Mindful Reverent Prayer: Opening Rites to the Sign of the Cross

 

WHAT IS HAPPENING BEFORE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

If you’ve read this far you have begun to meditate on what you do in church and why.  Hoping this intro to personal sacred gesture prayer has been helpful, we enter what is going on once Mass begins, our public prayer.  The beginning or Intro Rites include:

Standing has always signified our participation in Jesus’ resurrection.  It’s the opposite of death, lying in the horizontal position.  Be aware of every statue and painting in the upright position.  Each reveals Jesus’ victory over death; join in with them.  As such, standing in testimony to the Resurrection of Christ is our prayer position.  We stand with the priest who offers our prayers, all that we desire and seek and voice before Mass in the silent, intimate recesses of our heart, a sacred dwelling for yearnings, hope, joy, and pain.

Singing is how we enter the choirs of angels & saints.  No matter how talented a voice, each takes their destined place in heaven, or at least begins to journey heavenward in song.  Chanting engages both sides of the brain; talking, only one half.  We seek to worship or love God with our whole heart, our whole soul, and mind and your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27, Matthew 22:36, Mark 12:28).  Intentionally offer God wholehearted (not half-brain), full-strength, worship of your entire brain in song.  Singing has been proven to strengthen the immune system by increasing productions of endorphins.

 

Processing: at the beginning of Mass is practiced by liturgical ministers with functions of carrying lights ─denoting our part in Easter Resurrection through Baptism.  Jesus also said He is the Light of the world.  Beginning Mass means Jesus’ light begins illuminating the recesses of our minds and souls.  As at Baptism our god/parents heard, “This Light of Christ is entrusted to you to keep burning brightly.”  Are you fanning or blowing out someone’s light?  Fanning the fire keeps it burning brightly.  Servers carrying candles/torches remind us of this mystery.

 

Antimicrobial frankincense purifies the air, meaning you’ll leave the church healthier.  Unless, of course, you have an asthmatic condition, then consider sitting away from the center.  The smell creates a sacred space.  Before each Mass the priest blesses the incense and charcoal with a sign of the cross saying, “Lord, may this incense rise as prayers of praise before your heavenly throne.  May you graciously send down upon us your loving mercy.” 

What a marvelous exchange.  The Psalms chant: our prayers rise like incense…like the evening sacrifice (141:2).  Of course, the grains burn.  Fire purifies and emits fragrant smoke signifying our sacrifices carried through Calvary and the Empty Tomb.  Incensing means prayer, praise, sacrifice, purification, and sanctification before we even pray the Sign of the Cross.

 

Signing with the Cross:  Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Teach them to carry out all that I have commanded you and I am with you to the end of time. (Matthew 28:19-20).  Wow! to Jesus’ global command to the Apostles, invitation to the divine Tri-Person heavenly Household, command to follow his Good News, and promise of presence.  Command, invitation, dwelling, presence all in the Sign of the Cross (also known as: Sign of the Blessed Trinity of our Baptism).  Never “chase flies” mindlessly when doing this sign.  Connect your mind, and hopefully both sides of your brain when singing, to your body.  Let your fingers touch your forehead (both brain sides), your heart (the seat of your love), and each shoulder to carry Jesus’ crosses when He shares them with you. Then, follow him closely (Matthew 16:4; Luke 9:23).

 

Touching your forehead means you want to mindfully pray every word and action of Holy Mass.  It means that Jesus’ shield is your invisible, spiritual “brand” with which a shepherd marks animals belonging to him.  Your crossed forehead, marked by your priest, parents, and godparents at Baptism protects you from the evil one.  The Devil flees from the power of the Cross. Signing with the Cross goes back to the early Church, documented in the 3^rd and 4^th centuries as practiced by the Elders (Tertullian, Athanasius, Cyril, and others).

A crossed heart means that it beats with Jesus’ love, who loves to death and beyond, His death and ours.  Shouldering His Cross makes every burden light, every challenge manageable through, with, and in Him.  No challenge nor trauma is ever the end of the world.  It’s a call to take this, your sacrifice, to Calvary at every Mass, going through its mystical gate to the Empty Tomb.

Beginning Mass with the Sign of Jesus’ Cross sanctifies every time you pray alone or with others, beginning with the same sanctifying and salvific sign. 

Compiled by Rev Dr Czeslaw M Krysa, SLD

Senior Parochial Vicar, Church of St Casimir Buffalo, NY. June 2024.