I often wondered why we begin and end our prayers with the sign of the cross and by saying, “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”. So, in case this is a wonder to you, too, my family and friends, let me offer up this explanation that I found in the CCC.
The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross: “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior’s grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.
The Second Commandment, CCC 2157
We are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, so I believe that beginning our day, prayers and activities is a reminder for each of us to remember our identity as Catholics every moment, of every day.
Likewise, when we do something, like praying, in the name of the holy Trinity, it takes on special significance. We are no longer doing something to please ourselves. We are likely to pay special attention to what we do if we do it in God’s name. That just makes sense to me.
I know for me, when I represent someone else, while doing an act, I am always more attentive to the thing I am doing since it is not my name on the line but the other person’s. Of course, we do not have the power to bind God to anything, but we can still benefit from paying more attention to the thing we do by doing it to praise God.
Pray with Dad 