From the Rector's Desk

Dear friends,

As you know, we have the Vestry on Call program which seeks to gather questions and comments from our parishioners and visitors and to respond to them. From time to time we get questions of a theological or liturgical nature, or something having to do with the development of personal piety, and try to respond to them in some appropriate venue. This is the case this month, because someone asked us for information about when and why we make the sign of the cross during the liturgy.

The sign of the cross derives from the liturgy of baptism. In baptism, we are “signed” with the cross, using holy oil—this rite is called Chrismation. Those of you who attended the baptism on 7 November saw this done to Josephine Genereux. So, we were first signed with the cross in our baptism, and we spend the rest of our lives repeating that sign as we constantly reflect upon our baptism an its implications in living a Christian life.
The cross is made by touching first the forehead, then the chest, then the left shoulder and finally the right shoulder. (Our friends in the eastern church—the church in Greece and Russia, not the church in Maine or Massachusetts—make the sign of the cross by reversing the last two parts of the gesture—they touch first the right and then the left shoulder. And some of us who have rotator cuff problems do the same from time to time.)

We make the sign of the cross when we come into church and take water from the baptismal font. That cross recalls our baptism, making the point strongly by use of water.

Generally we make the sign of the cross at these occasions: When we are blessed in the name of the Trinity—such as at the end of the liturgy—or when we are absolved of our sins, such as at the conclusion of the general confession. If you consider that being forgiven and blessed are two of the most important aspects of being a Christian, and these gifts flow directly from the death of Jesus upon the cross, then the meaning becomes clearer.

We also make the sign of the cross at the conclusion of certain major—that is to say, lengthy and significant—parts of the liturgy. We make the sign at the end of the Gloria in Excelsis, often the opening song of praise, at the end of the hymn Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, at the conclusion of the Eucharistic prayer when the consecrated sacrament is elevated—and some even make the sign at the end of the Lord’s Prayer.

Some people make the sign of the cross during the Eucharistic Prayer at the point when the celebrant prays that the Holy Spirit will descend upon us, making us the body of Christ given for the world God has made. In this case, the sign of the cross is a way of pointing to ourselves and offering ourselves to become that part of the body of Christ for the work set before us.

And that is about all there is to it. You will notice that people have different habits about the sign of the cross and that is a typical Episcopalian situation. We believe that personal piety, which is the general category for things like the sign of the cross, is a matter of individual preference and growth. We do believe in worshiping with our bodies, but we do so in different ways and have no interest in establishing a single customary use for what is essentially a private, devotional matter.

You asked for it; and so, here it is. Keep those questions coming and we’ll keep on writing responses.

Thanks to the vestry who keeps up with this process and week by week greets and answers questions from the many folks who are visiting our parish these days.

Faithfully,



The Rev’d Lloyd Prator
Rector