Cross
An early catechetical tool used to affirm the Trinity is that of crossing oneself. The placement of the fingers along with the prayer often said (“in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”) are a declaration of doctrine of the Trinity.
From its earliest days, crossing oneself was a physical prayer, a reminder of being set apart, walking in and under Christ’s cross - it’s a tangible reminder that we are people who love and worship a triune God.
There are numerous appropriate ways to cross yourself. But for teaching and reminding purposes, I’m only going to give you one: when you cross yourself, you place your thumb, index, and middle finger together to represent the Trinity. Your ring and pinky finger touch your palm to represent the two natures of Christ – fully God and fully man. To cross yourself, start at your forehead, move down to your sternum, then across to your left shoulder, across to your right shoulder, and back to the center.
