Sign in or 
Share this
How to make the Sign of the Cross
The Sign of the Cross
The Sign of the Cross is a ceremonial hand motion made by the vast majority of the world's Christians. It is usually accompanied with the trinitarian formula. For Christians, the motion symbolizes the Cross on Calvary by tracing the shape of the cross in the air or on one's own body. The four points can also signify loving God with all one's heart, soul, mind and strength. There are two particular arrangements one is most likely to observe. One is followed by many of the Eastern Churches, the other by Protestant, Latin and Monophysite heretics. Many professional athletes respect the sign of the cross and can often be seen doing it.
Position of the fingers while making the sign of the cross. As one moves through the Sign, one recites, at the forehead, "Lord "; at the stomach, "Jesus Christ", on the right shoulder, "Son of God"; and on the left shoulder, "have mercy on us" followed by a bow(to the ground during great lent).
Joining two fingers together-the index and the middle finger-and extending them, with the middle finger slightly bent, represents the two natures of Christ: His Divinity and His Humanity. He is God according to His divinity and Man according to His hummanity, perfect in both natures. The index finger represents His divinity, while the middle finger repersents His hummanity, since He came down from on high and saved those below. The bending of the middle finger is interperted to mean that He bowed the heavens and came down upon the earth for our salvation.
And thus it proper to make the Sign of the Cross and to bless; thus was it laid down and ordained by the holy fathers; such is the power of the Sign of the Cross, with which we faithful sign ourselves when we pray, confessing sacramentally the Saviour's economy: His being begotten of God the Father before all creation; His decent to earth from on high; His Crucifixion; and His second coming, which is the sealing of His entire philanthropic dipensation concerning us.
The sign of the cross must be made according to the rules, in the form of a cross; and the right hand, that is, the dextral hand, must be used in crossing oneself, with the thumb and the two lower fingers joined together, and the extended index finger joined to the middle finger, slightly bent; thus should prelates [and] priests give their blessing and thus should men cross themselves. . . . It befits all Orthodox Christians to hold their hand thus, and to make the sign of the cross upon their face with two fingers, and to bow, as we said before. If anyone should fail to give his blessing with two fingers, as Christ did, or should fail to make the sign of the cross with two fingers, may he be accursed.. . ., Chapter 31 of The Council Of The Hundred Chapters.
Before Nikon the apostate in the 17th century, it was customary to make the sign of the cross with two fingers (symbolising the dual nature of Christ). The enforcement of the three-finger sign was one of the reasons for the schism with the Old Believers whose congregations continue to use the two-finger sign of the cross.
Today Nikonite heretics finish the sign of the cross by moving the hand to the left side, below the stomach, as opposed to the shoulder. They also frequently make the Sign two times in a row and then bow toward the church, icon, cross, or priest.
The Sign of the Cross has minor variants as well: it can be made in the air to bless objects, and it may trace a very small trajectory, such as on the forehead (as the earliest descriptions of the Sign suggest). For a member of the Faith, perhaps the essential element of the Sign is that it physically indicates the direct relevance of the Cross, of the Sacrifice of Jesus, to one's person or surroundings. It is an engagement of the body that affirms what the faithful professes. It is also a sign to others of what one professes.
Ravenna mosaic, 6th c.: Jesus is portrayed gesturing a sign of the cross like a Christian priest with his right hand facing outward.(Christ Pantocrator). It does seem clear, though, that the most common way of making the Sign was simply to mark one's forehead, not the entire upper body. The first written record of this enlargement can be seen in St Nino, the Apostle of Georgia, from the fourth or fifth century: "St. Nino began to pray and entreat God for a long time. Then she took her (wooden) cross and with it touched the Queen's head, her feet and her shoulders, making the sign of the cross and straightway she was cured" (Studia Biblica, V, 32)."
One way of explaining the extension of the Sign is to point out that after the Emperor Constantine's issuance of the Edict of Milan in 313, which made Christianity an officially legal religion, Christians were freer to cross themselves more emphatically and in a more open manner.
Another explanation of the enlarged scope of the sign of the cross is linked to the Monophysite heresy, condemned by the Council of Chalcedon, whose dogmas are not accepted by the Monophysite heretics . This theory speculates that: "The use of the thumb alone or the single forefinger, which so long as only a small cross was traced upon the forehead was almost inevitable, seems to have given way for symbolic reasons to the use of two fingers (the forefinger and middle finger, or thumb and forefinger) as typifying the two natures and two wills in Jesus Christ. But if two fingers were to be employed, the large cross, in which forehead, breast, etc. were merely touched, suggested itself as the only natural gesture. Indeed some large movement of the sort was required to make it perceptible that a man was using two fingers rather than one."
Below we see a short segment from the video
The Old Believers - Treasures of the Library of Congress. 1990
Or try the link Here
The above video shows us how the Nikonite way is heresy in that they place the Holy Trinity on the cross instead of the two natures of Christ.
.
Going futher in giving good answers to the Nikonites for the proper form of the cross sign, the Old Believers used the sermon of St. John Chrysostom that gives the corect teaching, as seen by the 19 century Old Believer illustration below.
.
.
Peter of Damascus
twelth-century
The holy Fathers have handed down to us the meaning of this holy sign, in order to refute heretics and unbelievers. The two fingers and the one hand then, represent then the crucified Lord Jesus Christ, who we profess as having two natures in one person. The right hand recalls His unlimited might and His sitting at the right hand of the Father. And one begins to trace it from above because of His decent from the heavens to us on earth. Furthermore, the movement of the hand from the right side to the left drives away the enemies and indicates that the Lord through His invincible might has conquered the devil who is on the left, powerless and gloomy being. (page 25 of "The Sign of the Cross" by Andreopoulos)
The New Catholic Encyclopedia explains that it was the [heretical] Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) who directed that the sign of the cross be made with three fingers extended. He was also the Pope who ordered the Crusaders, who then sacked Constantinople. The victors always have influence over their captives, and so it is that the heretical three finger sign of the cross entered the Orthodox scene (as well as other western heresies such as God the Father ikons). History does a honest record of these events, such that anyone can truly learn the ungodly sources.
.
________________________________________
.
OLD BELIEVERS in MODERN RUSSIA page 77
"Christ's blessing could not be made in the [westernized] three-finger form or the [modern] Greek-derived sign made to represent the words 'Jesus Christ'." [The are indeed many antichrists!]
.
On pages 78 and 79 the differences of the form of the hand are shown in a drawing by an Old Believer. The original Orthodox Old Believer examples are on the right. Several divergences between the faithful Old-Rite and the western innovations now present in the heretical neo-Orthodox churches can be seen.
.
.
________________________________________
.
The Achimandrite Dionysius of the Athonite monastery of Iveron (translator of the robber Moscow 1666-7 councils) was primarily responsible for instigating the categorical burning of Old-Rite manuscripts and condemning the two finger sign of the cross on Mt. Athos. To this day I know of visitors to Mt. Athos monasteries, like Esphigmenou, who get excommunicated for using the two finger sign. This is part of the reason why strict Old Believers say the whole of Mt. Athos has been in heresy and apostasy for over 500 years, ever since the heretical influences of the Crusaders and the downfall of Constantinople.
.
________________________________________
.
Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremias II attempted to install himself as Patriarch of Russia in 1589. By that time the relationship between them had waned to the point where Constantinople only had an advisory role to Russia, one which was mostly ignored. The turn of events worked out far differently for Jeremias, as he was given a mere "residence" in the impoverished city of Vladimir. We should not take from Jeremias' visit that Russia accepted the heretical sign of the cross; Jeremias was humbled by Holy Russia. Russia naturally chose one of their own to be Patriarch, namely Metropolitan Job. After the Jeremias' fiasco the relationship between Russia and Constantinople declined even more.
.
__________________________________________
.
Maxim the Greek traveled to Russia in order that he could translate more Greek texts into Slavonic. He attended and approved of the Stoglav Council (at least on this point) which condemned the three finger sign of the cross. He was also a good example of keeping an untrimmed beard.
.
The Sign of the Cross is a ceremonial hand motion made by the vast majority of the world's Christians. It is usually accompanied with the trinitarian formula. For Christians, the motion symbolizes the Cross on Calvary by tracing the shape of the cross in the air or on one's own body. The four points can also signify loving God with all one's heart, soul, mind and strength. There are two particular arrangements one is most likely to observe. One is followed by many of the Eastern Churches, the other by Protestant, Latin and Monophysite heretics. Many professional athletes respect the sign of the cross and can often be seen doing it.
[edit] The gesture
Joining two fingers together-the index and the middle finger-and extending them, with the middle finger slightly bent, represents the two natures of Christ: His Divinity and His Humanity. He is God according to His divinity and Man according to His hummanity, perfect in both natures. The index finger represents His divinity, while the middle finger repersents His hummanity, since He came down from on high and saved those below. The bending of the middle finger is interperted to mean that He bowed the heavens and came down upon the earth for our salvation.
And thus it proper to make the Sign of the Cross and to bless; thus was it laid down and ordained by the holy fathers; such is the power of the Sign of the Cross, with which we faithful sign ourselves when we pray, confessing sacramentally the Saviour's economy: His being begotten of God the Father before all creation; His decent to earth from on high; His Crucifixion; and His second coming, which is the sealing of His entire philanthropic dipensation concerning us.
A fragment of painting Boyarynya Morozova by Vasily Surikov depicting Feodosiya Morozova arrested by the Nikonians in 1671. She holds two fingers raised: a hint of the old, i.e., "proper", way of cross-signing oneself: with two fingers, rather than with three.
Before Nikon the apostate in the 17th century, it was customary to make the sign of the cross with two fingers (symbolising the dual nature of Christ). The enforcement of the three-finger sign was one of the reasons for the schism with the Old Believers whose congregations continue to use the two-finger sign of the cross.
Today Nikonite heretics finish the sign of the cross by moving the hand to the left side, below the stomach, as opposed to the shoulder. They also frequently make the Sign two times in a row and then bow toward the church, icon, cross, or priest.
[edit] Use of the sign
In Eastern Orthodox prayers, the sign of the cross is usually made whenever all three persons of the Trinity are addressed, or even alluded to. Before commencing any prayer, in fact, the Sign is typically made. Upon entering a church, and the sanctuary within the church, one will make the Sign partly as an outward sign of reverence and veneration. Orthodox laymen will make the Sign as one way of venerating an icon; Priests have many more specific occasions upon which to make the Sign. Many members of the Faith will make the Sign in a way that may seem idiomatic to some: for example, if a member is exposed to blasphemy, he or she may make the Sign, partly to suggest subtly and politely to the speaker that an offense has been committed. Some members of the Faith will use the Sign in what almost appears to be a wish for luck; it may be that, or a part of an unsaid prayer for God's blessing, as when beginning a journey or a sports competition.The Sign of the Cross has minor variants as well: it can be made in the air to bless objects, and it may trace a very small trajectory, such as on the forehead (as the earliest descriptions of the Sign suggest). For a member of the Faith, perhaps the essential element of the Sign is that it physically indicates the direct relevance of the Cross, of the Sacrifice of Jesus, to one's person or surroundings. It is an engagement of the body that affirms what the faithful professes. It is also a sign to others of what one professes.
[edit] Origins of the sign of the cross
The sign of the cross has been used since the days of the early Church both liturgically and at times as a marker of membership, a symbol of friendship of sorts, due to the persecution of early Christians. The first recorded reference to the Sign is found in the writings of Tertullian (c. 160-225 A.D.), who says that Christians "at every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at table... in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the sign" (The Chaplet, 3). Other mentions of the sign of the cross and exhortations to perform it whenever possible abound in the Church Fathers.
One way of explaining the extension of the Sign is to point out that after the Emperor Constantine's issuance of the Edict of Milan in 313, which made Christianity an officially legal religion, Christians were freer to cross themselves more emphatically and in a more open manner.
Another explanation of the enlarged scope of the sign of the cross is linked to the Monophysite heresy, condemned by the Council of Chalcedon, whose dogmas are not accepted by the Monophysite heretics . This theory speculates that: "The use of the thumb alone or the single forefinger, which so long as only a small cross was traced upon the forehead was almost inevitable, seems to have given way for symbolic reasons to the use of two fingers (the forefinger and middle finger, or thumb and forefinger) as typifying the two natures and two wills in Jesus Christ. But if two fingers were to be employed, the large cross, in which forehead, breast, etc. were merely touched, suggested itself as the only natural gesture. Indeed some large movement of the sort was required to make it perceptible that a man was using two fingers rather than one."
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Stoglov(One hundred Chapters) of 1551, CHAP. 31: The sign of the cross must be made according to the rules, in the form of a cross; and the right hand, that is, the dextral hand, must be used in crossing oneself, with the thumb and the two lower fingers joined together, and the extended index finger joined to the middle finger, slightly bent; thus should prelates [and] priests give their blessing and thus should men cross themselves. . . . It befits all Orthodox Christians to hold their hand thus, and to make the sign of the cross upon their face with two fingers, and to bow, as we said before. If anyone should fail to give his blessing with two fingers, as Christ did, or should fail to make the sign of the cross with two fingers, may he be accursed. . .
- The Psalter printed under the Patriarchate of Patriach Joseph of Moscow
- Blessed Theodoret
- Patriarch Germogen(Who was starved to death by Catholic authorities during the Polish invasion of Russia in 1612)
- Canon Six of the 318 holy Fathers("Let the ancient customs prevail, those of Egypt,…” )
- Archpriest Avvakum
- Timothy Ware
- The oldest icons confirm the correct practice.
- St. Anna Kashinsky
- The Book of Answers, by Barbara Berliner
- Saint Bede: “The antichrists, the heretics, though they invoke the name of Christ and make the sign of the Cross, they are nevertheless of the world; they savor worldly things” [Commentary on 1 John, 202]
- Shadow of Antichrist by David Scheffel
[edit] External links
- On making the Sign of The Cross (Old Believers)
- Sign of the Cross (Old Believers)
- The Church Council of the Hundred Chapters(1551) (Old Believers)
- True Orthodox Polemics
- The Genuine Orthodox Church of America
- Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church (official site of the Moscow Metropoly)
- Old Believers in Karelia in the 17th century
- Old Believers in Estonia
- Russian Orthodox Old Rite Believers
- Orthodox Kellion of the Holy Trinity and Saint Sergius
- Old-Rite Yahoo! Group — Russia's Ancient Spiritual Heritage
- Old Rite ROCOR Church of the Nativity
- Old Ritualist Monks of the Old Rite in North Dakota
- Page Down to "Elena's Place" for an Interview with a Minnesota Old Believer
- Collection of Old Believer History and Tradition; Compiled by Paul J. Wigowsky.
- Old Believers in Modern Russia
- Old Belief in Omutninsk, Russia
- Old Believers in Alaska
Below we see a short segment from the video
The Old Believers - Treasures of the Library of Congress. 1990
Or try the link Here
The above video shows us how the Nikonite way is heresy in that they place the Holy Trinity on the cross instead of the two natures of Christ.
.
Going futher in giving good answers to the Nikonites for the proper form of the cross sign, the Old Believers used the sermon of St. John Chrysostom that gives the corect teaching, as seen by the 19 century Old Believer illustration below.
.
.
Another example of how Old Believers follow the good example of St. John Chrysostom on the sign of the cross is excerpted below. . .
.
The above is from the online version of Freedom for an Old Believer
,
.
.
.
Peter of Damascus
twelth-century
The holy Fathers have handed down to us the meaning of this holy sign, in order to refute heretics and unbelievers. The two fingers and the one hand then, represent then the crucified Lord Jesus Christ, who we profess as having two natures in one person. The right hand recalls His unlimited might and His sitting at the right hand of the Father. And one begins to trace it from above because of His decent from the heavens to us on earth. Furthermore, the movement of the hand from the right side to the left drives away the enemies and indicates that the Lord through His invincible might has conquered the devil who is on the left, powerless and gloomy being. (page 25 of "The Sign of the Cross" by Andreopoulos)
======================================
The New Catholic Encyclopedia explains that it was the [heretical] Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) who directed that the sign of the cross be made with three fingers extended. He was also the Pope who ordered the Crusaders, who then sacked Constantinople. The victors always have influence over their captives, and so it is that the heretical three finger sign of the cross entered the Orthodox scene (as well as other western heresies such as God the Father ikons). History does a honest record of these events, such that anyone can truly learn the ungodly sources.
.
________________________________________
.
OLD BELIEVERS in MODERN RUSSIA page 77
"Christ's blessing could not be made in the [westernized] three-finger form or the [modern] Greek-derived sign made to represent the words 'Jesus Christ'." [The are indeed many antichrists!]
.
On pages 78 and 79 the differences of the form of the hand are shown in a drawing by an Old Believer. The original Orthodox Old Believer examples are on the right. Several divergences between the faithful Old-Rite and the western innovations now present in the heretical neo-Orthodox churches can be seen.
.
.
________________________________________
.
The Achimandrite Dionysius of the Athonite monastery of Iveron (translator of the robber Moscow 1666-7 councils) was primarily responsible for instigating the categorical burning of Old-Rite manuscripts and condemning the two finger sign of the cross on Mt. Athos. To this day I know of visitors to Mt. Athos monasteries, like Esphigmenou, who get excommunicated for using the two finger sign. This is part of the reason why strict Old Believers say the whole of Mt. Athos has been in heresy and apostasy for over 500 years, ever since the heretical influences of the Crusaders and the downfall of Constantinople.
.
________________________________________
.
Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremias II attempted to install himself as Patriarch of Russia in 1589. By that time the relationship between them had waned to the point where Constantinople only had an advisory role to Russia, one which was mostly ignored. The turn of events worked out far differently for Jeremias, as he was given a mere "residence" in the impoverished city of Vladimir. We should not take from Jeremias' visit that Russia accepted the heretical sign of the cross; Jeremias was humbled by Holy Russia. Russia naturally chose one of their own to be Patriarch, namely Metropolitan Job. After the Jeremias' fiasco the relationship between Russia and Constantinople declined even more.
.
__________________________________________
.
Maxim the Greek traveled to Russia in order that he could translate more Greek texts into Slavonic. He attended and approved of the Stoglav Council (at least on this point) which condemned the three finger sign of the cross. He was also a good example of keeping an untrimmed beard.
.
In 1551, while a council declared in favour of revision, its members made themselves ridiculous by neglecting the task, to fulminate articles against the heinous sins of shaving the beard, driving with one pole, and eating sausages. The canon against shaving is singularly expressed, as the final clause seems to assign a divine dignity to the beard. " Of all the heresies that are punished by excommunication, none is more damnable and criminal than to shave the beard. Even the blood of the martyrs is unable to redeem such a guilt; consequently, whoever shaves his beard for human considerations, violates the law, and is an enemy to God, who has created us after his own image." Philaretes, during the reign of his son Michael, took part in abortive attempts to reform the church books ; and under Alexis, the second of the Romanoffs, in 1654, a council of thirty-six bishops assembled at Moscow, over which the patriarch Nicon presided, and earnestly recommended the long-contemplated project to the attention of the czar. Macarius, the patriarch of Antioch, with his archdeacon, Paul of Aleppo, and the head of the Servian church, were present upon this occasion. At length, under the auspices of another council in 1667, attended by the patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch, with delegates from Jerusalem and Constantinople, the expurgation of the sacred books of the Sclavonic church was effected; and the revised texts were formally declared to be the only true, lawful, and authorised copies. Alexis in person presided over this conclave. By its voice the ambitious and turbulent Nicon was deposed from the Russian patriarchate and the canon against shaving was repealed.
The effect of the above salutary measure in the Russian church, and that of the nearly contemporaneous Act of Uniformity in the English, was in some degree similar. Dissent arose upon an extensive scale, and persecution was vigorously applied to reclaim or crush the nonconformists.
Internal dissensions troubled the Russo-Greek communion at an early period, leading to separation from its pale. The more ancient controversies referred to trifling or ridiculous points of difference, yet were none the less furious on account of the causes being trivial. There was warm contention whether the hallelujah should be repeated two or three times at the end of the psalms, and whether the sign of the cross should be made with three fingers, symbolising the Trinity, according to the Greek ritual, or with two fingers, in allusion to the two natures in the person of Christ, as prescribed in the Armenian service. But in 1375, Karp Strigolnik, a citizen of Novgorod, touched upon topics of greater moment. Accusing the clergy of simony and abuse of the rite of confession, he raised a violent outcry against them, and proclaimed doctrines in which the fanatical blended with the sober.
- Russia its rise and progress, tragedies and revolutions (By The Rev. Thomas Milner, M.A. (F.R.G.S. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. - 1856)) See Pages 133-134
As one moves through the Sign, one recites, at the forehead, “Lord “; at the stomach, “Jesus Christ”, on the right shoulder, “Son of God”; and on the left shoulder, “have mercy on us” followed by a bow(to the ground during great lent).
Joining two fingers together-the index and the middle finger-and extending them, with the middle finger slightly bent, represents the two natures of Christ: His Divinity and His Humanity. He is God according to His divinity and Man according to His humanity, perfect in both natures. The index finger represents His divinity, while the middle finger represents His humanity, since He came down from on high and saved those below. The bending of the middle finger is interperted to mean that He bowed the heavens and came down upon the earth for our salvation.
And thus it proper to make the Sign of the Cross and to bless; thus was it laid down and ordained by the holy fathers; such is the power of the Sign of the Cross, with which we faithful sign ourselves when we pray, confessing sacramentally the Saviour’s economy: His being begotten of God the Father before all creation; His decent to earth from on high; His Crucifixion; and His second coming, which is the sealing of His entire philanthropic dispensation concerning us.
- The Old Orthodox Prayer Book (Translated and Edited by Hiermonk German Ciuba, Hiermonk John Berzins, Archpriest Pimon Simon, and Priest Theodore Jurewicz, (C) 2001 Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Christ(Old Rite)) See pages 334 - 337
The sign of the cross must be made according to the rules, in the form of a cross; and the right hand, that is, the dextral hand, must be used in crossing oneself, with the thumb and the two lower fingers joined together, and the extended index finger joined to the middle finger, slightly bent; thus should prelates [and] priests give their blessing and thus should men cross themselves. . . . It befits all Orthodox Christians to hold their hand thus, and to make the sign of the cross upon their face with two fingers, and to bow, as we said before. If anyone should fail to give his blessing with two fingers, as Christ did, or should fail to make the sign of the cross with two fingers, may he be accursed.. . .
-Chapter 31 of The Council Of The Hundred Chapters.
Pay attention the Cross whose protective sign you make over yourself with your hand. It is not something ordinary; it contains a great mystery. When you join the large finger, called the thumb, together with the two smaller fingers which are the last on your hand, this forms a sign of the mystery of the beginning less being of the indivisible Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. When you have thus joined these fingers together, incline your middle finger together with your index finger. This is a sign of the two natures, the Divinity and the Human, in the one Person of Christ. These fingers are placed upon the forehead, and then brought downwards to the breast and the navel, indicating that God the Word came down from heaven to earth, and was incarnate of the most pure Virgin Mary, and lived on the earth among men, and freely suffered His Passion in the flesh for our sake and for our salvation, and ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father. Placing the hand on the right shoulder indicates and signifies that He sits at the right hand of the Father, and will come to the earth again to judge the living and the dead, and to give every man a recompense for his deeds, and to those on His right He will show the kingdom of heaven. Bringing the hand over to the left shoulder shows that sinners will take their places at His left, and will be sent away into everlasting punishment. After you have made the sign of the Cross, spread your hand out into its usual position, and then make a bow.
Be careful that all these things are performed correct. It is, because they concern, first of all, the Trinity, and second, the economy of the two natures. If you do not make the sign of the Cross properly, you do not confess your faith in the economy of the two natures in the one Person of Christ. The same applies to placing your hand on the forehead and bringing it down as far as the navel. The body represents the image of God, and the navel is taken to mean the footstool of the Lord, the head of Adam. If one does not make the sign of the Cross correctly, he does not confess faith in the Incarnation of God the Word. Likewise, if one is careless and lazy, and does not bring his hand to the right shoulder and to the left, he does not confess Him to be the Judge of the living and the dead. Take care, therefore, and do not be too lazy to move your hand to your right shoulder and to your left shoulder. Furthermore, I shall tell you this about the sign of the Cross. Remember to make the Cross not merely over yourself, but on your body. Thus, when you cross yourself, touch yourself with your hand solidly, so that your body feels it, and not only your clothing.
If one draws the proper sign of the Cross over himself, according to the testament of the holy Apostles and the holy Fathers, then the demons greatly fear him; they tremble, and they flee far from him, but if anyone forms the Cross incorrectly, the demons rejoice over him and tempt him with all kinds of deceptions. Such is the significance of the life-bearing Cross of the Lord.
-A Son Of The Church(Translated By Hiermonk German Ciuba, (C) 2001 Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Christ(Old Rite)) Pages 24-26
Patriarch Meletius ascended the throne of the Patriarchate of Antioch by consent of the Orthodox and Arian Bishops. Because of the confidence of the Council in him, they all, including King Constantius, agreed in writing to accept his interpretation of the verse by Solomon the Wise which says, "The Lord hath created me", which, in the opinion of the Arians, referred to the creation of the Son. He said that Adam beget Seth, and that the meaning of the word created in this verse is to give birth, not to create in the usual sense. Those who were present were greatly rejoiced, and asked him for further proof. Then he raised three fingers of his right hand, the thumb, the index, and the middle finger, and bent the other two, as he said, "These three fingers of the right hand are a symbol of the Trinity." Then bending the index and the middle fingers and leaving the thumb raised, he added, "And as these fingers now are one, so also the Substance is one." Shortly thereafter Patriarch Meletius was exiled to his native city of Sebaste for harbouring the heresy of Sabellius, the Bishop of Pentapolis.
- Divine Prayers and Services of The Catholic Orthodox Church of Christ (Compiled and arranged by the late Reverend Seraphim Nassar Syrian Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of New York, 1938, 1961) Page 1066
This is how to bless someone with your hand and make the sign of the cross over them. Hold three fingers, as equals, together, to represent the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. These are not three gods, but one God in Trinity. The names are separate, but the divinity one. The Father was never incarnate; the Son incarnate, but not created; the Holy Ghost neither incarnate nor created, but issued from the Godhead: three in a single divvinity. Divinity is one force and has one honor. They receive on obeisance from all creation, both angels and people. Thus the decree for these three fingers. You should hold the other two fingers slightly bent, not completely straight. This is because these represent the dual nature of Christ, divine and human. God in His divinity, and human in His incarnation, yet perfect in both. The upper finger represents divinity, and the lower humanity; this way salvation goes from the higher finger to the lower. So is the bending of the fingers interpreted, for the worship of Heaven comes down for our salvation. This is how you must cross yourselves and give a blessing, as the holy fathers have commanded. - St Theodoret of Cyrus (393 A.D. – 457 A.D.)
The effect of the above salutary measure in the Russian church, and that of the nearly contemporaneous Act of Uniformity in the English, was in some degree similar. Dissent arose upon an extensive scale, and persecution was vigorously applied to reclaim or crush the nonconformists.
Internal dissensions troubled the Russo-Greek communion at an early period, leading to separation from its pale. The more ancient controversies referred to trifling or ridiculous points of difference, yet were none the less furious on account of the causes being trivial. There was warm contention whether the hallelujah should be repeated two or three times at the end of the psalms, and whether the sign of the cross should be made with three fingers, symbolising the Trinity, according to the Greek ritual, or with two fingers, in allusion to the two natures in the person of Christ, as prescribed in the Armenian service. But in 1375, Karp Strigolnik, a citizen of Novgorod, touched upon topics of greater moment. Accusing the clergy of simony and abuse of the rite of confession, he raised a violent outcry against them, and proclaimed doctrines in which the fanatical blended with the sober.
- Russia its rise and progress, tragedies and revolutions (By The Rev. Thomas Milner, M.A. (F.R.G.S. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. - 1856)) See Pages 133-134
As one moves through the Sign, one recites, at the forehead, “Lord “; at the stomach, “Jesus Christ”, on the right shoulder, “Son of God”; and on the left shoulder, “have mercy on us” followed by a bow(to the ground during great lent).
Joining two fingers together-the index and the middle finger-and extending them, with the middle finger slightly bent, represents the two natures of Christ: His Divinity and His Humanity. He is God according to His divinity and Man according to His humanity, perfect in both natures. The index finger represents His divinity, while the middle finger represents His humanity, since He came down from on high and saved those below. The bending of the middle finger is interperted to mean that He bowed the heavens and came down upon the earth for our salvation.
And thus it proper to make the Sign of the Cross and to bless; thus was it laid down and ordained by the holy fathers; such is the power of the Sign of the Cross, with which we faithful sign ourselves when we pray, confessing sacramentally the Saviour’s economy: His being begotten of God the Father before all creation; His decent to earth from on high; His Crucifixion; and His second coming, which is the sealing of His entire philanthropic dispensation concerning us.
- The Old Orthodox Prayer Book (Translated and Edited by Hiermonk German Ciuba, Hiermonk John Berzins, Archpriest Pimon Simon, and Priest Theodore Jurewicz, (C) 2001 Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Christ(Old Rite)) See pages 334 - 337
The sign of the cross must be made according to the rules, in the form of a cross; and the right hand, that is, the dextral hand, must be used in crossing oneself, with the thumb and the two lower fingers joined together, and the extended index finger joined to the middle finger, slightly bent; thus should prelates [and] priests give their blessing and thus should men cross themselves. . . . It befits all Orthodox Christians to hold their hand thus, and to make the sign of the cross upon their face with two fingers, and to bow, as we said before. If anyone should fail to give his blessing with two fingers, as Christ did, or should fail to make the sign of the cross with two fingers, may he be accursed.. . .
-Chapter 31 of The Council Of The Hundred Chapters.
Pay attention the Cross whose protective sign you make over yourself with your hand. It is not something ordinary; it contains a great mystery. When you join the large finger, called the thumb, together with the two smaller fingers which are the last on your hand, this forms a sign of the mystery of the beginning less being of the indivisible Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. When you have thus joined these fingers together, incline your middle finger together with your index finger. This is a sign of the two natures, the Divinity and the Human, in the one Person of Christ. These fingers are placed upon the forehead, and then brought downwards to the breast and the navel, indicating that God the Word came down from heaven to earth, and was incarnate of the most pure Virgin Mary, and lived on the earth among men, and freely suffered His Passion in the flesh for our sake and for our salvation, and ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father. Placing the hand on the right shoulder indicates and signifies that He sits at the right hand of the Father, and will come to the earth again to judge the living and the dead, and to give every man a recompense for his deeds, and to those on His right He will show the kingdom of heaven. Bringing the hand over to the left shoulder shows that sinners will take their places at His left, and will be sent away into everlasting punishment. After you have made the sign of the Cross, spread your hand out into its usual position, and then make a bow.
Be careful that all these things are performed correct. It is, because they concern, first of all, the Trinity, and second, the economy of the two natures. If you do not make the sign of the Cross properly, you do not confess your faith in the economy of the two natures in the one Person of Christ. The same applies to placing your hand on the forehead and bringing it down as far as the navel. The body represents the image of God, and the navel is taken to mean the footstool of the Lord, the head of Adam. If one does not make the sign of the Cross correctly, he does not confess faith in the Incarnation of God the Word. Likewise, if one is careless and lazy, and does not bring his hand to the right shoulder and to the left, he does not confess Him to be the Judge of the living and the dead. Take care, therefore, and do not be too lazy to move your hand to your right shoulder and to your left shoulder. Furthermore, I shall tell you this about the sign of the Cross. Remember to make the Cross not merely over yourself, but on your body. Thus, when you cross yourself, touch yourself with your hand solidly, so that your body feels it, and not only your clothing.
If one draws the proper sign of the Cross over himself, according to the testament of the holy Apostles and the holy Fathers, then the demons greatly fear him; they tremble, and they flee far from him, but if anyone forms the Cross incorrectly, the demons rejoice over him and tempt him with all kinds of deceptions. Such is the significance of the life-bearing Cross of the Lord.
-A Son Of The Church(Translated By Hiermonk German Ciuba, (C) 2001 Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Christ(Old Rite)) Pages 24-26
Patriarch Meletius ascended the throne of the Patriarchate of Antioch by consent of the Orthodox and Arian Bishops. Because of the confidence of the Council in him, they all, including King Constantius, agreed in writing to accept his interpretation of the verse by Solomon the Wise which says, "The Lord hath created me", which, in the opinion of the Arians, referred to the creation of the Son. He said that Adam beget Seth, and that the meaning of the word created in this verse is to give birth, not to create in the usual sense. Those who were present were greatly rejoiced, and asked him for further proof. Then he raised three fingers of his right hand, the thumb, the index, and the middle finger, and bent the other two, as he said, "These three fingers of the right hand are a symbol of the Trinity." Then bending the index and the middle fingers and leaving the thumb raised, he added, "And as these fingers now are one, so also the Substance is one." Shortly thereafter Patriarch Meletius was exiled to his native city of Sebaste for harbouring the heresy of Sabellius, the Bishop of Pentapolis.
- Divine Prayers and Services of The Catholic Orthodox Church of Christ (Compiled and arranged by the late Reverend Seraphim Nassar Syrian Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of New York, 1938, 1961) Page 1066
This is how to bless someone with your hand and make the sign of the cross over them. Hold three fingers, as equals, together, to represent the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. These are not three gods, but one God in Trinity. The names are separate, but the divinity one. The Father was never incarnate; the Son incarnate, but not created; the Holy Ghost neither incarnate nor created, but issued from the Godhead: three in a single divvinity. Divinity is one force and has one honor. They receive on obeisance from all creation, both angels and people. Thus the decree for these three fingers. You should hold the other two fingers slightly bent, not completely straight. This is because these represent the dual nature of Christ, divine and human. God in His divinity, and human in His incarnation, yet perfect in both. The upper finger represents divinity, and the lower humanity; this way salvation goes from the higher finger to the lower. So is the bending of the fingers interpreted, for the worship of Heaven comes down for our salvation. This is how you must cross yourselves and give a blessing, as the holy fathers have commanded. - St Theodoret of Cyrus (393 A.D. – 457 A.D.)
fatman2021 |
Latest page update: made by fatman2021
, Sep 4 2009, 7:02 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by fatman2021
1940 words added view changes - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
Old Believers
Sign of the Cross
Two finger sign of the cross
More Info: links to this page
|
| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ndvanderhoofven | St. Theodoret of Cyrrus on the Sign of the Cross | 0 | Jun 26 2009, 2:15 PM EDT by ndvanderhoofven | ||
|
Thread started: Jun 26 2009, 2:15 PM EDT
Watch
From St. Theodoret: "This is how to bless someone with your hand and make the sign of the cross over them. Hold three fingers, as equals, together, to represent the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. These are not three gods, but one God in Trinity. The names are separate, but the divinity one. The Father was never incarnate; the Son incarnate, but not created; the Holy Ghost neither incarnate nor created, but issued from the Godhead: three in a single divvinity. Divinity is one force and has one honor. They receive on obeisance from all creation, both angels and people. Thus the decree for these three fingers.
You should hold the other two fingers slightly bent, not completely straight. This is because these represent the dual nature of Christ, divine and human. God in His divinity, and human in His incarnation, yet perfect in both. The upper finger represents divinity, and the lower humanity; this way salvation goes from the higher finger to the lower. So is the bending of the fingers interpreted, for the worship of Heaven comes down for our salvation. This is how you must cross yourselves and give a blessing, as the holy fathers have commanded." --"The Domostroi", available at: http://books.google.com/books?id=wyaaYcOneOwC&dq |
|||||
Showing 1 of 1 threads for this page
