The Sign of the Cross

The Sign of the Cross

Listen my brethren, how the sign of the cross is made and what it means. First, just as the Holy Trinity is glorified in heaven by the angels, so should you join your three fingers of your right hand. And being unable to ascend into heaven to worship, raise your hand to your head (because the head means heaven) and say: "Just as the angels glorify the Holy Trinity in heaven, so do I, as a servant, glorify and worship the Holy Trinity. And as the fingers are three and separate, and are together, so is the Holy Trinity three persons but one God." Lowering your hand to your stomach, say: "I worship you and adore you, my Lord, because you condescended and took our flesh in the womb in the womb of the Theotokos for my sins." Place your hand on your right shoulder and say: "I beg you, my God, to forgive me and to put me on your right side with the just." Placing your hand again on your left shoulder, say: "I beg you, my Lord, don't put me on the left with the sinners." Then bending down to the ground say: "I glorify you, my god; I worship and adore you, for just as you were put into the grave, may I also be." And when you stand up straight, you reveal the resurrection and say: "I glorify and worship you, my Lord, for you rose from the dead to grant us eternal life." This is what the cross means. Let us give just one example so you can see the power of the cross. - St. Cosmas of Aetolia