What Is Its Origin?

Q: I was recently asked where the Sign of the Cross comes from, but I could not give an answer. We all bless ourselves without thinking how this tradition started.

A: The words are the second half of Matthew 28:19, part of Jesus’ final words to the apostles.

I am not sure when and where this gesture was first used. My guess is that it was not until Christianity had become a legal religion in the Roman Empire (313 A.D.).

Artistic depictions of the crucified Jesus come after that date. I suspect this gesture was used soon after Christianity became first a legal religion and later the empire’s state religion (fifth century).

In the Eastern Churches (both Orthodox and Catholic), people touch the right shoulder first and then the left—the opposite of the Western custom. There are different explanations for this variation.

The cross symbolizes Jesus’ generous love, which makes our salvation possible.