The sign of the cross is one of the most basic and simplest prayers of our faith to learn and yet it is one of the deepest and most profound expressions of our faith.

If you are unsure how to make the sign of the cross or are beginning to introduce your children to prayer but aren’t sure where to begin, then this post will help you.

Children can begin (and so can adults) by learning the sign of the cross and learning to be happy in the presence of God- if you have not prayed before or have long forgotten how to pray or are now trying to grapple with how to teach your child a simple prayer, then begin here with the sign of the cross.

Why do we make the Sign of the Cross

Take your time and slowly raise your right hand to your forehead and place your left hand on your heart, while saying, “ In the name of the Father” – then still using your right hand, from your forehead to your heart, continue to draw a line, saying, “and of the Son” and moving your right hand, touch your left shoulder, saying, “ and of the Holy”, then drawing your hand across in a line from left shoulder to right shoulder you finish the prayer with the word, “Spirit”, then. joining your hands together 🙏 say the word , “Amen” 

“Amen” simply means, so be it. 

When you make the sign of the cross, take the time to make it respectfully and reverently, consciously placing yourself in the presence of  Our Heavenly Father who loves us with a love that is so far beyond the love offered by any earthly father that He expresses His Love for us to infinity. Place yourself in the presence of the Son, Jesus who stretched out His Arms on the cross and who loved us so much that He died a most agonizing death to save us. There is no greater love that can be expressed than to lay down your life for love of another. Place yourself in the presence of the Holy Spirit, the unity of the eternal undying Love that unites the Father and the Son, in whom each one of us too are embraced and  invited to share in the eternal mystery of God’s Mercy and Love and His plan of Salvation.  

Some people make the sign of the cross differently- are they wrong?

There are many different branches of Christianity, each with their own rich tradition and symbolism.  All of our Church of Ireland brothers and sisters here in Ireland, our Anglican brothers and sisters in the UK and elsewhere, and our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world, make the sign of the cross a little differently to the way we Roman Catholics make it.  Regardless of the theological differences that exist in our understanding of how the Father Son and Holy Spirit function, this simple prayer unites all baptized Christians because this powerful yet simple prayer remains the eternal sign of the protective power of God’s Love for us in all traditions.  

Making the Sign of the cross enfolds us and blesses us in the Merciful Love of our Heavenly Father who sent His Only Son to save us, the Merciful Love of the Son, Jesus, who suffered an agonizingly painful death by dying upon the cross for love of us, so that through, with and in Him, we would be set free from the tyranny of evil, and become co-heirs to His Kingdom- to this end Jesus ascended to the Father after His Resurrection, so that the Holy Spirit be sent to descend upon us, writing God’s law upon our hearts and minds, and placing God’s Word upon our lips, filling us with His Gifts, and helping us to grow in virtue and in holiness in the Image of God. 

One of the main theological differences between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Christian Church is that the Roman Catholic Church believes that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, while the Orthodox Church believes the Holy Spirit proceeds only from God the Father.

In this video Archpriest John Guy Winfrey shows us the Orthodox Christian way to make the sign of the cross and gives a beautiful account of the tradition of His Church surrounding the making of the sign of the cross 

The sign of the cross is a sign of protection, a sign of the Infinite Love of God for us, a sign of unity and a devotional prayer of faith in the Holy Trinity. A whole book could be written on the power, efficacy and importance of this one short prayer, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit~ Amen”