Why do Catholics make the sign of the cross at the Eucharist?

Upvote:0

Simple Answer

The simple answer is, it is "optional". The faithful has freedom from doing it as long as he/she do it reverently as Church Teaches. Bottomline, if it is "optional" it will always do us good if we do it as a way of forming good habits of making the "sign of the cross" as a way of acknowledging the presence of God in our minds especially in our hearts. Also, it is a sign of humility as the Cross is a sign of the Great Sacrifice of God to show His Love and Mercy for all of us. It is therefore a very good and pious to develop such a habit.

for a detailed ANSWER let's further explore some references;

The sign of the cross (Latin: signum crucis), or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of most branches of Christianity.

Catholicism

The sign of the cross is a prayer, a blessing, and a sacramental. As a sacramental, it prepares an individual to receive grace and disposes one to cooperate with it.[13] The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." In this way, a person dedicates the day to God and calls on him for strength in temptations and difficulties.[14] John Vianney said a genuinely made Sign of the Cross "makes all hell tremble."[15]

Liturgical

Roman Catholicism draws a distinction between liturgical and non-liturgical use of the sign of the cross.

The **sign of the cross is required at certain points of the Mass:**

the laity sign themselves during the introductory greeting of the service,

before the Gospel reading (small signs on forehead, lips, and heart),

and at the final blessing;

optionally,

other times during the Mass when the laity often cross themselves are during a blessing with holy water,

when concluding the penitential rite,

immediately after receiving Communion,

and when concluding private prayer after Communion.

In the ordinary form of the Roman Rite the priest signs bread and wine once before the consecration. In the Tridentine Mass the priest signs the bread and wine 25 times during the Canon of the Mass, ten times before and fifteen times after they have been consecrated. The priest also uses the sign of the cross when blessing a deacon before the deacon reads the Gospel, when sending an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion to take the Eucharist to the sick (after Communion, but before the end of the Mass), and when blessing the congregation at the conclusion of the Mass.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_of_the_cross

ANSWER:

So to answer why do Catholics makes the Sign of the Cross in the Eucharist?

The short answer is, it is “optional”.

Since it is under optional, it will now be subject to individual disposition. God has given every souls a “freewill” to act with freedom in the manner of choosing what they think is right and beneficial to their soul.

Your next specific question;

“I know that no where in the Catholic Rite of Communion does it state that the communicant must make the sign of the cross after reception of the Eucharist in either species. So why is it that so many children are taught to do so in preparation of their First Eucharist?”

Why is the Children taught to do so?

The prudent question to ask next is, since it is optional. Will it bring good to the children to practice making the sign of the cross after receiving the Eucharist?

The answer is YES!, if we based it in the meaning and benefits of making the sign of the cross and its SIGNIFICANCE.

Below is an interview by ZENIT with the author Bert Gezzi on the “Significance of the Sign of the Cross.

The multifaceted significance of the sign of the cross has been investigated and explained by Bert Ghezzi, author of "Sign of the Cross: Recovering the Power of the Ancient Prayer" (Loyola Press).

Below is some of Ghezzi’s answers on the excerpt from the interview:

The sign of the cross is a very ancient practice and prayer. We don't have any indication of it in Scripture, but St. Basil in the fourth century said that we learned the sign from the time of the apostles and that it was administered in baptisms. Some scholars interpret St. Paul's saying that he bears the marks of Christ on his body, in Galatians 6:17, as his referring to the sign of the cross.

Tertullian said that Christians at all times should mark their foreheads with the sign of the cross. I can imagine that Christians would make a little sign of the cross with their thumb and forefinger on their foreheads, to remind themselves that they were living a life for Christ.

The sign means a lot of things. In the book, I describe six meanings, with and without words. The sign of the cross is: a confession of faith; a renewal of baptism; a mark of discipleship; an acceptance of suffering; a defense against the devil; and a victory over self-indulgence.

When you make the sign, you are professing a mini version of the creed — you are professing your belief in the Father, and in the Son and in the Holy Spirit. When you say the words and pray in someone's name you are declaring their presence and coming into their presence — that's how a name is used in Scripture.

The sign of the cross is a mark of discipleship. Jesus says in Luke 9:23, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." The word that the Fathers of the Church used for the sign of the cross is a Greek word that is the same as what a slave owner put on a slave, a shepherd put on a sheep and a general put on a soldier — it's a declaration that I belong to Christ.

When suffering comes, the sign of the cross is a sign of acceptance. It's remembering that Jesus became a man and suffered for us and that we participate in Christ's suffering. The sign of the cross says, "I am willing to embrace suffering to share in Christ's suffering."

One of the main teachings of the early Church Fathers is that the sign of the cross is a declaration of defense against the devil. When you sign yourself, you are declaring to the devil, "Hands off. I belong to Christ; he is my protection." It's both an offensive and defensive tool.

For full interview link: https://www.ewtn.com/library/liturgy/zsigncro.htm

Now, I only mentioned Seven significance of making the Sign of the Cross and there’s a lot more articles and saying coming from the Church Fathers & Saints.

St. Montfort book Love of Eternal Wisdom said that “Wisdom is the Cross”, so by teaching children to practice making the sign of the cross even on matters of optional requirement it is a sure path of obtaining graces to acquire Wisdom.

As an elder or those Catechist teaching the child, they are teaching the children for the good of their souls.

In closing, the Why’s of making of the Sign of the Cross after receiving the Holy Eucharist and teaching this practice as early to the children although “optional” is a pious act that will bring benefits in the growth of holiness in every child.

Godbless

jong ricafort 1

Upvote:3

Piety has its own good manners.¹

To that end, the Church establishes norms for the proper gestures and postures of the Congregation at Mass.

Even though it says in the section Reception of Communion:

Make the sign of the cross after you have received Communion. - Source: Gestures and Postures of the Congregation at Mass | adoremus.org.

I am yet to find a first hand Church document that says this.

Who would have thought one needed to go as far Down Under (Brisbane, Australia) to get an answer. This article Blessing Oneself When Receiving Communion says:

[...]

Crossing oneself after receiving Communion has never been an official Church teaching or ritual. Whoever taught the practice “a generation ago” was misguided. In the past many children were taught that they would be punished by God if they chewed the host, but that does not make it right! The priest does not bless himself when he takes Communion, so why should anyone else do so? The sign of the cross is reserved for blessing oneself with holy water on entering the church and at the beginning and end of Mass.

After receiving Communion, hands that have touched the Body of Christ and the chalice of his Blood should be clasped together reverently. As you say, the focus at this point of the Mass is on “receiving Jesus”, not on the Holy Trinity as such which is what the sign of the cross calls to mind.

[...]

The question then becomes what is the gesture of reverence when receiving the Eucharist and when is it made?

The answer is from General Instruction Of The Roman Missal, 160:

When receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence and receives the Body of the Lord from the minister. The consecrated host may be received either on the tongue or in the hand, at the discretion of each communicant. When Holy Communion is received under both kinds, the sign of reverence is also made before receiving the Precious Blood.

Further reading:

Questions & Answers on Changes in the Mass, Gestures and Postures I |adoremus.org.
Library: Gestures of Worship: Relearning Our Ritual Language - Catholic Culture. Note: no crossing oneself here after Holy Communion.

^{1. 541 Piety has its own good manners. Learn them. It's a shame to see those 'pious' people who don't know how to attend Mass — even though they go daily, — nor how to bless themselves (they throw their hands about in the weirdest fashion), nor how to bend the knee before the Tabernacle (their ridiculous genuflections seem a mockery), nor how to bow their heads reverently before a picture of our Lady. - The Way > Holy Mass > Number 541 | St. Josemaría Escrivá.}