Cross. crucifixion

The word about the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing, but for us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).

The cross is the tool of the Christian! The radiant Cross with the inscription "By this, conquer" appeared to Emperor Constantine, who, by the will of God, built a banner, placing the sign he saw there. And indeed "Sim won"! In honor of Suvorov's passage through the Alps, a granite cross twelve meters long was carved in the mountains.
It is impossible to imagine the history of mankind without the cross. Architecture (and not only temple), painting, music (for example, "Carrying the Cross" by J.S. Bach), even medicine (red cross), all aspects of culture and human life are permeated with the cross.

It is wrong to think that the cross appeared with Christianity. In many events of the Old Testament we see the mark of the cross. Saint John of Damascus: “The Tree of Life, planted by God in Paradise, prefigured this Holy Cross. For since death entered through the medium of the tree, it was necessary that Life and Resurrection be bestowed through the tree. The first Jacob, bowing to the end of Joseph's rod, marked the Cross by means of an image, and, blessing his sons with changed hands (Gen. 48, 14), he very clearly outlined the sign of the Cross. The rod of Moses, which crosswise struck the sea and saved Israel, and drowned Pharaoh, denoted the same; hands stretched out crosswise and putting Amalek to flight; bitter water, sweetened by the tree, and rock, torn and pouring out springs; a rod, acquiring to Aaron the dignity of a hierarchy; the serpent on the tree, lifted up as a trophy, as if it had been slain, when the tree healed those who looked with faith at the dead enemy, just as Christ the Flesh, who knew no sin, was nailed for sin. Great Moses says: you will see that your life will hang on a tree before you (Deut. 28, 66).

In ancient Rome, the cross was an instrument of execution. But in the time of Christ, he turned from an instrument of shame and painful death into a symbol of joy.

Since the first centuries of Christianity, the Egyptian hieroglyph ankh, denoting eternal life, has been used to depict the cross. It combines two symbols: the cross - as a symbol of life and the circle - as a symbol of eternity. Together they represent immortality. Such a cross has become widespread in the Coptic Orthodox Church.

An equilateral cross consisting of two identical rectangular crossbars intersecting at right angles was called Greek. In early Christianity, the Greek cross symbolized Christ.
On the national flag of Greece, this cross, white on a blue background, first appeared in 1820, symbolizing the struggle against the rule of the Muslim Turks.

The gamma cross, or gammadion, got its name from the third letter of the Greek alphabet. It is said to symbolize Christ as "the cornerstone of the Church". Often such a cross can be seen on the clothes of the priests of the Orthodox Church.

The letter X, in which the name of Christ is hidden, we call the St. Andrew's Cross, because the Apostle Andrew was crucified on such a cross.

Illiterate opponents of Christianity believe that the inverted cross is an anti-Christian symbol. In fact, this is also a Christian symbol. Saint Peter believed that he was not worthy to die the same death that Jesus Christ died. At his request, he was crucified upside down. Therefore, such a cross wears his name.

Christ was taken down from such a cross, it is customary to call it Latin. The most common Christian symbol in the Western world.

The six-pointed cross with a crossbar for the legs is a symbol of the Russian Orthodox Church. The lower crossbar is depicted tilted from right to left.

According to legend, during the crucifixion of Christ, a tablet was nailed over the cross in three languages ​​(Greek, Latin and Aramaic) with the inscription "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Such an eight-pointed cross is also commonly called Russian.

The inscriptions and cryptograms on Russian crosses have always been much more diverse than on Greek ones. Since the 11th century, under the lower oblique crossbar of the eight-pointed cross, a symbolic image of the head of Adam appears, buried according to legend on Golgotha ​​(in Hebrew - “frontal place”), where Christ was crucified. “In the place where I will be buried, the Word of God will be crucified and sprinkle my skull with His blood,” Adam prophesied. The following inscriptions are known.
“M.L.R.B.” - the place of the frontal was crucified quickly.
“G.G.” - Mount Golgotha.
“G.A.” - head of Adamov,
The letters "K" and "T" mean a copy of the centurion Longinus and a cane with a sponge, depicted along the cross.
The inscriptions are placed above the middle crossbar: “IC” “XC” - the name of Jesus Christ; and under it: “NIKA” - Winner; on the title or near it there is an inscription: “SN” “BZHIY” - the Son of God or the abbreviation “I.N.Ts.I.” - Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews; the inscription above the title: “TSR” “SLAVY” - the King of Glory.

Clover leaves on a shamrock cross symbolize the Trinity and the Resurrection. The circles on the edges of the drop-shaped cross are drops of the Blood of Christ, which, having sprinkled the cross, informed him of Christ's power. The pointed circle on the crosses is a symbol of the crown of thorns, which was placed on the head of Christ by the Roman soldiers.

Saint Ephraim the Syrian spoke thus about the power of the Cross and the sign of the cross. “If you always use the holy Cross to help yourself, then “evil will not happen to you, and the plague will not come near your dwelling” (Ps. 91:10). Instead of a shield, protect yourself with the Holy Cross, imprint your limbs and heart with it. And do not only place the sign of the cross on yourself with your hand, but also in your thoughts imprint with it your every occupation, and your entrance, and your departure at all times, and your sitting, and rising, and your bed, and any service ... For this is very strong weapons, and no one can ever harm you if you are protected by them.

Over the centuries-old history of Christianity, masters of church art have created many forms and varieties of the cross. Today, historians know more than thirty types of the inscription of the Christian cross. Each of the forms has a deep, symbolic meaning; there has never been anything random and arbitrary in Christian symbols. In Russian Orthodoxy, the following types were common, and now they are most common: eight-pointed, four-pointed, trefoil, petal, Moscow, cross vine, Let us dwell on them in more detail.

eight pointed cross most fully corresponds to the actual, historical truth. The completed, eight-pointed form of the cross acquired after the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on it. Historians of antiquity write about this: St. Justin the Philosopher, Tertullian and others. Before the crucifixion, when the Lord carried the cross to Golgotha ​​on His shoulders, the cross was four-pointed. The lower, oblique crossbar and the upper, short one, were made by soldiers immediately after the crucifixion.

The lower crossbar is a foot, which the soldiers attached to the cross, "when it became clear to what place the feet of Christ would reach." The upper crossbar is a tablet with an inscription made by order of Pilate, as we know from the Gospel. The sequence of events was as follows: first, “they crucified Him” (John 19; 18), and after dividing the clothes by lot, at the command of Pilate, “they placed an inscription over His head, signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Matt. 27 ; 37)

The eight-pointed form is still considered generally accepted in Orthodoxy. Crosses of just this form hang on the dome of Orthodox churches, are depicted on the covers of sacred books, on icons. Modern pectoral crosses are usually eight-pointed.

four-pointed cross is also historically reliable, and is referred to in the Gospel as "His Cross". It was the four-pointed cross that the Lord carried to Golgotha.

The four-pointed cross in Rus' was called the Roman or Latin cross. The name corresponds to historical realities: the execution of the cross was introduced by the Romans, and the crucifixion of Christ took place on the territory of the Roman Empire. Accordingly, execution by crucifixion and the instrument of execution itself were considered Roman. In the West, to this day, the image of a four-pointed cross is the most common, but compared with others.

Saint Dmitry of Rostov, in the course of a polemic with the Old Believers about which cross is the most true, wrote: “And not according to the number of trees, not according to the number of ends, the Cross of Christ is revered by us, but according to Christ Himself, Whose holy blood was stained with. ... any cross does not act by itself, but by the power of Christ crucified on it and by the invocation of His most holy name.

Cross Vine known from antiquity. They decorated the tombstones of Christians, liturgical books and utensils. From the tree of the cross comes a branched vine with beautiful, full-bodied racemes and patterned leaves. The symbolism of the cross is based on the words of the Savior: “I am the vine, and you are the branches; whoever abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit” (John 15; 5)

This form of the cross reminds Christians of the need to bear fruit during earthly life, and of the words of Christ "without me you cannot do anything."

A kind of quadrangular cross - petal-shaped cross. Its ends are made in the form of flower petals. This form was often used when painting church buildings, in the vestments of the priesthood, and decorating liturgical utensils. Petal crosses are found in the mosaic of the Kyiv church of Hagia Sophia, the mosaic dates back to the 9th century. Pectoral crosses, both in antiquity and in the modern church, were often made in the form of a petal cross.

shamrock cross It is a four-pointed or six-pointed cross, the ends of which are made in the form of a trefoil - three pointed leaves. Altar crosses of this form are common in Russia. The shamrock cross was included in the coats of arms of many cities of the Russian Empire.

It is known that in Rus' pectoral crosses were made from gold or silver coins. Such a cross had an equilateral, quadrangular shape and rounded ends. He got the name "Moscow Cross", due to the fact that Moscow merchants often wore just such a cross.

You can buy pectoral silver crosses

You can buy baptismal golden crosses

The history of the appearance of the cross in Orthodoxy is very interesting. This ancient symbol was revered even before the advent of Christianity and had a sacred meaning. What does the Orthodox cross with crossbars mean, what is its mystical and religious meaning? Let's turn to historical sources to learn about all types of crosses and their differences.

The symbol of the cross is used in many world beliefs. Only 2000 years ago it became a symbol of Christianity and acquired the value of a talisman. In the ancient world, we meet the symbol of the Egyptian cross with a noose, expressing the divine principle and the principle of life. Carl Gustav Jung refers the emergence of the symbolism of the cross in general to primitive times, when people made fire with the help of two crossed sticks.

Early images of the cross can be found in a wide variety of forms: T, X, + or t. If the cross was depicted as equilateral, it symbolized 4 cardinal points, 4 natural elements or 4 Heavens of Zoroaster. Later, the cross began to be compared with the four seasons of the year. However, all the meanings and types of crosses were somehow correlated with life, death and rebirth.

The mystical meaning of the cross at all times has been associated with cosmic forces and their currents.

In the Middle Ages, the cross became strongly associated with the death and resurrection of Christ, acquired a Christian meaning. The equilateral cross began to express the idea of ​​the divine presence, power and strength. It was joined by an inverted cross as a symbol of the denial of divine authority and adherence to Satanism.

Saint Lazarus Cross

In the Orthodox tradition, the cross can be depicted in different ways: from two crossed lines to a complex combination of several crossbars with additional symbols. All types of Orthodox crosses carry the same meaning and meaning - salvation. The eight-pointed cross, which is also common in the countries of the eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, has become especially widespread. This eight-pointed symbol has a special name - the cross of St. Lazarus. Often this symbol depicts the crucified Christ.

The eight-pointed Orthodox cross is depicted with two transverse bars at the top (the upper one is shorter than the lower one) and the third one is inclined. This crossbar carries the meaning of the foot: the feet of the Savior rest on it. The slope of the foot is always depicted in the same way - the right side is higher than the left. This has a certain symbolism: the right foot of Christ rests on the right side, which is higher than the left. According to Jesus, at the Last Judgment, the righteous will stand on his right hand, and sinners on his left. That is, the right end of the crossbar symbolizes the path to heaven, and the left end symbolizes the path to the hellish abode.

The small crossbar (upper) symbolizes the tablet above the head of Christ, which was nailed by Pontius Pilate. It was written in three languages: Nazirite, king of the Jews. This is the meaning of the cross with three crossbars in the Orthodox tradition.

cross calvary

There is another image of the eight-pointed Orthodox cross in the monastic tradition - the schema cross of Golgotha. He is depicted above the symbol of Golgotha, on which the crucifixion took place. The symbol of Golgotha ​​is depicted with steps, and under them is a skull with bones. On both sides of the cross, other attributes of the crucifixion can be depicted - a cane, a spear and a sponge. All these attributes have a deep mystical meaning.

For example, a skull with bones symbolizes our ancestors, on whom the sacrificial blood of the Savior was glassed and washed from sins. Thus, the connection of generations is carried out - from Adam and Eve to the time of Christ. It also symbolizes the connection between the Old Testament and the New.

A spear, a cane and a sponge are another symbol of the tragedy at Calvary. The Roman warrior Longinus pierced the ribs of the Savior with a spear, from which blood and water flowed. This symbolizes the birth of the church of Christ, like the birth of Eve from Adam's rib.

Seven-pointed cross

This symbol has two crossbars - the top and the foot. The foot has a deep mystical meaning in Christianity, as it binds both testaments - the Old and the New. The foot is mentioned by the prophet Isaiah (Is. 60, 13), the psalmist in Psalm No. 99, and you can also read about it in the book of Exodus (see: Ex. 30, 28). The seven-pointed cross can be seen on the domes of Orthodox churches.

Seven-pointed Orthodox cross - image:

Six-pointed cross

What does the six-pointed cross mean? In this symbol, the lower sloping crossbar symbolizes the following: the raised end has the meaning of liberation through repentance, and the lowered one means unrepentant sin. This form of the cross was common in ancient times.

Cross with crescent

On the domes of churches you can see a cross with a crescent at the bottom. What does this church cross mean, does it have a connection with Islam? The crescent was a symbol of the Byzantine state, from where the Orthodox faith came to us. There are several different versions of the origin of this symbol.

• The crescent symbolizes the manger in which the Savior was born in Bethlehem.
• The crescent symbolizes the cup in which the body of the Savior was.
• The crescent symbolizes the sail under which the ship of the church sails to the kingdom of God.

Which version is correct is not known. We know only one thing, that the crescent was a symbol of the Byzantine state, and after its fall it became a symbol of the Ottoman Empire.

The difference between the Orthodox cross and the Catholic

With the acquisition of the faith of their ancestors, many newly minted Christians do not know the main differences between the Catholic cross and the Orthodox. Let's designate them:

• There is always more than one crossbar on an Orthodox cross.
• In the Catholic eight-pointed cross, all the crossbars are parallel to each other, and in the Orthodox, the lower one is oblique.
• The face of the Savior on the Orthodox cross does not express torment.
• The legs of the Savior on the Orthodox cross are closed, on the Catholic one they are depicted one above the other.

The image of Christ on the Catholic and Orthodox cross attracts special attention. On the Orthodox we see the Savior, who gave mankind the way to eternal life. The Catholic cross depicts a dead man who has undergone terrible torment.

If you know these differences, you can easily determine whether the symbol of the Christian cross belongs to a particular church.

Despite the variety of forms and symbols of the cross, its strength lies not in the number of ends or the crucifix depicted on them, but in repentance and faith in salvation. Any cross carries life-giving power.

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In the Catholic and Orthodox tradition, the cross is a great shrine to the extent that it was on it that the Most Pure Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, suffered torment and death for the salvation of the human race. In addition to the crosses crowning Orthodox churches and Catholic churches, there are also body crucifixes that believers wear on their chests.

There are several differences between pectoral Orthodox crosses and Catholic ones, which have been formed over the course of several centuries.

In the ancient Christian Church of the first centuries, the shape of the cross was predominantly four-pointed (with one central horizontal bar). Such forms of the cross and its images were in the catacombs during the persecution of Christians by the Roman pagan authorities. The four-pointed form of the cross still remains in the Catholic tradition. The Orthodox cross is most often an eight-pointed crucifix, on which the upper crossbar is a tablet on which the inscription was nailed: "Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews," and the lower beveled crossbar testifies to the repentance of the robber. Such a symbolic form of the Orthodox cross indicates the high spirituality of repentance, which makes a person worthy of the kingdom of heaven, as well as heart hardness and pride, which entails eternal death.

In addition, six-pointed forms of the cross can also be found in. In this type of crucifix, in addition to the main central horizontal, there is also a lower beveled crossbar (sometimes there are six-pointed crosses with an upper straight crossbar).

Other differences include images of the Savior on the cross. On Orthodox crucifixes, Jesus Christ is depicted as God who conquered death. Sometimes on the cross or icons of suffering on the Cross, Christ is depicted alive. Such an image of the Savior testifies to the Lord's victory over death and the salvation of mankind, speaks of the miracle of the resurrection that followed the bodily death of Christ.

Catholic crosses are more realistic. They depict Christ, who died after terrible agony. Often on Catholic crucifixes, the hands of the Savior sag under the weight of the body. Sometimes you can see that the fingers of the Lord are bent, as it were, into a fist, which is a plausible reflection of the consequences of nails driven into the hands (on Orthodox crosses, the palms of Christ are open). Often on Catholic crosses you can see the blood on the body of the Lord. All this focuses on the terrible torment and death that Christ endured for the salvation of man.

Other differences between Orthodox and Catholic crosses can be noted. So, on Orthodox crucifixes, Christ's feet are nailed with two nails, on Catholic ones - with one (although in some monastic Catholic orders until the 13th century there were crosses with four nails instead of three).

There are differences between Orthodox and Catholic crosses in the inscription on the top plate. "Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews" on Catholic crosses with an abbreviation in the Latin manner - INRI. Orthodox crosses have an inscription - IHЦI. On Orthodox crosses on the halo of the Savior, the inscription of Greek letters denoting the word "Being":

Also on Orthodox crosses there are often inscriptions "NIKA" (denoting the victory of Jesus Christ), "King of Glory", "Son of God".

"Take up your cross and follow me"
(Mark 8:34)

Everyone knows that the Cross plays a big role in the life of every Orthodox person. This also applies to the Cross, as a symbol of the sufferings on the cross of an Orthodox Christian, which he must endure with humility and hope in the will of God, and the Cross, as a fact of confession of Christianity, and a great power capable of protecting a person from enemy attacks. It is worth noting that many miracles were performed by the Sign of the Cross. Suffice it to say that one of the great Sacraments is performed by the Cross - the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Mary of Egypt, having overshadowed the water with the sign of the cross, crossed the Jordan, Spyridon of Trimifuntsky turned the snake into gold, and the sick and possessed were healed with the sign of the cross. But, perhaps, the most important miracle: the sign of the cross, imposed with deep faith, protects us from the power of Satan.

The Cross itself, as a terrible instrument of shameful execution, chosen by Satan as the banner of lethality, caused overwhelming fear and horror, but, thanks to Christ the Victorious, it became a coveted trophy that evokes joyful feelings. Therefore, St. Hippolytus of Rome, the Apostolic man, exclaimed: “The Church also has her own trophy over death - this is the Cross of Christ, which she bears on herself,” and St. Paul, the Apostle of tongues, wrote in his Epistle: “I want to boast (.. .) only by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”

The cross accompanies an Orthodox person throughout his life. “Telnik”, the so-called pectoral cross in Rus', is placed on the baby in the Sacrament of Baptism in fulfillment of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Whoever wants to follow Me, deny yourself, and take up your cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8, 34 ).

It is not enough to simply put on a cross and consider yourself a Christian. The cross should express what is in the human heart. In some cases, this is a deep Christian faith, in others it is a formal, outward belonging to the Christian Church. This desire is often not the fault of our fellow citizens, but only a consequence of their lack of enlightenment, years of Soviet anti-religious propaganda, apostasy from God. But the Cross is the greatest Christian shrine, a visible evidence of our redemption.

A lot of different misunderstandings and even superstitions and myths are associated with the pectoral cross today. Let's try together to understand this difficult issue.

The pectoral cross is called so because it is worn under clothing, never flaunted (only priests wear the cross outside). This does not mean that the pectoral cross must be hidden and hidden under any circumstances, but it is still not customary to deliberately put it on public display. It is established by the church charter to kiss your pectoral cross at the end of evening prayers. In a moment of danger or when the soul is anxious, it will not be out of place to kiss your cross and read the words “Save and save” on its back.

The sign of the cross must be made with all attention, with fear, with trepidation and with extreme reverence. Putting three large fingers on the forehead, you need to say: “in the name of the Father”, then, lowering the hand in the same form on the chest “and the Son”, transferring the hand to the right shoulder, then to the left: “and the Holy Spirit”. Having made this holy sign of the cross on yourself, conclude with the word "Amen". You can also say a prayer during the laying of the Cross: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen".

There is no canonical form of the pectoral cross approved by the cathedrals. According to Rev. Theodore the Studite - "A cross of every form is a true cross." St. Demetrius of Rostov wrote as early as the 18th century: “Not according to the number of trees, not according to the number of ends, the Cross of Christ is revered by us, but according to Christ himself, with the Most Holy Blood, Whom he was stained with. Manifesting miraculous power, any Cross does not act by itself, but by the power of Christ crucified on it and the invocation of His Most Holy Name. The Orthodox tradition knows an endless variety of types of crosses: four-, six-, eight-pointed; with a semicircle below, petal, drop-shaped, crinoid and others.

Each line of the Cross has a deep symbolic meaning. On the back of the cross, the inscription “Save and save” is most often made, sometimes there are prayer inscriptions “May God rise again” and others.

Eight-pointed form of the Orthodox cross

The classic eight-pointed cross is the most common in Russia. The shape of this Cross most of all corresponds to the Cross on which Christ was crucified. Therefore, such a Cross is no longer only a sign, but also an image of the Cross of Christ.

Above the long middle crossbar of such a cross is a straight short crossbar - a plate with the inscription "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews", nailed by order of Pilate over the head of the Crucified Savior. The lower slanting crossbar, the upper end of which is turned to the north, and the lower end to the south, symbolizes the foot, designed to serve to increase the torment of the Crucified, since the deceptive feeling of some support under the feet prompts the executed involuntarily to try to lighten his burden, leaning on it, which only prolongs torment.

Dogmatically, the eight ends of the Cross mean the eight main periods in the history of mankind, where the eighth is the life of the future age, the Kingdom of Heaven, therefore one of the ends of such a Cross points upwards into the sky. It also means that the way to the Heavenly Kingdom was opened by Christ through His Redemptive Feat, according to His word: “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

The slanting crossbar, to which the Savior's feet were nailed, thus means that in the earthly life of people with the coming of Christ, who walked the earth with a sermon, the balance of the stay of all people without exception under the power of sin was disturbed. When the crucified Lord Jesus Christ is depicted on the eight-pointed Cross, the Cross as a whole becomes the full image of the Crucifixion of the Savior and therefore contains the fullness of the power contained in the suffering of the Lord on the Cross, the mysterious presence of Christ crucified.

There are two main types of images of the crucified Savior. The ancient view of the Crucifixion depicts Christ with his arms extended wide and straight along the transverse central bar: the body does not sag, but rests freely on the Cross. The second, later view, depicts the Body of Christ sagging, arms raised up and to the sides. The second view presents to the eye the image of the suffering of Christ for the sake of our salvation; here you can see the human body of the Savior suffering in torment. This image is more characteristic of the Catholic Crucifixion. But such an image does not convey the entire dogmatic meaning of these sufferings on the Cross. This meaning is contained in the words of Christ himself, who said to the disciples and the people: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (John 12, 32).

Widespread among Orthodox believers, especially in the days of Ancient Rus', had six-pointed cross. It also has an inclined crossbar, but the meaning is somewhat different: the lower end symbolizes unrepentant sin, and the upper one, liberation by repentance.

Four-pointed cross

The discussion about the "correct" cross did not arise today. The dispute about which cross is correct, eight-pointed or four-pointed, was led by Orthodox and Old Believers, and the latter called the simple four-pointed cross "the seal of the Antichrist." St. John of Kronstadt spoke in defense of the four-pointed cross, dedicating his Ph.D.

St. John of Kronstadt explains: “The “Byzantine” four-pointed cross is actually a “Russian” cross, since, according to Church Tradition, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir brought from Korsun, where he was baptized, just such a cross and was the first to install it on the banks of the Dnieper in Kiev. A similar four-pointed cross has been preserved in the Kiev Sophia Cathedral, carved on the marble board of the tomb of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, son of St. Vladimir. But, protecting the four-pointed cross, St. John concludes that one and the other must be venerated equally, since the form of the cross itself has no fundamental difference for believers.

Encolpion - cross reliquary

Relics, or encolpions (Greek), came to Rus' from Byzantium and were intended to store particles of relics and other shrines. Sometimes the encolpion was used to preserve the Holy Gifts, which the first Christians in the era of persecution received for Communion in their homes and carried with them. The most common were reliquaries made in the form of a cross and decorated with icons, as they combined the power of several sacred objects that a person could wear on his chest.

The reliquary cross consists of two halves with recesses on the inside, which form a cavity where the shrines are placed. As a rule, in such crosses there is a piece of fabric, wax, incense, or just a bunch of hair. Being filled, such crosses acquire great protective and healing power.

Schema Cross, or "Golgotha"

The inscriptions and cryptograms on Russian crosses have always been much more diverse than on Greek ones. Since the 11th century, under the lower oblique crossbar of the eight-pointed cross, a symbolic image of the head of Adam appears, and the bones of the hands lying in front of the head are depicted: right on the left, as during burial or Communion. According to legend, Adam was buried on Golgotha ​​(in Hebrew - “place of the skull”), where Christ was crucified. These words of his clarify the tradition that had developed in Rus' by the 16th century to produce the following designations near the image of "Golgotha":

• "M.L.R.B." - the place of the frontal was crucified
• "G.G." - Mount Golgotha
• "G.A." - Head of Adam
• The letters "K" and "T" mean a spear of a warrior and a cane with a sponge, depicted along the cross.

Above the middle crossbar are the inscriptions:

• "IC" "XC" - the name of Jesus Christ;
• and under it: "NIKA" - the Winner;
• on the title or near it is the inscription: "SN" "BZHIY" - the Son of God,
• but more often "I.N.Ts.I" - Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews;
• the inscription above the title: "ЦРЪ" "СЛАВЫ" - means the King of Glory.

Such crosses are supposed to be embroidered on the vestments of monks who have taken the schema - a vow to observe especially strict ascetic rules of conduct. The Calvary cross is also depicted on the funeral shroud, which marks the preservation of the vows given at Baptism, like the white shroud of the newly baptized, meaning cleansing from sin. When consecrating temples and houses, the image of the Calvary Cross is also used on the walls of the building on the four cardinal points.

How to distinguish an Orthodox cross from a Catholic one?

The Catholic Church uses only one image of the Cross - a simple, quadrangular one with an elongated lower part. But if the shape of the cross most often does not matter for believers and servants of the Lord, then the position of the Body of Jesus is a fundamental disagreement between these two religions. In the Catholic Crucifixion, the image of Christ has naturalistic features. It manifests all human suffering, the torment that Jesus had to experience. His arms sag under the weight of his body, blood streams down his face and from wounds on his arms and legs. The image of Christ on the Catholic cross is plausible, but this is the image of a dead person, while there is no hint of the triumph of victory over death. The Orthodox tradition, on the other hand, depicts the Savior symbolically, His appearance expresses not the agony of the cross, but the triumph of the Resurrection. The palms of Jesus are open, as if he wants to embrace all of humanity, giving them his love and opening the way to eternal life. He is God, and his whole image speaks of this.

Another fundamental position is the position of the feet on the Crucifixion. The fact is that among Orthodox shrines there are four nails with which Jesus Christ was supposedly nailed to the cross. So, the arms and legs were nailed separately. The Catholic Church does not agree with this statement and keeps its three nails with which Jesus was fixed on the cross. In the Catholic Crucifixion, Christ's feet are folded together and nailed with a single nail. Therefore, when you bring a cross to the temple for consecration, it will be carefully examined for the number of nails.

The inscription on the tablet attached above the head of Jesus, where there should have been a description of his offense, is also different. But since Pontius Pilate did not find how to describe the guilt of Christ, the words “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews” appeared on the tablet in three languages: Greek, Latin and Aramaic. Accordingly, on Catholic crosses you will see the inscription in Latin I.N.R.I., and on Russian Orthodox - I.N.Ts.I. (also found I.N.Ts.I.)

Consecration of the pectoral cross

Another very important issue is the consecration of the pectoral cross. If the cross is purchased in a temple shop, then it is, as a rule, consecrated. If the cross was bought elsewhere or has an unknown origin, then it must be taken to the church, ask one of the temple servants or a worker behind a candle box to transfer the cross to the altar. After examining the cross and in accordance with its Orthodox canons, the priest will serve the rites prescribed in this case. Usually the priest consecrates the crosses during the morning water-blessing prayer service. If we are talking about a baptismal cross for an infant, then consecration is also possible during the Sacrament of Baptism itself.

When consecrating the cross, the priest reads two special prayers, in which he asks the Lord God to pour heavenly power into the cross and that this cross saves not only the soul, but also the body from all enemies, sorcerers and from all evil forces. That is why on many pectoral crosses there is an inscription "Save and save!".

In conclusion, I would like to note that the Cross must be honored with its correct, Orthodox attitude towards it. This is not just a symbol, an attribute of faith, but also an effective protection of a Christian from satanic forces. The cross must be honored both by deeds, and by one's humility, and by imitating the feat of the Savior, as far as possible for a limited person. In the order of monastic tonsure it is said that a monk should always have before his eyes the suffering of Christ - nothing makes a person gather himself, nothing shows the need for humility so clearly as this saving remembrance. It would be good for us to strive for this. It is then that the grace of God will actually act in us through the image of the sign of the cross. If we do it with faith, then we will truly feel God's power and know God's wisdom.

The material was prepared by Natalia Ignatova