Our Faith
Solemnities are the celebrations of greatest importance. These include Easter, Pentecost and the Immaculate Conception; the principal titles of Our Lord, such as King and Sacred Heart; and celebrations that honor some saints of particular importance in salvation history, such as Sts. Peter and Paul, and the birth of St. John the Baptist.
Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation are always considered solemnities. Other examples of solemnities include the Solemnity of St. Joseph (March 19), and the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (the Friday after the Feast of Corpus Christi). Some solemnities are also holy days of obligation: these vary from country to country.
Feasts are of second importance in the liturgical calendar and are celebrated on a particular day. Feasts honour a mystery or title of the Lord, of Our Lady, or of saints of particular importance (such as the apostles and Evangelists) or somebody of historical importance such as the deacon St. Lawrence.
Next in line are memorials, which commemorate a saint or saints. These may be obligatory (which must be observed) or optional (which do not have to be observed). For example, the memorial of St. John Bosco (January 31) is obligatory while the memorial of St. Blase (February 3) is optional.
Only the memorials of those saints who are of "universal significance" are observed by the whole Church and marked in the general liturgical calendar. Particular churches, countries, or religious communities may also celebrate the memorials of other saints of "special significance" in accord with their special devotions. For example, St. Patrickœs Day is celebrated as a solemnity in Ireland.
The celebration of memorials is also governed by the liturgical season. For instance, obligatory memorials occurring in Lent are celebrated as optional memorials.
Epiphany,
St. Joseph,
Annunciation,
Easter,
Ascension,
Pentecost,
Trinity Sunday,
Corpus Christi,
Sacred Heart,
Nativity of St. John the Baptist,
St. Peter and Paul,
Assumption of Mary,
All Saints,
Christ the King,
Immaculate Conception of Mary,
and Christmas
When we make this sign we affirm our faith in Christ crucified and ask for His blessing and protection. It is also a gesture of reverence to the Blessed Sacrament.
Making the sign of the cross is probably derived from Ezekiel's prophetic vision of judgment, in which the Lord commands that a 'mark be set upon the foreheads' of the Israelites who cry out against the evil which surrounds them, so that by this mark God's people were identified as belonging to Him and saved from annihilation (Ezekiel: 9:4-6). Other biblical references to 'sealing' God's people with a sign on their heads are found in the Apocalypse (Revelations) 7:4, 9:4
The sign of the Cross was in general by the second century. Tertullian recounts that 'in all our travels in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross.' This sacramental 'mark' is important to Catholics to this day. We are anointed, at baptism and at confirmation, by the priest making the sign of the cross on our foreheads with the Oil of Chrism (the oil blessed by bishops at the Mass of Chrism on Holy Thursday). The sign and the chrism are is also used at the ordination of a priest or bishop. In administering the sacrament of the sick the priest anoints the person with the sign of the cross made with blessed oil. Also, on Ash Wednesday, our foreheads are marked by the priest with the sign of the cross made with blessed palm ashes.
There are two forms of the Sign of the Cross: The Great Sign of the Cross: (This is the one most people think of, and the one people use most often.) A cross is traced with the right hand, touching the forehead, the chest, then the left and right shoulder. [In Orthodox churches, from right to left.] The Doxology is said aloud or silently as the sign is made.
The Little Sign of the Cross: A cross is made on the forehead with the thumb or index finger (this form is used by the priest when anointing or administering ashes). Or a cross is traced with the thumb on one's own head, lips and heart, a gesture which asks Christ to instruct our minds, aid us in our witness, and renew our hearts. (This sign is made at the reading of the Gospel by both priest and people.)
Another form of the sign of the cross is made by the priest several times during the celebration of Mass and when he grants absolution and gives other priestly blessings, by making an invisible cross with the the first two fingers and thumb of his right hand extended. A similar gesture of blessing is made when a priest blesses religious objects (these objects used in worship are also called sacramentals), such as rosaries, medals, vestments and articles used used in connection with Mass.
One way to help increase children's reverence and love for Christ and his cross is to introduce them to traditional Christian symbols. Help them draw several kinds of crosses in addition to the Crucifix (with Christ's body, or 'corpus') -- such as the Chi Rho, the first two Greek letters in 'Christ' (looks like a capital P with an X through the elongated tail ), the Latin Cross, the Jerusalem Cross, the Greek Cross, the St. Andrew Cross (an X shape). You might look for various types of crosses in churches, on vestments, and in other places.
