- _______________________________________________
- The
Greek Orthodox Church: A Manual for Converts
|
|
- How
to Make
the Sign
of the Cross
|
- At certain times, such as at prayer, we want to rededicate ourselves to God. While some Christians simply "fold their hands in prayer," the Orthodox begin their prayers by first making the sign of the cross. We do this by joining the first three fingers of our right hand together (the thumb, the index finger and the middle finger), and we bend the other two fingers down to the palm. We then trace upon ourselves the cross by touching the three joined fingers of the right hand to the forehead, the breast, the right shoulder and the left shoulder.
When we join our three fingers together it is as if we wanted to say, "I believe in God, One in Trinity; in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; not in one person, but Three Persons; not in three gods, but One God." When we bend the other two fingers of our right hand down to the palm it is as if we were saying, "I believe that our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who is at the same time Real God and Real Man - - the God-Man, came down to earth for my salvation. "
We touch our forehead to ask God to sanctify our thoughts; our breast, to sanctify our senses; our shoulders, to strengthen our wills for the doing and keeping of God's commandments. Whenever we make the sign of the cross we are professing openly, "I belong to Jesus Christ!"
|
|
continue
to next page / topic
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rev. Demetrios A. Recachinas, Protopresbyter
Booklet
& Web Version Designed by:
- Vicky
Andriotis
-
-
- For
information about obtaining hard copies of this
booklet, please contact:
-
-
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
4070 Park Avenue
Bridgeport CT 06604
Church Phone (203) 374-5561
Church Fax (203) 374-5770
E-mail: fatherdemetrios@ holytrinitybridgeport.org
|
-
-
|
