Before you consecrate the cross, you need to understand why this is done. The answer to this question is very simple: a parishioner cannot participate in the Sacred Sacraments if he does not have this religious attribute on him. This rule was established by the Council. This decision, of course, is controversial and one can disagree with it. But the reality is that an Orthodox person must wear a consecrated cross.
This matter is not to be taken lightly. The cross is a serious symbol that should invisibly remind you of the most important.
Before you consecrate the cross, answer the question of why you need it. Do you remember that this is not a magical amulet, not a way to protect yourself from the outside world? It is a symbol of our faith, a silent reminder of the sacrifice that God made for each of us.
How does the rite of consecration take place?
How to consecrate a cross in a church? This is perhaps the easiest. It is enough to turn to the rector or any priest with a request to conduct the sacrament of consecration. The request will be fulfilled quickly and free of charge.
Consecration takes place on specific days, they should be clarified in the temple. The priest will take your thing andsprinkle holy water on it while saying a certain prayer.
This prayer has been unchanged for hundreds of years. The priest asks the Holy Spirit to descend on this thing so that it serves the cause of salvation by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, recalling the sacrifice that he made, paying for our sins.
How to bless a cross at home?
Better to do it in the temple. If the ceremony is impossible for some reason or you are in the taiga, and the sacrament is needed right now, then you will have certain difficulties. Before you consecrate the cross, you need to get Holy Water. And it is only in the temple.
To perform the ceremony on your own, you need to dip the cross into water three times or sprinkle the object with water. At the same time, it is important to pray with faith, asking God for the descent of the Holy Spirit on the subject.
Don't go to Church?
Before you consecrate the cross, it is important to understand whether you are a churched Christian. If you don’t go to church, don’t go to confession and take communion, don’t read the Bible, and don’t really know who Jesus Christ is, then you don’t need the consecration of the cross. If you're not a Christian, you don't have to wear it at all.
Such rituals are created only for sincerely believing people. For everyone else, it is nothing more than just a piece of jewelry. And don't assume it isn't. The Bible says that a Christian must be either hot or not. If a person is "warm" and believes in some abstract God without going to church, then heartificial Christian.
Can I buy a cross outside the church?
Of course. No religious canon forbids this. You can purchase a cross from a church shop, store, or make your own. It doesn't matter at all. The main thing is that it should be made in accordance with the tradition of the Eastern Christian Church. How to consecrate a cross bought in a jewelry store? Come to the temple and turn to the priest. It's very simple.
It is important to remember that every Orthodox priest is zealous about preserving the image of the Russian Orthodox Church. If your cross is made in accordance with the Catholic or Protestant tradition, then one simple difficulty may arise during the consecration - they will simply refuse you. Therefore, before making a purchase, make sure that the cross is made in accordance with the Eastern tradition. The Bible does not say anything about this, but it is regulated by the internal canons of the Russian Orthodox Church at the level of tradition.
This is explained by strained relations between Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. Thanks to evil people, relations between Christians around the world have been damaged and only high church hierarchs of both faiths can restore them today.
Sacred rites are male prerogative
Many parishioners are wondering: “Is it possible to consecrate a cross to a woman?” Unfortunately no. Scripture is very strict about this issue. Even the Apostle Paul wrote in his epistle: "I forbid a woman to teach." It means thata woman should neither preach in the temple nor discuss the fundamental issues of faith. To do this, she has a husband, who must teach his soulmate the basics of faith.
Similarly, the situation is with the conduct of sacred rites. A woman cannot participate in them. But there are exceptions.
For example, if a woman finds herself in a country where there is not a single Christian, and she needs the blessing of water, a cross, and so on to strengthen her faith, then she can play the role of a priest. But this rule only works in a really desperate situation.
What to expect from the result?
No need to wait for the miracles of faith to start happening after the cross is blessed. Of course, God can send some kind of change in a person's life to strengthen him on the path to Christ. But most of this journey must be done on your own.
- Give up bad habits.
- Do not offend loved ones and try to forgive offenders more often.
- Read the Bible and ask God to send you a revelation to understand what is written.
- Go to the temple and try to understand the essence of worship. Just standing is not enough, you need to understand the essence of what is happening in order to participate in the process of the liturgy.
- Confess and take communion. This is a mandatory process for a Christian. Without this, the soul of a person becomes callous, and the acceptance of the blood and flesh of Christ in remembrance of him renews consciousness and returns to his true nature.
It is important to remember that the consecration of the cross is only a small partgreat Orthodox teaching. This ritual can be perfectly dispensed with, because as such it does not bring man and God closer or further away.
