The Sign of the Cross

Introduction

Watch a six-minute video from Rocko's Music Factory: "The Sign of the Cross".

Activity 1

Read through Part 8 of St. Patrick's Breastplate: 
Crìosda leam / Christ with me
Crìosda romham / Christ before me
Crìosda na mo dhèidh / Christ behind me
Crìosda annam / Christ within me
Crìosda fodham / Christ beneath me
Crìosda tharam / Christ above me
Crìosda air deas orm / Christ at my right
Crìosda air tuath orm / Christ at my left

Then, taking an icon of Christ, act it out: move the icon in front of, behind, to the left to the right, et cetera, as you read out the poem. For "Christ within me", do not swallow the icon; hold it between arms and chest, or bend over around it.

Activity 2

Practice making the sign of the cross. Make sure to imagine it as two lines across your body, rather than four points.

Discuss and practice the hand shape: three fingers for the Trinity and two pointing down for Christ's two natures. Really, making the sign of the cross is like a mini version of Patrick's Verse 8.

Lunch Snack

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Activity 3

Make a Sign of the Cross pop-stick necklace, with numbers to remind you which order to make the points in. Wear it on your chest like a pectoral cross - or like St. Patrick's breast-plate.

Activity 4

Learn to sing "Dia air mo chulaibh" to the tune of "Be thou my vision".