bless oneself

Verb

bless oneself (third-person singular simple present blesses oneself, present participle blessing oneself, simple past and past participle blessed oneself)

1. To make the sign of the cross.
   • They had an ornate ritual ; they professed to believe in the Real Presence ; genuflected and blessed themselves on entering church ; reserved what they called the Blessed Sacrament in a side chapel, and made visits and paid reverence to it.1892, Donahoe's Magazine, page 1
   • The shepherd blessed himself. And then he blessed himself again for good measure. He placed a hand on either side of the pillar and then threw it into the air.2011, Joe Hayes, The Coyote Under the Table, Cinco Puntos Press, →ISBN, page 112

   Synonyms:

   cross oneself

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bless, oneself.
   • Who can tell how widely you might bless others, while you were laboring to bless yourselves?1849, Rhode Island Institute of Instruction, Journal, page 414
   • Bless yourself today with the gift of forgiveness. Take advantage of the gift of today's new mercy that God offers you.2014, Dr. Gwendolyn Pettway, DCC, FRESH BEGINNINGS: The Breakthrough Devotional for Emotional Healing, Outskirts Press, →ISBN, page 12