Why do they wave their hands in front of their face?

About ten years ago, more like 15, I had just been hired with the Company I work for today. As I got off the bus to go to my first project, I saw three fellows in hard hats, orange hi-viz vests and steel toe boots, one was dramatically waving his hands in front of his face and grimacing derisively. 
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The triple sign of the Cross

As I was going over the things to expect on your first time to the Church, it occurred to me that there is a ritual we perform before the reading of the Gospel, that many people find confusing.   I know that I never knew what it meant as a youngster.  I only learned it after I came back to the Church.  Years after I came back to the Church.  By that time I was almost thirty years old.

For those not familiar with this ritual, after we come into Church for Mass and say the preliminary prayers, we begin to listen to Scripture Readings.  The last Scripture reading is from the Gospel.  At this point, everyone stands and proclaims, "Alleluia!" (Except during Lent when we say, "Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ!"

Then, the Priest or Deacon says, "A reading from the Holy Gospel according to…."  to which we respond, "Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ!"

Simultaneously, we begin to move our right hand in front of our face in this manner and pray this prayer:

First, you trace a cross over your eyes, touch your right thumb to your forehead, from you forehead you move your thumb to your nose, then your your left cheek, then your right cheek.  And you begin quietly, to yourself, to pray saying, "May the Word of God be ever on my mind…."

Then, you trace a cross over your mouth, touch your nose, your chin, the left corner of your mouth, then the right corner of your mouth and say, "On my lips…."

Then,  you trace a cross over your heart, still with your right thumb, cross your heart, and say, "and in my heart".  (See notes at the bottom)

Some people stop there but I was taught to do a fourth cross, the one with which we're all familiar.

And say, "In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".

And then we remain standing as we listen to the Gospel.

As a youngster, I could see that it was some form of the sign of the Cross, and I could see some people mouthing some words, but it is a silent prayer so I couldn't make out what they were saying.  I was always afraid and ashamed to ask anyone what it meant.  

Now, I've met many people who were in the same boat with me.  We need to do better as Catholics and not presume that everyone knows, even our own children, everything that we are doing.

Anyway, I hope that helps newbies and even oldies who had never thought about why we do that.

Notes:  There are slight variations of the triple sign of the cross which are less complicated.  The prayer remains the same.  

1.  With your thumb, tap your forehead three times, tap your lips three times, and tap your heart three times.

or

2.  With your thumb, trace a small cross on your forehead, another on your lips and another on your heart.

See also:  Why do they do that and Sign of the Cross.

The Apologetical Rosary Decade - Ten reasons we pray to Mary

Apologetical Rosary

You can use
this learning Rosary
when you're exercising
on a treadmill. Just put your
smartphone on the 
book ledge and read along 
as you exercise.

Use the little checkbox

to keep track of your progress.

See the examples below:

*********************

Intention:
By praying this decade, 

may God open our hearts
and minds
to a fuller understanding
of the Doctrines of the Catholic Church.

With the Crucifix
make the Sign of the Cross.

And, since this is

a learning prayer,

let us make the 

Triple Sign:

May the Word of God

be ever on my mind

 (touch the crucifix to your forehead

then your nose

then your your left cheek

then your right cheek) 

On my lips

(touch your nose

your chin

the left corner of your mouth

then the right corner of your mouth)

and in my heart

(cross your heart)

In the name

of the Father,

of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit

(Finish with 

the regular sign 

of the Cross 

i.e. forehead, chest, shoulders)

and still on the Crucifix
pray the Apostle's Creed:

I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son Our Lord,
Who was conceived
 by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
 suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified,
died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell;
the third day
He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God,
the Father almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge
the living and the dead.
 I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
 the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen.

On the first big bead
pray the Our Father:

Our Father,
Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

On the next three beads
pray three Hail Mary's:

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.
Amen.

For faith:
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith
it is impossible
to please him: ....

Hail Mary...

For hope:
Romans 8:24
For we are saved by hope:....

Hail Mary...


For love:
Romans 13:10
....love is the fulfilling of the law.

Hail Mary...

On the next big bead
 pray the Glory Be:

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

*******************************************************************

Ten Reasons 

we pray to Mary

Non-Catholic Christians
frequently ask
why we hold Mary
in such high esteem and
why we pray
to her?  Here
are ten reasons.

Meditation:

Luke 1:26-28, 41-43

Luke 1:

[26] And in the sixth month, 

the angel Gabriel 

was sent from God 

into a city of Galilee, 

called Nazareth, 

[27] To a virgin 

espoused to a man

 whose name was Joseph, 

of the house of David; 

and the virgin' s name was Mary. 

[28] And the angel 

being come in, 

said unto her: 

Hail, full of grace,

 the Lord is with thee:

 blessed art thou among women....
41 ...when Elisabeth heard
the salutation of Mary,
the babe leaped in her womb;
and Elisabeth was filled
with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out
with a loud voice,
and said,
Blessed art thou among women, ...

still on the big bead:

Our Father...

First reason:

the angel Gabriel 

was sent from God 

 We bless Mary
in imitation of
God the Father,
Who blessed Mary
through His
Angel.

Hail Mary...

Second:

the Angel said  

Hail, full of grace,

Because God,
sent His angel
to praise Mary.
Therefore, we know
it is God's will
that the angels in heaven
should praise Mary

Hail Mary...



Third:

Elisabeth said, 
Blessed art thou 
among women, ...

Because God,
the Holy Spirit
inspired Elizabeth
to praise Mary
Therefore, we know
it is God's will
men on earth,
should praise Mary

Hail Mary...



Fourth:

Mary said,
all generations 
shall call me blessed

Because
Scripture commands
us to praise Mary saying:

Luke 1:
48 .... from henceforth
all generations
shall call me blessed.

Hail Mary...



Fifth:

Elizabeth said
whence is this to me,
 that the mother of my Lord
should come to me?

Because Scripture says
She is the Mother of God:

In Scripture,
 inspired by the Holy Spirit,
St. Elizabeth calls her
"mother of my Lord"
which means
"Mother of my God".

Luke 1:
 [43] And whence is this to me,
 that the mother of my Lord
should come to me?

Hail Mary...



Sixth:
From the Cross
Jesus said
Behold thy mother.

John 19:
[27]
After that, he saith to the disciple:
Behold thy mother.
And from that hour,
the disciple
took her to his own.

From the Cross,
Jesus Christ gave her
to the beloved disciple.
We are
beloved disciples,
therefore,
we take Mary
to our own.

Hail Mary...

Seventh:

From the Cross
Jesus said to Mary,
Behold thy Son.

John 19:
26 When Jesus therefore
saw his mother,
and the disciple standing by,
whom he loved,
he saith unto his mother,
Woman, behold thy son!

From the Cross,
Jesus Christ gave to Mary
 the beloved disciple
to be her son.
We are
beloved disciples,
therefore,
we are Mary's
sons.

Hail Mary...

Eighth:

All who keep 

the Commandments

and the Gospel

are Mary's children

Revelation 12:17
And the dragon
was wroth with the woman,
and went to make war
with the remnant of her seed,
which keep the commandments of God,
and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

We, who keep
the Word of God
are her seed.

Hail Mary...

Ninth:

Even Jesus Christ
God, second Person 
of the Holy Trinity
 was subject to Mary:

Luke 2:
[51] And he went down with them,
and came to Nazareth,
and was subject to them.
And his mother
kept all these words in her heart.
 [52] And Jesus
advanced in wisdom,
and age,
and grace
with God and men.

If God humbled
himself before Mary
who are we
not to do so?

Hail Mary...



Tenth:

The Mother of a King
Is a Queen:

Rev 12:
[1] And a great sign appeared in heaven:
A woman clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars:

Mary,
Mother of Jesus Christ,
the King of Heaven,
is
Queen of Heaven

Hail Mary...



On the next big bead

We pray to Mary
because Scripture
reveals it is God's will
that we do so.

Glory Be...

 **************************************************************

To conclude:

HAIL, HOLY QUEEN, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope!
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve;
 to thee do we send up our sighs,
 mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
 and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
 O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be made worthy
 of the promises of Christ.

On the Crucifix,
end with  the Sign of the Cross:

**********************

If you found this helpful,

please share with others

see also:

Joyful Mysteries 

Sorrowful Mysteries

Glorious Mysteries

Luminous Mysteries

Divine Mercy

Learning Rosary -  Catechism


Prayer Menu

The Sign of the Cross, do you pray it?

John 3 16
For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.

The Sign of the Cross has been an icon of Christian worship for many centuries. In the Catholic Church, we pray it thus:

We place our thumb on our forehead and say, "In the name of the Father,"

Then on our heart and say, "and of the son"

Then on our left shoulder and right shoulder and say, "and of the Holy Spirit"

Amen.

We begin and end our prayers with the sign of the Cross and it is a quick blessing which we use to remind us of the presence of God in our lives during any stressful period.

We believe this is from Scripture:

Ezechiel 9
4 And the Lord said to him: Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem: and mark Thau upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and mourn for all the abominations that are committed in the midst thereof.....6 Utterly destroy old and young, maidens, children and women: but upon whomsoever you shall see Thau, kill him not, and begin ye at my sanctuary. So they began at the ancient men who mere before the house.

1 Corinthians 1
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews indeed a stumblingblock, and unto the Gentiles foolishness:

I know that I've seen Baptist mothers, well one anyway, trace her fingers on a child's forehead in the sign of a cross.

Do any of you also practice making the sign of the Cross? If so, why? If not, why not?

See also, "why do they wave their hands?"

Sincerely,

De Maria

Why do they wave their hands in front of their face?

About ten years ago, more like 12, I had just been hired with the Company I work for today.  As I got off the bus to go to my first project, I saw three fellows, one waving his hands in front of his face and making all kinds of sarcastic remarks.  I was curious to hear what he was saying, because I suspected he was making fun of Catholics and the Sign of the Cross.

I was right.  Two of my fellow employees, Catholics, had been accosted by an Evangelical and were being subjected to a tirade against "mindless" Catholic rituals.  As I approached, I innocently asked what they were talking about.  The Evangelical responded, "I was telling these guys about those @#$$ Catholics, with their mindless rituals."  I said, "I'm a Catholic, to which rituals do you refer?"

He was a bit surprised, but he gathered himself and waved his hands in front of his face again, then he said, "Why do they dip their hands in water and then wet their faces?   And why do they drop to the ground before they sit down in a pew?  And..."   I interrupted him, "Whoa, let's take things one at a time.  Those two questions are easy.  First, we dip our hands in Holy Water and make the sign of the Cross on our face and shoulders because we remember our Baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We "genuflect", that means touch our knee to the ground, and we kneel to pray when we go before the Altar because we want to be humble before God.  Scripture says, "he who exalts himself will be humbled, he who humbles himself will be exalted.  Therefore, we humble ourselves before God."

"Do you have anymore questions?"  He looked surprised, but he answered, "Yeah, why do they wave their hands in front of their face like they're swatting away flies?"  "Hm?  That's got me a bit stumped.  I've never seen any Catholic do that.  Unless you're talking about the Triple Cross which we pray  before the Gospel, is this it?" And I traced a cross with my thumb on my forehead and said, "That the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ always remain on my mind";  then I traced a cross on my lips and said and continued, "and on my lips"; then I traced a cross on my heart and said, "and in my heart.  That's what we pray before we listen to the Gospel."

For some reason, he wasn't too happy that I answered his questions.  He stormed off in a huff.  I turned to the other guys and asked, "who was that guy?"  "Oh, that was your Foreman.  I guess we know who's got all the fun jobs today."  And they walked off laughing.

Thanks to God, they were wrong.  He wasn't my foreman.

See also, Sign of the Cross.

Sincerely,

De Maria