I wear a gold cross on a chain around my neck. I have for as long as I can remember. Recently, a friend asked me why.
“My grandparents bought it for me when I was really little,” I replied. “And my grandmother had a really big impact on my faith.”
My friend nodded. “So it’s a family history thing. You’re not trying to say anything with it.”
I thought for a moment. My friend seemed to be driving at something. Was I hiding my faith?
I do keep the cross tucked into my shirt. Aside from the gold chain poking out around my neckline, it’s not really noticeable. My daughters have asked me about this; they don’t understand why I’d wear a necklace only to keep it hidden.
“That’s not entirely true,” I said finally. “I mean, at the pool or the beach it’s pretty visible. I only ever take it off if I’m going on a run or something.”
My friend still seemed unsatisfied with my answer. “So it’s a little bit of family history and a little bit of a reminder of your faith. Do you feel anything when you touch it? Does it remind you to pray or something?”
He really had me thinking now. I knew at a gut level that the cross around my neck was not a showy thing, it was not a subtle attempt to convert people, and it wasn’t just a family heirloom. But I wasn’t going to lie and pretend it was some great manifestation of piety: Oh, yes, every time I feel the chain brush up against my neck, I offer a Rosary for the poor. Wouldn’t I be a real hero if that were true? But it’s not.
“When I do any sort of workout,” I said slowly, “I take off my wedding ring and my cross. Then after I shower, I put them back on. And I guess…” I was grasping for the words. My friend looked at me encouragingly. “Well, in some way, putting those two items back on is a reminder of things that matter. My family. My faith. It’s like a ritual.”
I raised my hands as though to protest whatever he was going to say next. “But it didn’t start that way. I don’t want you to think I’m holier than I am.”
My friend nodded, smiled, and said, “Sometimes I think the natural discovery of ritual is even more important. The things we do again and again reveal meaning that we didn’t even know was there.”
I like that and have been thinking about it a lot lately. There’s no false show of piety or forced meaning, just the natural unfolding of life. God reveals Godself through our daily rhythms and rituals.
As symbols, my wedding ring and the cross around my neck are loaded with real meaning. They evoke and are sustained by a sacramental imagination that insists God speaks to us through the stuff of our lives and world.
But what my friend helped me to see is that it’s not up to me if God speaks through these simple items. God is speaking all the while, whether I listen or not. I don’t need to impose my own meaning or wrestle my own messages from these little objects; I simply need to observe God’s Spirit unfolding in and through the natural rhythms of my life.
When I put on that cross, I think of my grandparents and of a faith that has nourished me since childhood. I think of what God is doing now, in me, in this moment and the next. And most importantly, I realize I don’t actually have to think about anything at all; I just need to let God be God.
That’s the real point of the cross around my neck. At least, it is now.
Here’s a fair answer imho:-
✝️ 1. Wearing a cross is a beautiful, traditional Catholic practice
• The cross (or crucifix) is a sign of faith, hope, and Christ’s love — not a fashion accessory, though it can be worn gracefully.
• Catholics wear it as a quiet reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice and a personal sign of belonging to Him.
• The Catechism doesn’t require or forbid wearing it — it’s a personal devotional choice, not an obligation.
So I guess it’s perfectly right and spiritually sound to wear your cross around your neck if it helps you remember and honour your faith.
⸻
🙏 2. The question of “hiding” it
Jesus said:
“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32)
That doesn’t mean you must flaunt it or wear it for show — humility is also a virtue — but deliberately hiding it out of fear or embarrassment can trouble the conscience, because it suggests discomfort with one’s faith.
If, however, you tuck it under your shirt for practical reasons (e.g., at work, for safety, or simplicity), that’s entirely fine — God sees your heart.
What matters is why you’re hiding it:
Reason Spiritually acceptable?
Modesty or safety ✅ Yes
Dress code or uniform ✅ Yes
Embarrassment or fear of ridicule ⚠️ Pray for courage, don’t be ashamed
Desire to show off religious superiority ❌ Pride, not faith
💬 3. The inner meaning matters more
A visible cross is powerful, but the greater sign of faith is how you live: honesty, mercy, patience, kindness.
As St Francis of Assisi said:
“Preach the Gospel at all times — if necessary, use words.”
If wearing your cross strengthens you in that daily witness, wear it openly and with quiet dignity.
❤️ 4. A simple prayer before putting it on
“Lord Jesus Christ, may this cross I wear remind me of Your love,
strengthen me in faith, and help me live according to Your will. Amen.”
⸻
✅ In summary:
• Yes, Catholics may and often should wear a cross — it’s a beautiful witness.
• It’s fine to keep it under clothing for practical or modest reasons.
• What matters is that your faith is not hidden in your heart, even if the cross sometimes is.
God Bless
Thanks Eric. Grandparents inherit long lasting traditions from their parents, grandparents and great grandparents. They try to pass on such faith sustaining traditions to their children and grandchildren. It is not always easy to start a new tradition. Wearing a cross round the neck or a scapular are time-tested practices in several families out here in our part of the world.
It always surprises me, but on a fairly regular basis, someone in a store will say, “I like your necklace.” Sometimes I merely say thanks as they move on but other times it evokes a conversation. People notice more than we realize. But, why do I wear it? First of all, it reminds me how much I am loved. His banner over me is love. Sometimes I just reach up and touch it as a way of silently saying I love you back. If the day calls for sacrifice, it puts things in perspective as my greatest sacrifice is very minimal compared to what has been given for me. My cross is a silent witness that I strive to live up to. It is the only necklace I ever wear and only take it off if I’m having surgery and they make me.
From the time I was little I have worn my cross under my shirts and blouses. My mother, who never left her Greek Orthodox roots behind and brought that sensibility to Catholicism, told me my cross belonged against my skin. She told me, in no uncertain terms, that people would know that I was doing God’s work by what I said and what I did, not by wearing my cross on the outside. I am 78 and still wear my cross unseen. Makes perfect sense to me.
William J. Toms said “Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.” I think about the truth in his statement as I wear my own cross necklace. It reminds me to stay in the lane Christ has paved for me and I hope if anyone notices the cross it might give them pause for thought should I be doing anything of use for them or another. I also hope I don’t fall too short of the mark while wearing it and bring disgrace upon my Lord. Mine is a Celtic cross, a tribute to my ancestors who worked so hard for their future generations.
I wear a ring that a friend gave me that is a cut-out band of small crosses. Thanks, Eric. Now I know why I feel incomplete when it’s not on my hand.
I really resonated with this article. So many things spoke to me in your writing, esp. “God reveals Godself through daily rituals and rhythms”, and your friends statement of “sometimes I think the natural discovery of rhythms…..”. I will look at my day this morning quite differently now. Thank you Eric!