What is the Mass?

The Mass is our participation in the one perfect Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

• The Mass is our participation in true communion with God and one another.

• And the Mass is our taste on this earth of the full perfection we will experience in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Mass is the perfect worship of the Father in heaven, and it is an inestimable source of gifts and blessings for us as well.

The Sign of the Cross

   Since we use the Sign of the Cross so frequently, it is important to recall what a meaning-packed gift it really is. The gesture itself points us to the Cross of Jesus—it reminds us of his saving sacrifice—the place where Jesus gave everything out of love for us to conquer sin and death. The words we say remind us that we have been brought into the life of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is important to notice that we pray “in the name” and not “names.” Praying in the singular “name” recalls that God is One God in Three Persons. In addition to reminding us of the Trinity and the Cross of Christ, the Sign of the Cross also reminds us of our Baptism, when we were brought into God’s family and given a share in the life of God: we are literally baptized “… in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”! We are reminded that the Father loved us so much that he sent the Son to save us and that the Holy Spirit was sent to guide us on our way home to heaven. That’s a lot of meaning for a little action that only takes a couple of seconds!

   Like almost anything in our lives, frequent repetition of the Sign of the Cross can sometimes lessen our attention to what we are doing and what it means. However, as we noted, the Sign of the Cross is an incredibly powerful prayer and gesture full of meaning. Next time you are starting a prayer or at Mass, I invite you to pause for a brief moment and really make the Sign of the Cross a true prayer from your heart. Maybe imagine what it looked like when Mother Mary, St. Bernadette, or one of the saints made it. Consider moving your hand and saying the words more slowly. Think about the love Jesus has for you as you trace the shape of the cross. Thank God that you have been given a share in the life of the Trinity through Baptism. What a grace-filled gift the Sign of the Cross truly is!

Source: EucharisticRevival.org