The Trinity and the Sign of the Cross

Today is the beautiful Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I woke up this morning thinking of Isaiah 52:7: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, 'Your God is King!'" That's what Our Lady did, and that's what I want to do, how I want to be: a bringer of Good News ... a virgin with child ... a holy temple of the Lord ... a chalice and a monstrance ... a living sacrifice of praise ... for You, dear Lord, all for YOU! and by Your divine grace and with the help of Your dear mother, please make it so! More thoughts on Our Lady's Visitation later ... for now I am savoring this excerpt from our Holy Father's Angelus message from yesterday's Solemnity of the Holy Trinity.

The divine Trinity, in fact, comes to dwell in us on the day of baptism: "I baptize you," the minister says, "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." We recall the name of God in which we were baptized every time that we make the sign of the cross. In regard to the sign of the cross the theologian Romano Guardini observes: "We do it before prayer so that we put ourselves spiritually in order; it focuses our thoughts, heart and will on God. We do it after prayer, so that what God has granted us remains in us. It embraces all our being, body and soul, and every becomes consecrated in the name of the one and triune God."

…Invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first creature in whom the Most Holy Trinity dwelled fully, let us ask her protection to journey well on our earthly pilgrimage.

~Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus of Trinity Sunday, 5/30/10