Sign of Love

sign of love

"As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." Colossians 3:12,14

My husband and I, who are converts to Catholicism, recently witnessed a Catholic baptism for the first time. I had witnessed infants being baptized in my former church and although I had always considered it a beautiful moment, something about this Catholic baptism profoundly touched me. When the priest addressed the godparents, he encouraged them to make the sign of the cross on the child's forehead whenever they saw her. The sign would mark the child as the Lord’s and invoke his presence in her life and remind the godparent of his or her duty to ensure that the child grows up knowing the Lord.

Later that evening, my husband and I discussed how the baptism inspired us. We wondered if it would also be appropriate to make the sign of the cross on each other’s foreheads for the same reason the priest told the godparents to perform the ritual on the child’s forehead. Following a little research, we decided to incorporate the sign of the cross into our prayers lives as a couple rather than just as individuals.

So, for the last few weeks, before we get up in the morning and before we go to sleep at night, we make the sign of the cross on each other’s foreheads. In doing this, we remind ourselves that we have a duty to each other, as the godparent does to the child, to help each other grow in holiness and eventually see Jesus face to face. It also reminds us first and foremost we are the Lord’s, not each other’s and when we acknowledge this, it is easier to live in harmony with God. When we make the sign of the cross over our bodies and our loved ones, let us ask the Lord to clothe us in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, which is exactly what Jesus was clothed in when he made his sign of love on the Cross.

How the baptism inspired us on the #BISblog.Click to tweet

photo by Jenna Wilber

Bond is a Southwest Virginia native currently living in Cullowhee, North Carolina where her husband, Reece, plays collegiate baseball. She enjoys studying theology and history, traveling, and grocery shopping dates with Reece at Whole Foods.