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The sign of the cross with the overshadowing of oneself with a cruciform gesture was adopted back in apostolic times - all theologians agree on this, and this is exactly what is said in the Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia.

From apostolic times

The first historical information about the overshadowing of oneself with a cross comes at the very beginning of the 3rd century, during the life of Quintus Tertullian (160–220), an early Christian author who left behind more than 30 treatises.

In a treatise entitled “On the Crown of a Warrior”, Tertullian writes that it is customary for Christians to “protect their foreheads” with the sign of the cross under any circumstances in life - whether it is leaving the house, visiting the temple, eating, starting or finishing work, and even before going to bed.

Researchers of Tertullian's work believe that the treatise refers to the year 211, therefore, it can be said with certainty that 178 years after the crucifixion of Christ, the custom of the sign of the cross has firmly entered the lives of people who profess Him.

"I am alpha and omega"

Some theologians speak of the origin of the sign of the cross in the name of God, inscribed on the foreheads of His chosen ones, who were observed in visions. Old Testament prophet Ezekiel and the Apostle John. It is believed that the name of God was inscribed in the form of the first and last letters of the Jewish alphabet "alef" and "tav", the outline of which in a simplified version was a cross. Later, the whole body was overshadowed with a cross.

In Orthodoxy, the custom of laying a cross on oneself is not just some obligatory prayer gesture, but a physical expression of the dogmas of faith, the confession of the Holy Trinity and the God-man Christ, an expression of gratitude, love, protection from demonic power and readiness to accept any will of God.

Symbolism of the Sign of the Cross

Orthodox people overshadow themselves with a cross with their right hand, for which they fold their thumb, middle and index fingers into three fingers, meaning the One Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and press the little finger and ring finger to the palm: these fingers symbolize the two hypostases of Christ - divine and human .

However, this was not always the case - at the very beginning, Christians made the sign of the cross with just one finger, which meant that they believed in one God. In 325, at the Council, it was supposed to be baptized with two fingers, which symbolized the two natures of Christ, but after the emergence of heresies that denied the dogma of the Holy Trinity and brought confusion to the ranks of the Orthodox, in the 11th century it was decided to overshadow oneself with three fingers in order to approve the dogma.

The custom of three fingers was not known in Russia for more than five hundred years and was introduced by Patriarch Nikon during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, which led to a serious church schism. The Old Believers, who did not know about the decision of the Council, opposed it, believed that the ROC was losing the status of the apostolic church with the innovation and stubbornly continued to overshadow themselves with two fingers.

In the center of the world - God or man?

The origin of the Catholic banner of the cross, when a believing Catholic baptizes himself from left to right, is not entirely clear. Orthodox theologians believe that such a discrepancy is caused by a worldview that differs between Catholics and Orthodox.

Individualism and anthropocentrism predominate in the life of a European person, the person himself stands at the center of the European world, while the consciousness of an Orthodox believer is theocentric and places God the Creator at the center of everything. The sign of the cross from right to left symbolizes God's blessing, and if the hand moves from left to right, this means that the person is turning to God.

How to be baptized

An Orthodox person should be baptized without haste: first, the believer touches his forehead with three fingers, which marks the sanctification of the mind, then the stomach, which means the sanctification of the feelings (heart), after the right shoulder, and then the left (which symbolizes the sanctification of the whole body).

You should bow only at the end of the sign of the cross - you can slightly bow your head, bow at the waist or bow to the ground.

Made with faith and reverence, the sign of the cross is a spiritual weapon, which the unclean is afraid of and with which many saints have done many glorious deeds.

For example, the apostle John once healed with the sign of the cross a man lying in a fever, whom he found unconscious on the road - this is written by Bishop Dmitry of Rostov in the Life of the saint.

The Monk Abba Dorotheos crossed over the water in which the poisonous asp was located, and without fear he drank it, pointing out that the cross casts out Satan and neutralizes his malice. Saint Benedict of Nursia (480-543) used the sign of the cross to neutralize the poison that was added to his wine, and the bowls consecrated by the cross were immediately broken.

The Russian Saint Nektarios of Optina consecrated heavy objects with a cross so that they could be lifted.

The sign of the cross is not only a weapon, but also a tool that allows a person to determine who is in front of him: an angel or a demon pretending to be an angel. Saint Anthony the Great pointed out that if at night an “angel” comes to a prayer book who wants to distract him from prayer, the person should cross himself, and then the demon will immediately disappear.

The sign of the cross will help the soul of a person, and after she leaves the body after death and can be tempted by the devil, who turns into an angel. To distinguish who is standing in front of him, a person should ask him to cross himself - an angel will do this without delay, but an unclean one will not be able to.

In Orthodoxy there is even a special prayer dedicated to the Most Honorable Cross of the Lord, which is addressed not to the subject, but to God the Creator, and begins with the words of King David (Psalm 67): “May God rise again, and let His enemies be scattered, and let them flee from His presence those who hate him. Like smoke disappears, let them disappear, like wax melts from the face of fire, so let the sinners perish from the face of God.

This prayer is read with the consecration of oneself with the sign of the cross and is very effective in case of demonic misfortunes and various temptations.

Once inside such Orthodox places as temples, cathedrals and monasteries, religious believers with respect begin to perform various ritual rites. However, their conditions for implementation and the sequential order of actions, which must be observed in accordance with the main religious canons, may not be familiar to every person.

Baptism rules

This ritual involves the implementation of bodily movement with the right hand, which must be performed in strict sequence. During baptism, the believer conditionally depicts on himself the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. It is he who is a sacred and miraculous sign. And in order for people who came to a religious place for help to be able to attract Divine Grace to their attention, they need to learn how to be baptized in the church in front of the icon correctly. This skill is easy to learn and does not require any complex technical and coordination elements. It includes the following steps:

Addition of fingers. The three main fingers of the right hand, namely: the thumb, ring and index fingers, must be folded into one bundle in advance. This designation symbolizes the inseparable faith in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Next, put together three fingers, personifying the Trinity, should be applied in turn to the four main parts of the body. First they touch the forehead, then the stomach, and after that, they move from the right shoulder to the left. This movement must be performed three times.

During baptism, it is very important to mentally try to repeat the sacred phrase "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

After the completion of baptism, the believer bows before the icon.

The correct baptism of the Orthodox in front of the icon in the church must always be observed.

It should be used in a number of cases:

• before the beginning of the reading of the prayer and after its completion;
• being at the entrance to the church temple;
• in order to cleanse your soul from existing sins;
• at any point in time when a person needs special assistance.

Features of prayer

Orthodox believers perceive prayer as a conditional bridge that allows them to connect two worlds: earthly and spiritual.

It is during its reading that a connection is established between believers and God, during which the human soul is fully heard.

Standing in front of the icon, Orthodox Christians pray for help, asking God to provide all kinds of support and well-being in the current difficult situations. Also, during prayer in front of the icon, people can repent of various illegal or any other sinful acts that turned out to be committed in a certain period of time.

Thus, prayers before the icons Mother of God and other religious shrines are conventionally divided into the following types:

• laudatory;
• thanksgiving;
• repentant;
• forgiveness.

In order to properly pray at home in front of the icon, the believer needs to prepare in advance.

If the prayer is difficult to carry out from memory, then as a hint, you can use prayer conditions. During prayer, it is very important that every word you read be well understood and passed through your inner state.

Before the beginning of the prayer and after its completion, be sure to use the sign of the cross.

If there are no houses Orthodox icons, you can also conduct a religious ritual in front of a window or any specific place, while presenting the image of a shrine.

Prayer in front of an icon in a church can be collective or individual. The first option involves the implementation of this religious ritual together with a group of people who exactly repeat the words of the prayer for the priest. During individual prayer, the believer pronounces words aloud or to himself, being right in front of the icon he has chosen.

Prayer in churches should only be done while standing. It is forbidden to kneel down.

It must be remembered that for each sacred image that the icon painters managed to depict, there is a separate prayer. This is especially true of prayers to 45 icons of the Virgin.

The meaning of prayers

Reading prayers is very importance for the normalization of the human psyche and spiritual development in general.

It helps to relieve stress, calm your nerves, cleanse your soul and tune in a positive way.

One of the oldest and most common prayers, which is familiar to many believers, is called Our Father. Her words are as follows:

Our Father, Who art in heaven!

May your name be hallowed,

let your kingdom come,

let your will be done

as in heaven and on earth.

Give us our daily bread today;

and leave us our debts,

like we also leave our debtor;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Along with church prayer Orthodox Christian the sign of the cross was given to help. Performed with sincere faith and heartfelt prayer, it truly can work wonders, which has many documented evidence. Unfortunately, many people, especially at the beginning of their churching, make the sign of the cross incorrectly and do not understand its meaning at all. So how do Orthodox believers need to be baptized correctly?

Symbolism of the cross banner

In Orthodoxy, all actions are filled deep meaning and always have a symbolic meaning. And, of course, the sign of the cross in particular. Orthodox Christians, along with representatives of some other Christian denominations, believe that by signing themselves with the cross, they drive away all unclean spirits and protect themselves from evil.

How to be baptized

In order to cross yourself, you need to fold the three fingers of your right hand into a pinch, and press the remaining two fingers to the inside of the palm. This position of the fingers is not accidental - it tells us about the nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, of his own free will, suffered for the salvation of every person. Three folded fingers together - this is the trinity of God in the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit). The Trinity is one, but at the same time it has three separate incarnations. Two fingers pressed to the hand testify to the dual origin of Christ - he is both God and man.

In order to cross correctly, a person first brings his hand to his forehead and says “In the name of the Father”, then the hand falls on the stomach with the words “And the Son”, then comes the right shoulder “And the Holy One” and the left shoulder “Spirit”. At the end, a bow is made and the word "Amen" is pronounced.

This formulation, again, reveals the nature of God. All three hypostases of the Holy Trinity are mentioned, and the word "Amen" at the end affirms the truth of the Divine Trinity.

In itself, the imposition of the sign of the cross on a person symbolizes the Cross of the Lord, on which he was crucified. By His crucifixion, death and resurrection from the dead, our Lord Jesus Christ made the instrument of shameful execution an instrument for the salvation of human souls. That is why Orthodox Christians have long used this gesture as a symbol of participation in the death of the Lord, and then His resurrection.

About the Lord Jesus Christ:

History reference

The banner of the cross has been used by Christians from the very beginning of the birth of faith. After the Resurrection of Christ, the first confessors of the faith put on themselves the symbol of the instrument of his execution with one finger, as if wishing to show their readiness to be also crucified for the Lord.

Later, at various periods of time, there were customs to be baptized with several fingers, as well as with the whole palm. At the same time, they touched the eyes, lips, forehead - the main human senses, in order to sanctify them.

Important! With the spread Orthodox faith among Christians, it has become customary to cross with two fingers of the right hand, overshadowing the forehead, stomach and shoulders.

Around the 16th century, the practice of covering the chest instead of the stomach spread, since it is in the chest that the heart is located. A century later, the rule was formed and consolidated to be baptized with three fingers of the right hand, putting them again on the stomach, instead of the chest. It is this method that is used by the Orthodox to this day.

Interesting! Adherents of the old rite church service(Old Believers) to this day practice two-toed application.

Where and how to use the sign of the cross

Everyone who considers himself a believing Christian should treat the banner of the cross with great reverence. In addition to great help, it also carries a deep spiritual meaning. By overshadowing himself with the cross, a person shows his will to be a partaker of our Lord Jesus Christ in his death, and then in the Resurrection.

sign of the cross

Based on this, one should always be baptized attentively and with prayer. If this happens at a service in a church, all prayers and significant parts of the service begin and end with the sign of the cross. It is also customary to be baptized at the mention of the names of the Lord God, Holy Mother of God, saints.

Arriving at the church, you can see that many of the parishioners are baptized completely incorrectly. Someone swings his arms in different directions, someone collects all his fingers into a pinch, and someone does not reach his stomach at all. What does this small sacred rite mean for an Orthodox person, how to perform it correctly.

What does the sign of the cross mean

In Christianity, this prayer gesture personifies the cross of the Lord. Three fingers put together mean faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, that is, the consubstantial Trinity. And the fingers at the palm express the two natures of the Son of God: Divine and human. Thus, the Orthodox attract Divine grace upon themselves.

Trinity is used by everyone Orthodox people, and the priests, blessing, fold their fingers into a nominative finger composition. For three fingers, the Orthodox must put the thumb, index and middle fingers of the right hand together, and bend the other two fingers to the palm. Thus, the Christian touches the forehead, then the upper abdomen, right shoulder, left shoulder. You need to be baptized only with your right hand in that order.

If a person performs the sign of the cross outside of public worship, then he should at this time say: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

Why is it necessary to be baptized from right to left, that is, to offer right hand first to the right shoulder and only then to the left? The right shoulder symbolizes the place of the saved, and the left - the place of the perishing. To the right is heaven with saved souls and angels, and to the left is purgatory and hell for sinners and demons. It turns out that when an Orthodox person is baptized, he asks the Lord to rank him among the lot of the saved and save him from the lot of the perishing. Thus, a Christian tries to protect himself by saying prayers, turning to God, entering the temple and leaving it, attending the Divine service.

The meaning of the sign of the cross is the same for all Christian denominations. By making the sign of the cross, people testify to their loyalty to Christ. The Lord took upon himself death on the cross in order to grant us salvation. The sign of the cross itself is different for Orthodox, Catholics and Old Believers. How to baptize Orthodox Christians? In order not to get confused and correctly overshadow yourself with the sign of the cross, read our material on how to be baptized correctly.

How to be baptized - history

Basil the Great called the sign of the cross one of those apostolic Traditions that came to us not through Scripture, but through custom. Wherever the apostles preached the Word of God, people who converted to Christianity began to depict the sign of the cross on themselves. Baptized in all countries in different ways. In the West - with the whole palm, in Africa it was customary to cross with one finger, forefinger or thumb, as a sign of faith in one God. They could also be baptized in an unusual way - not with a full cross, but only with the forehead, mouth and heart. According to Orthodox tradition, the smaller ones from the big ones are blessed with the sign of the cross: the laity from the priest and the children from the parents.

There is no answer to the question why Catholics are baptized from left to right, and Orthodox from right to left. Due to distance distances, cultural differences and differences, the sign of the cross differs in different countries and denominations. It can be said that the church schism that occurred in the 11th century laid the foundation for the divergence. Not only the features of overshadowing oneself with the sign of the cross differ, but also the vestments of priests, temples, and some customs. At the same time, all Christian traditions have one common root - faith in Christ. Thus, despite the difference in divine services, the Eucharistic canon in Orthodoxy and Catholicism remains almost identical.

How to be baptized - Composition

A finger is a finger. The Orthodox, in order to overshadow themselves with the sign of the cross, put together three fingers as a sign of the trinity of the Lord. Thumb, index and middle fingers are assembled. The rest remain clenched in a fist. These two fingers mean that Jesus Christ remained both God and man at the same time.

Left to right or vice versa? How to be baptized Orthodox

1. First, we put our fingers on our foreheads, asking the Lord to sanctify our mind.
2. We put our fingers on the stomach in the area of ​​​​the solar plexus and ask God to extend the days of our life.
3. We put our fingers on the right shoulder.
4. We put our fingers on the left shoulder.

Thus, we seem to draw a cross on ourselves, agreeing to accept the will of God and follow Christ. To consolidate their devotion to God during worship, people also perform waist and prostrations. When making a waist bow, people bow to the waist, and during the earthly bow, they kneel and touch the floor with their foreheads.

The Old Believers, on the contrary, fold their index and middle fingers, and press the rest to the palm of their hand. At the same time, the essence of the composition remains the same.

Catholics make the sign of the cross with their whole hand and do it from left to right, not right to left. The whole palm is used as a sign of ulcers on the body of Jesus, there were five of them - two on the legs, two on the arms and one from a copy. In Orthodoxy, it is believed that this is not a dogmatic, but a ritual image of the cross.

How to be baptized in front of the temple and in society?

Orthodox Christians often face the question of whether it is right to be baptized in public places. There is no single answer to the question of whether this is worth doing, but it is important to ask ourselves the question - why are we baptized? If a person has an inner need for this, or he reads a prayer to himself and wants to cross himself, then, of course, there will be nothing wrong with that. The Lord has called us to confession, and Orthodox Christians should not be shy and hide their faith in God. If a person does this for show, to show that he leads a pious and righteous life, it is worth asking yourself if something that is designed to help people will harm his soul? Visible evidence of our faith is not condemned if it is for good. By doing a good deed or by making the sign of the cross, we demonstrate faith in Christ. But our intentions must also be good and kind. Thinking about the fact that someone nearby does not know how to be baptized or is baptized incorrectly, we can do something in condemnation, and not in justification.

Significance of the Cross

Orthodox Christians should not condemn those who do not know how to be baptized, because the grace and love of the Lord do not depend on how we overshadow ourselves with the sign of the cross (although this should be done according to the basics of the dogma). If a person accidentally crossed himself from left to right, but at the same time he took over with his soul way of the cross Christ and agreed to follow Him, this is not imputed as a sin. After all, the essence of the sign of the cross is to manifest in a visible way what is in the human soul - faith and love for Christ.