Why do catholics bless themselves,or make the sign of the cross?
Not just Catholics but lots of other Christians make the sign of the cross. Some Christians make the sign of a fish – St Peter, the fisherman. Making the sign of the cross over the chest is called genuflection and is a sign to others that we are in the presence of a Christian or other Christians. Genuflection or Genflexion Genuflection (or genuflexion) (Latin genuflexio “bending of the knee”) is an act of reverence in Christianity, consisting of bending onto (usually) one knee. Today the term is used mostly in the Latin rite of the Catholic Church. The faithful who pass before the presence of the Blessed Sacrament (generally reserved in the tabernacle) are expected to genuflect on the right knee as a sign of devotion. If the Eucharist is exposed in a monstrance or ciborium placed on an altar for a service of devotion, one may genuflect on both knees (called a “double genuflection”). Formerly, and according to the rubrics in force under the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the doub
