What do you think? For me, it is a very powerful prayer, (yes, it is a prayer) and Spiritual Weapon against Satan and his demons. Because the sign of the Cross is the mark of our redemption, Satan hates it. Demons flee from the sign of the cross when it is devoutly made. Recently after Mass, my fiance' and I stopped for breakfast. As usual, we cross ourselves before giving thanks to God for our breakfast. A short time later, this Evangelical Christian lady come up to our table and said, " You two must be Catholics" and I said yes we were. She goes on to say she thought so because we crossed ourselves, and that only Catholics do it.
She also asked why we cross ourselves. When I explained why, as I did in my opening statement here, she just rolled her eyes and said that she thinks the only reason Catholics do it is to bring attention to themselves. When I told her that was not the case at all, she just huffed and puffed as she walked away saying she would never dream of doing such a thing, in public no less.
I was quite taken aback by this lady, and began to wonder why she found crossing ourselves so offensive, and why most non-Catholics don't use this most powerful prayer in their daily lives. Making the sign of the cross has been a part of Christianity from the most earlist times, for example. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (AD 386), Bishop of Jerusalem, says the following of this powerful sign:
"Let us, therefore, not be ashamed of the Cross of Christ; but though another hide it, do thou openly seal it upon thy forehead, that the devils may behold the royal sign and flee trembling far away. Make then this sign at eating and drinking, at sitting, at lying down, at rising up, at speaking, at walking: in a word, at every act."
Even Martin Luther urged his followers to use the sign. In his Catechism of 1529 he instructed fathers to teach their households the following: "In the morning, when you rise from bed, sign yourself with the holy cross and say, 'In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.'...At night, when you go to bed, sign yourself with the holy cross and say, 'In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.'"
So when did this change in Protestantism, and who was it that frowned against most Protestants from doing it?
Look forward to all responces.
She also asked why we cross ourselves. When I explained why, as I did in my opening statement here, she just rolled her eyes and said that she thinks the only reason Catholics do it is to bring attention to themselves. When I told her that was not the case at all, she just huffed and puffed as she walked away saying she would never dream of doing such a thing, in public no less.
I was quite taken aback by this lady, and began to wonder why she found crossing ourselves so offensive, and why most non-Catholics don't use this most powerful prayer in their daily lives. Making the sign of the cross has been a part of Christianity from the most earlist times, for example. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (AD 386), Bishop of Jerusalem, says the following of this powerful sign:
"Let us, therefore, not be ashamed of the Cross of Christ; but though another hide it, do thou openly seal it upon thy forehead, that the devils may behold the royal sign and flee trembling far away. Make then this sign at eating and drinking, at sitting, at lying down, at rising up, at speaking, at walking: in a word, at every act."
Even Martin Luther urged his followers to use the sign. In his Catechism of 1529 he instructed fathers to teach their households the following: "In the morning, when you rise from bed, sign yourself with the holy cross and say, 'In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.'...At night, when you go to bed, sign yourself with the holy cross and say, 'In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.'"
So when did this change in Protestantism, and who was it that frowned against most Protestants from doing it?
Look forward to all responces.
