The San Francisco call., 1896-11-09
THE SIGN OF THE CROSS,
Interesting Sermon on It by the
Paulist Fathers at st.
Mary's.
Explanation of a Pious Catholic Gus.
tom Which is Held by Many to
Be an Enemy of Evil.

An interesting ''fve- minutes sermon
was preached at the morning masses IN
st. Mary's Church. California and Dupont
streets, by the Paulist fathers as follows
on the text in the Epistle: .All whatso-
ever ye do in word or in work, all things
do ye in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ"
''This was the custom of the early Chris
tians and they never began work without
invoking the Name of the Lord. under
whose protection they placed them selves.
For it was He who had commanded them,
II you love Ne keep My commandment ,
and they tried TO carry out His words by
bringing all their actions into harmony
with those commandments and by inyok-
ing His sacred Name upon them.
1.-The Name which Christ has taught His
disciples was the sacred Name OF the
Triune God. He told them to teach all
nations. bsptizing them in the Name of
the Father, and Of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost and it was under the invoca-
tion of this most holy Name that it be-
came customary from the very day of
Pentecost TO bless themselves, their pos
sessions, their actions, ana those things
which belong to their neighbors.
THE most poorly instructed Catholic
kuOhS now W DltSS nlIuSell. IL am Oh 2
| the tirst OF the divine things that the
| mother teaches to her infant and it is the
| last thing which bad Catholic ever for
| gets When the hand is placed on the
| forehead, the breast, the left shoulder and
| the right, and the lips pronounce. In the
name of the Father, and OF the Son. and
| of the Holy Ghost, Amen the person
who does this is blessing himself in ac-
cordance with the precept laid down in
| the Epistle of to-day, All things do We in
the name OF the Lord Jesus Christ He
is calling on the Most Holy Trinity whom
Jesus Christ taught TO protect him, to
| guide him, to strengthen him and 10 re-
| ceive him at the hour OF his greatest need.
he IS moreover protesting his belief in
that doctrine and bearing witness that he
| is ready to hold it firmly as the essence OF
the Catholic faith which alone is able 10
| save his soul.
III every one who names this divine
name were to carry. out the injunction OF
| the apostle what a verT different state OF
affairs We should see on the face of the
earth. Men beginning their every deed in
the name OF Christ would be exceedingly
/ careful what those actions would be.
| Now many an evil deed could be avoided
]. ii this was only universal custom. How
| many an uncharita ble conversation could
be left unuttered if every word was meas
| ured by that holy name OF Christ. How
the evil thoughts which are so easily con.
ceived in the mind would be bani>hed and
put to flight if at the first moment when
they come the sacred name of Jesus were
invoked.
1.-The. sign of the holy cross is one of the
! most potent enemies of evil, either in
thought, word or deed. 1t is powerful to
| drive away not only temptation but sin
itself. 1t put to flight those hosts of evil
and fallen spirits who have our damna.
ton ut heart and who are ever about u:
10 help us On IN the ways of sin and wick.
edness. 1t is great aid to us to help u.
to persevere in the right and holy way O.
life.
'One of the first things that we do wher
we arise in the morning is TO bless our.
selves. Let this sign of the cross follow
US all day long; and let It not be the frs
and the last time, either. When we are
at work let it precede our every action, by
making it on the forehead or the hear
that it may not provoke any b!asphemou:
remark from unbelievers, and we shall be
surprised to find what a difference viii
come over our daily lives"