Sign of the Cross

Come to think of it, it is quite funny why we make that extra motion of touching our chins after making the sign of the cross. It is funny because, if asked what is that for, it is very likely that very few if not none of us will be able to give a sensible reply. We seem to do it by force of habit, but for no known reason. Or so I thought.

Our recollection master this Holy Week, a young SVD priest assigned to do mission work at the tip-most part of Palawan, finally gave a plausible explanation. He told us that, during the Spanish times, believers were taught to make the sign of the cross by crossing their forefingers and their thumbs to form a small cross and touching that small cross on their foreheads, breasts, right shoulders and left shoulders, after which they were told to kiss the small cross with their lips.

The explanation actually gave deep meaning to what I have been doing mindlessly for years. Kissing the cross represents one of the key teachings of Christ. It reminds us that there are harsh things in life that we need to accept with humility and forgiveness. These are our crosses and kissing them makes us like Him, if only for a little bit.