Questions? Need help placing your order?
Email support@wordonfire.org or call 866-928-1237
Questions? Need help placing your order?
Email us at support@wordonfire.org or call 866-928-1237.
An ancient prayer that bears great spiritual power
Word on Fire | January 4th, 2023
Paperback | 110 Pages | 5" x 7"
The sign of the cross finds its roots in the earliest centuries of the Church and is used today by millions of Christians worldwide. But it is all too easy to make this sign in a routine and superficial way at the beginning and end of a prayer, failing to recognize its true significance.
In The Sign of the Cross: Recovering the Power of the Ancient Prayer, Bert Ghezzi reminds us that the sign of the cross is a prayer in itself. This simple but profound gesture, Ghezzi affirms, opens us to God, renews our Baptism, and acts as a mark of Christian discipleship, one that repels the devil and helps us to resist our self-indulgence and tendency toward sin.
An Ancient Prayer That Bears Great Spiritual Power
Word on Fire | January 4th, 2023
Paperback | 110 Pages | 5" x 7"
The Sign of the Cross finds its roots in the earliest centuries of the Church and is used today by millions of Christians worldwide. But it is all too easy to make this sign in a routine and superficial way at the beginning and end of a prayer, failing to recognize its true significance.
In The Sign of the Cross: Recovering the Power of the Ancient Prayer, Bert Ghezzi reminds us that the sign of the cross is a prayer in itself. This simple but profound gesture, Ghezzi affirms, opens us to God, renews our Baptism, and acts as a mark of Christian discipleship, one that repels the devil and helps us to resist our self-indulgence and tendency toward sin.
What People are Saying
“A helpful handbook for readers eager to explore their own spiritual practice more deeply. Readers already interested in the subject, particularly those from liturgical traditions, will find Ghezzi’s combination of biblical scholarship, Church tradition, and common sense both informative and appealing.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Using Scripture, Church teachings, and his own prayer life, Ghezzi describes how the sign of the cross offers an opening to God, a renewal of Baptism, a mark of discipleship, an acceptance of suffering, a defense against the devil, and a victory over self-indulgence.”
— Notre Dame Magazine
“In this helpful resource, Bert Ghezzi, a Catholic writer, discusses the meaning of making the sign of the cross according to Scripture, Church teaching, the writings of the Church Fathers, the testimony of the saints, theology books, and his own personal experience.”
— Spirituality and Health
“One of the reasons why Infinite Wisdom has chosen theCross is because a slight motion of the hand is sufficient to
trace upon us the instrument of the divine torture: bright
and powerful Sign, which teaches us all that we have to
know, and serves as a buckler against our enemies.”
— ST. ALCUIN OF YORK (735–804)
“One of the reasons why Infinite Wisdom has chosen the Cross is because a slight motion of the hand is sufficient to trace upon us the instrument of the divine torture: bright and powerful Sign, which teaches us all that we have to know, and serves as a buckler against our enemies.”
— ST. ALCUIN OF YORK (735–804)
About the Author
Bert Ghezzi is a popular author and speaker. He has written twenty books, including Voices of the Saints, Mystics and Miracles, and, most recently, Prayers to the Holy Spirit and The Power of Daily Mass. Hundreds of Bert’s articles have appeared in the Catholic and religious press. Bert has seven adult children and seventeen grandchildren. He is an active member of St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church and lives near the church in Altamonte Springs, Florida.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE - Recovering the Power of the Ancient Sign
CHAPTER TWO - A Short History of the Sign of the Cross
CHAPTER THREE - An Opening to God
CHAPTER FOUR - A Renewal of Baptism
CHAPTER FIVE - A Mark of Discipleship
CHAPTER SIX - An Acceptance of Suffering
CHAPTER SEVEN - A Defense Against the Devil
CHAPTER EIGHT - A Victory Over Self-Indulgence
CONCLUSION - Graces and Choices
BIBLIOGRAPHY
NOTES
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML