Devotion for today: the Sign of the Cross: a blessing

 

We conclude our study of the Sign of the Cross by reviewing its purpose as a blessing.

Scripture for meditation: Genesis 12:2-3
 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you. ”

Scripture for reflection: Luke 24:50

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.

Victor Hoagland, C.P. (http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/sign.html) tells us:... In the Catholic Church and other Christian churches the Sign of the Cross is an important part of personal and public prayer. It originated in the earliest days of Christianity and so it is centuries old. It is the first sign made on us at Baptism and the last sign made as we pass to our future life. It's a vital part of liturgical prayer and the sacraments… The Sign of the Cross expresses blessing. It symbolizes God blessing us, God embracing us with blessings. And in this same sign we express our belief in God from whom all our blessings flow. In the Sign of the Cross we embrace our good God with mind and heart and all of our strength. God blesses. The Jewish scriptures describe God as, above all, the One who blesses. God blessed Noah and saved the world from the flood. God blessed Abraham and Sara with blessings more than the stars in the sky. God blessed the Jewish people, redeeming them from the slavery of Egypt. Life itself and all creation are God's gifts. And so the Jewish tradition of prayer always approaches God as One who blesses. "I will bless the Lord at all times," the psalmist prays. As we are blessed by God, so we bless the Lord in return. The Christian tradition of prayer follows this same pattern, but in addition it praises the One who blesses for another incomparable blessing: the blessing of Jesus Christ. "Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing."

 ( Eph 1,3)... With the Father he sends the Holy Spirit upon us "to complete his work on earth and bring us the fullness of grace." In Jesus, God has revealed to us the source of all blessings. When we bless ourselves with the Sign of the Cross we remember the One who blesses us: the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. .With the Sign of the Cross we recall in particular the blessing of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We trace a cross on ourselves, the cross of Jesus. His death on the Cross was an outpouring of love for us. The Sign of the Cross is a reminder of his love, a love found not only in the past, but here and now, as we make this sign upon ourselves; for the love of Jesus Christ abides forever…

Prayer: Psalm 67

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you. The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

My thoughts: We learn today that the Sign of the Cross is both a reminder of God’s blessings for us, and of the unfathomable love he has for us. We should always bless our family members with the Sign of the Cross before they leave home for the day, as they sleep in their beds, and in times of sickness and distress. It will remind us and them that God blesses, just as we “bless” and that the protection of God is only a Sign of the Cross away. As we celebrate Trinity Sunday this weekend, let us always remember the Father who created us, the Son who saved us and the Holy Spirit who empowers us. Then let us go forth to spread the love and blessings of God to others!