The Sign of the Cross

Homily for the Ascension of the Lord, Year A
Acts 1.1-11 Psalm 47 Ephesians 1.17-23 Matthew 28.16-20

Click here to listen to or download an audio (mp3) file of this homily.

This homily is part of an occasional series of liturgical catechesis in preparation for the implementation of the English translation of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal.

When we walk into a church and use holy water to mark ourselves with the sign of the cross, we’re supposed to remember that we have been baptized – each of us, individually. And then when the Mass begins and the priest leads the assembly in making the sign of the cross, he uses the name of God in which we were baptized – the formula Jesus himself gave us as he ascended into heaven – the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And once again, we’re supposed to think about baptism.