Persons of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The two fingers together symbolize the divine and human natures of Jesus Christ.
This hand position is, perhaps, the briefest summary of the key points of Christian theology! See the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed for more on Christian belief in the Triune God. See the Chalcedonian Definition for more on Christian belief in the two natures of Christ.
The Motions
With your hand in position, trace Christ’s Cross in the following fashion. Taking your fingers as previously described, trace from the center of your forehead to the center of your chest, to your heart, where your devotion for Christ lives. Next, trace from the heart to the left shoulder, the right shoulder, and back to the heart. Our Eastern Orthodox brothers will reverse the direction.
Variations Seen in the Anglican and Other Traditions
In some traditions, a person kisses their hand after making the Sign. This is especially prominent in the Roman Catholic church. Anglicans usually return their hands to their hearts after the second shoulder, while Roman Catholics often stop at the second shoulder. When a priest or bishop is blessing the people, he makes the Sign as if signing them. This means that, rather than signing himself, he moves from their left to their right. The “little” Sign of the Cross is the marking of small crosses, using the thumb, on the forehead, mouth, and heart. We use the Sign at the reading of the Gospel during the liturgy. It signifies the sanctification of our thoughts, speech, and affections for God. Often, a cross is signed upon the forehead during anointing or laying on of hands, typically with the thumb.
When Do Anglicans Make the Sign of the Cross?
You can sign the Cross anytime! In the Anglican tradition, the Sign of the Cross has never been rejected outright, nor universally mandated. Instead, it’s seen as an adiaphoron—a practice permitted, meaningful, and pastorally useful, but not compulsory. However, the practice of signing the Cross goes back to the earliest centuries of the Church. The second-century theologian Tertullian recorded,
At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at the table, when we light the lamps, when on the couch, on a seat, and in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace the sign upon our foreheads.
Tertullian, Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. III: Tertullian: Part I: Chapter III
In this discipline, Tertullian wanted us to remember that we are Christ’s and that his Cross is upon us at all times. In our daily lives, many Anglicans make the Sign of the Cross upon waking and going to bed (perhaps as part of the Daily Office), as well as before each meal. As a tangible form of catechesis, we can bless our children and teach them by signing them with the Cross at prayer time, mealtime, and bedtime.
Signing the Cross in the Service of Holy Communion
During our most common service worship and prayer experienced on a Sunday, the liturgy of Holy Communion, we often make the Sign of the Cross:
- Whenever we say the Trinitarian formula (“the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”),
- before the Gospel reading (with the “little” Sign of the Cross on our foreheads, mouths, and hearts),
- at the prayer for absolution/forgiveness,
- and before receiving the bread and wine at communion.
- Items such as the communion bread and wine are also signed, as are other articles set apart for sacred use.
Some people also sign themselves at
- the end of the Creed (usually when we mention the resurrection),
- the name of Jesus Christ,
- and the second part of the Sanctus (“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”),
- at the prayer for sanctification in the Prayer of Consecration (“be filled with your grace and heavenly benediction” in the Anglican Standard Text, or “sanctify us also” in the Ancient Renewed Text in the 2019 Book of Common Prayer).
It’s actually very simple, really. The Sign of the Cross is an act of marking Christ’s Cross upon oneself and life, or upon the people and basic elements of life (food, homes, children, people).
Do Anglicans Have to Make the Sign of the Cross?
No. No Anglican must make the Sign of the Cross. However, some should. And all can. The Sign of the Cross is a powerful and tangible reminder that we are Christ’s. To learn more about the Sign of the Cross, check out the following helpful video from WhyWeWorship.
Also, if you’d like to learn more, check out New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on the Sign of the Cross and Wikipedia’s “Sign of the Cross” page.
Image: Public domain illustration from a 19th-century prayer book. Digitally edited by Jacob Davis.
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