The practice of living the life in Christ: fasting, vigil lamps, head-coverings, family life, icon corners, and other forms of Orthopraxy. All Forum Rules apply. No polemics. No heated discussions. No name-calling.
On the other hand, the sign of the Cross made properly with faith and reverence, terrifies the demons, calms sinful passions, and calls down divine grace.
That's in my prayer book too (exact wording), but I was just focusing on the negative aspect which supports the fact that the Cross should be made correctly.
The positive aspects are extremely important. My husband and I live about 1/5 mile from the Angeles National Forest, so we hear a lot of strange noises from mountain lions, bears, skunks, possums, raccoons, bob cats, coyotes, and even the imported red fox. Once we were awakened in the wee hours of the morning to the sound of a cougar growling dangerously close to our bathroom window.
Whenever I am terrified because of a sudden strange noise, I make the Sign of the Cross, and it is definitely calming. Now when that cougar growled, I clutched the blanket, quickly realized that I was in the bedroom and that the cougar was outside, and then I made the Sign of the Cross. Even though I was not standing up, Christ our God knew that my heart was in the right place. Very soon, I drifted back to sleep safely in the arms of the Lord.
...Maybe the Greeks you see are taking part of that Western papist tradition. Then they (papists) kiss their thumb. I never understood that.
I think that began in an ancient Roman Coliseum, where they first played football (American English: "Soccer"). It is what they do first for good luck before they play, then it is done afterwards to give thanks after they score a point. I also saw Francis of Assisi do it in Brother Sun Sister Moon. I think he must have played football too.
Why did the Roman Catholics start crossing themselves "backwards?" I never actually thought about it before. Is it just being ornery? :mrgreen:
I think it might have been because they were thinking that since the priest is crossing from HIS left to right when blessing the people, that they should too, because they reasoned that this is how the priest does it so then we must be supposed to do it from L to R too. however this ignorance and the failure for the reason why the priest does it from left to right to be explained to the people the mistaken notion was not stopped and thus took root in the practice of the people generally. That is my theory on it.
The positive aspects are extremely important. My husband and I live about 1/5 mile from the Angeles National Forest, so we hear a lot of strange noises from mountain lions, bears, skunks, possums, raccoons, bob cats, coyotes, and even the imported red fox. Once we were awakened in the wee hours of the morning to the sound of a cougar growling dangerously close to our bathroom window.
Whenever I am terrified because of a sudden strange noise, I make the Sign of the Cross, and it is definitely calming. Now when that cougar growled, I clutched the blanket, quickly realized that I was in the bedroom and that the cougar was outside, and then I made the Sign of the Cross. Even though I was not standing up, Christ our God knew that my heart was in the right place. Very soon, I drifted back to sleep safely in the arms of the Lord.
Yes, of course. Let's switch over to the positive aspects. Making the sign of the Cross has been so embedded in my heart, that even when I have the occasional nightmare which is from the evil one (I actually feel the evil), I do my Cross, in the actual dream. I have woken up in the middle of making my Cross, FOR REAL. My arm is raising up as I open my eyes. The first time that happened, the dream was really intense and I was so surprised to see that I was physically in the motion. Also, in these dreams I always say the Jesus Prayer as I cross myself. But, the words are so difficult to say. I'm struggling to say each word as if my mouth is paralysed.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Ps. 50)
The positive aspects are extremely important. My husband and I live about 1/5 mile from the Angeles National Forest, so we hear a lot of strange noises from mountain lions, bears, skunks, possums, raccoons, bob cats, coyotes, and even the imported red fox. Once we were awakened in the wee hours of the morning to the sound of a cougar growling dangerously close to our bathroom window.
Whenever I am terrified because of a sudden strange noise, I make the Sign of the Cross, and it is definitely calming. Now when that cougar growled, I clutched the blanket, quickly realized that I was in the bedroom and that the cougar was outside, and then I made the Sign of the Cross. Even though I was not standing up, Christ our God knew that my heart was in the right place. Very soon, I drifted back to sleep safely in the arms of the Lord.
Yes, of course. Let's switch over to the positive aspects. Making the sign of the Cross has been so embedded in my heart, that even when I have the occasional nightmare which is from the evil one (I actually feel the evil), I do my Cross, in the actual dream. I have woken up in the middle of making my Cross, FOR REAL. My arm is raising up as I open my eyes. The first time that happened, the dream was really intense and I was so surprised to see that I was physically in the motion. Also, in these dreams I always say the Jesus Prayer as I cross myself. But, the words are so difficult to say. I'm struggling to say each word as if my mouth is paralysed.
Several times during the Paschal season, I awoke to hear someone singing Xristos Anesti. Then I realized that I was singing it and making the Sign of the Cross while I was sleeping. Needless to say, my husband also awoke to my singing. And I was singing on key!
