What is a pectoral cross and how to handle it correctly. What does wearing a cross give us in general and what is it for?

People have many questions about the pectoral cross:

• Is it possible to wear and put on someone else’s cross, for example a deceased relative;
• is it possible to pick up a found cross from the ground and what to do with it later - wear it later, or not;
• Is it possible to buy a cross at a pawnshop;
• Is it possible to wear two crosses at all;
• Is it possible to wear a cross that has been repaired?

The Orthodox cross is not an amulet or a talisman

The consecrated cross that we wear on a chain or cord is a sign of our belonging to Orthodoxy, our shrine, protection, constant prayer and help in spiritual confrontation, and its weight on our neck is a constant reminder to us that all our thoughts and deeds should be committed and dedicated to serving God.

It should be worn with the prayer side facing the body. A person who wears a cross on himself testifies to his participation in the feat of Christ, hopes for his salvation and resurrection for eternal life. For a believer, wearing a cross means admitting your sins, repenting and trying to atone for them.

The best and most expensive gift for a believer would be pectoral cross. You can give it on appropriate holidays - christenings, name days, birthdays. It can be new, or it can be found. It is important that it be consecrated in the temple and contain the power of the cross.

You need to wear it under clothes, without showing it off, because that’s what it’s called - body-worn, this is not a decoration or a talisman, so you shouldn’t indulge your vanity by flaunting such an intimate item, boasting and bragging are of no use here .

Of course, there is nothing wrong when a cross is visible in the neckline of a sundress or an open shirt, but you cannot wear it over closed clothing. You don't need to worry about external manifestations faith, but to carry the image of Christ in your heart.

What to do with someone’s lost cross and is it possible to pick it up from the ground?

The church ministers are unanimous in their opinion on this issue; the found cross must be picked up, since this is God’s providence. God gave the person who found it a happy opportunity to save the shrine from desecration and trampling in the mud. Raising the cross is a just and godly deed.

The found cross must be carefully lifted from the ground with respect and humility, prayer, and used at your own discretion.

You can wear it yourself, consecrating it in church, you can give it to a person in need of a cross, or you can simply bring it to church and leave it there.

But under no circumstances should you step over the cross and leave it for further abuse - to wallow in the dirt.

There is a belief that by putting someone else’s cross around his neck, a person takes upon himself the fate and sins of the previous owner. The Church condemns such superstitions, because a shrine is not a chest in which savings are folded, and our Lord gives everyone his own destiny, the one and only, the one that we are capable of and each of us bears his own cross.

The attitude of clergy towards superstitions regarding the cross Church officials do not approve various fortune telling , predictions, mysticism, beliefs. When asked whether someone else’s bad and difficult fate will be passed on along with someone else’s cross, they answer just a few words: “A cross is a cross. And even two crossed sticks are quite capable of helping a true believer resist evil and the devil’s machinations. In the light God's world

There should be no place for superstitions."

This means that you can and should use the body crosses of your deceased relatives and honor them as a family heirloom.

And a mother or father may well put their cross on their child by buying a new one and putting it on.

Wearing a cross donated by relatives is a godly deed, the main thing is that it is consecrated in the church. It is also quite possible to wear a cross bought at a pawnshop and consecrated by you in church; it will not bear any negativity and the fate of the previous owner.

What you really can't do with a cross

• The cross is a symbol and sign of our faith, our relationship to God and the Divine, therefore we must treat it with trepidation and immeasurable respect. For a truly and deeply religious person it is unacceptable: try to consecrate the cross on his own, even if he knows the necessary prayers and actions, since only people who have
• church rite
• , since these prayers are allowed for use only by church ministers;
• You cannot deliberately display a cross, it is sinful and not pleasing to God, pride is one of the most terrible sins; you cannot remove the cross unless absolutely necessary; if there was a need to remove the cross, when putting it on you must read a prayer; cannot be worn on the same chain or cord with and amulets, which are objects of superstition;
• you also cannot wear a cross in your bag, ears or on a chain bracelet on your hand - this is considered blasphemy;
• You cannot throw away a broken cross, because it should not be trampled under foot, it is not garbage.

This, perhaps, is all that a true believer needs to know about his shrine and relic, which helps him fight sinfulness, protects him from the devil’s machinations, strengthens him in his faith and brings peace and tranquility.

There is an opinion that by taking up someone else’s cross, you take on other people’s sins. Is it so? Archpriest Sergius Arakelov answers.

The pectoral cross is the cross of Christ.

How can a cross carry any negative load? This is a sacred object that sanctifies everything!
If you find a pectoral cross, there is nothing wrong with that. Either keep it for yourself or take it to church.
This happened to me. A couple of years ago, after 25 years of separation, we met with classmates. And at the meeting, one of my school friends, who was baptized at the age of 30, was worried that he had lost his pectoral cross. Then I gave him my cross. By the way, F. Dostoevsky writes that when men used to want to fraternize, they always exchanged crosses.

The very fact that the thing you found is a cross should remove all questions altogether.

Or there was such a situation. After the death of my wife’s grandmother, we found a Catholic cross among the deceased’s belongings - and, of course, I took it to the Catholic Church.
The cross, I repeat, is a sacred object. The very fact that the thing you found is a cross should remove all questions altogether. Another point: whether the cross you found is consecrated or not consecrated. If there is doubt, then it is better to consecrate the cross.
Having found someone's cross, it is simply impossible to take his sin. This is the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ - to take on the sins of all people, to bear the cross of the Savior of mankind.
Why do we wear the cross? Because we confess Christ, who was crucified precisely for our sins on the cross. And the pectoral cross is the cross of Christ. Not the cross of the person who lost it. A person carries his cross himself. It has nothing to do with the cross of Christ. As the Apostle Paul said, “...was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Cor. 1:13). Christ was crucified! Therefore, such a question should not even arise in our minds. The Cross of Christ is, on the contrary, the atonement for sins.

The cross has been used since ancient times as a demonstration of belonging to Orthodox Church. He is a talisman and amulet for any believer.

The cross acts as evidence of belief in the only Lord God and confession Christian faith. It is not strange that people who use the cross as a beautiful decoration commit a greater sin. Consciously wearing a cross - how eternal prayer, constant conversation with God.

Only with full understanding and faith in the Lord God will the cross have power.

Only a baptized person can wear a pectoral cross. He receives it immediately after the Baptismal rite and must wear it without taking it off throughout his life, near his heart. He will not give protection to the unbaptized.

Crosses are made from all kinds of metals, including gold. In some cases it is used gems. Also, the cross can be made of church silver, copper or even wood.

At the time of Russia’s adoption of Christianity, a cross was worn on top of clothing as a clear indicator of one’s affiliation with Christianity. Later this was rethought, and the cross began to be worn near the body.

There is a superstition that during the ritual of illumination the cross acquires new, sacred powers, And protective properties . The Church says that blessed cross allows you to physically connect with the divine, which will help you develop spiritually. But it is valid only if its owner leads a correct spiritual life.

If the cross is a talisman given once and for life, then what to do if it is lost?

Forgive sins by losing the cross

It would seem that the loss of a cross is a sign of a very bad event to come, but folk superstitions don't agree with this. Signs about the cross say: in most cases, the loss of a religious symbol is good luck.

Losing good and beloved things is always unpleasant for the owner, especially if we are talking about an object that should not even be temporarily removed from the body. The cross is part of religion; it takes on all the sins of its owner. So, for example, if the bearer of a pectoral cross had a hard life behind him, then the loss of the cross indicates impending changes.

The sign about the cross will come true if God himself takes the cross; there is no need to try to lose it yourself for the sake of any changes. In case of loss, do not delay in purchasing a new one: it is advisable to buy a cross on the same day and consecrate it in church. The main thing is to continue to believe in divine power and the miraculous effect of the cross.

The loss of a cross in itself does not mean something good, but if you look at it from a positive point of view, what is written above will come true. If you have lost a cross, the sign says that all adversity and troubles will go away with it. God will give you another chance to start life from scratch, but now you need to follow God's laws.

Find hope for the future

Finding a pectoral cross is an ambiguous omen. Some say that if you find a cross, it means trouble, others say that it is great luck.

Do not forget that while the cross is worn it collects all the energy of the owner, and it also has information about the future. This means that by picking up someone else’s cross, a person takes on someone else’s fate.. What if his fate is difficult? In some cases, the discovery of a cross is interpreted as a good sign that God has decided to remind himself, and he is ready to support the finder. But even in this case, the cross is a very personal thing and carries all the energy of its owner, so you can expect more negativity from the found cross.

There are also different opinions about what should be done if such a discovery occurs.

Someone warns that a golden cross should under no circumstances be picked up, and if this happens, it should be taken to church on the same day and left there.

But many clergy, on the contrary, say that finding a cross is a very good omen. It is like a sign from God, so the find should be taken to the church for consecration, after which it can be kept at home.

Which option to believe in is up to you to choose. Rely on your intuition, it will give you the exact answer.

A pectoral cross is a reliable talisman for every believer. This holy thing is imbued with the energy of its owner and becomes literally one with him, and even when it is lost, it retains this connection for some time. But if you happen to find a cross, signs strongly advise against wearing it, and there is an explanation for this.

A pectoral cross is a reliable amulet for every believer

Where is a cross usually found and what does it mean?

If you suddenly find a cross, then, according to popular wisdom, it is better to avoid it. The item may contain negativity left over from the previous owner.

At the same time, the opinion of the clergy on this matter is completely different. They say that if you happen to find a cross, there is no need to worry, since this thing is not capable of accumulating bad energy. The Orthodox cross is a shrine that is not capable of causing harm.

In general, there are several superstitions that can interpret this situation. And their interpretation directly depends on exactly where you found the find.

1. We saw a cross gathering dust at an intersection - a bad sign. Usually it is not by chance that he is thrown there. The Holy Cross could be spoken to get rid of any illness or to ward off misfortune. Thus, by picking it up, a person takes all the thrown misfortunes onto himself.
2. I happened to find a pectoral cross in my house - a sign advises me to think about how exactly it got there. If it previously belonged to one of your relatives and was simply forgotten, this item will not cause problems. However, there may be another situation when this item is deliberately thrown into the house to attract troubles.
3. Found on the grass - changes await you. The sign does not explain whether they will be good or bad, and what area of ​​life they will concern, but the fact that they will happen is certain.
4. If a holy thing was lying on the road, get ready for the trip. Moreover, this can be not only a business trip, but also a visit to distant relatives.
5. Found in a puddle, it promises trouble for a person. You will find yourself in the crosshairs of envious people and ill-wishers who will begin to weave intrigues. It is quite possible that these events will entail feelings and tears.

If you find a cross on the street, then in order to neutralize bad omen, you need to do the following: take the find to the temple, consecrate it and leave it there.

Saw a cross gathering dust at an intersection - a bad sign

Interpretation depending on the material

Finding a cross made of gold or silver is considered great luck. However, the sign categorically does not recommend selling or exchanging such a thing for anything. This is a kind of test, and if a person nevertheless decides to take the cross, for example, to a pawnshop, he will show in this way an excessive love of money, which will result in big troubles for him. According to legend, his soul will be destroyed.

On the other hand, it is believed that Orthodox crosses made of simple materials such as wood, iron, copper, etc. have true power. However, this does not affect the interpretation of the sign, and if you happen to find such a cross, its meaning remains the same .

Whatever material the shrine is made of, it is undesirable to bring it into your home - people say that in this case a person will have to atone for the sins of the owner of the cross for the rest of his life.

What should you do if you find someone else's cross?

On the one hand, signs do not advise picking up a found cross, especially if it was found at an intersection. It is better to leave such a thing where it was. However, the clergy say that it is not good for the shrine to lie in the dust.

If you sincerely believe in omens and are afraid of getting into trouble, before picking up this object you should cross it and read a short prayer.

Church workers are confident that the found cross is a symbol of the manifestation of God's mercy. And if you leave the amulet on the road, you will thereby desecrate it.

• Hang it on the branch of a nearby tree - perhaps the person who has lost the amulet will return to find it.
• If you are a deeply religious person, you should take the amulet you find to church and donate it to some icon.
  According to superstitions, finding a cross by chance is destined only to a good person. The sign says that a sinner will never discover a shrine under his feet.

If you are a deeply religious person, the amulet you find should be taken to church and donated to some icon

Is it possible to wear a found cross?

Signs do not advise wearing a found cross. Superstitious people claim that you cannot wear such a find on yourself, otherwise you will have to shoulder the sins of others.

However, there is an exception to this rule. The priests say they can keep the find. unbaptized people who are just planning to convert to Christianity. And here it is very important that the decision of the person who finds the cross is influenced not by a sign, but by a sincere desire.

As you can see, opinions about the found cross vary greatly, and the interpretation of the sign can have both positive and negative meaning. However, remember that you should always set yourself up only for the good. If you find a cross, do what you need to do Orthodox man and take it to the temple.

It is believed that the sign “find a cross” has two opposite meanings. The cross symbolizes human destiny and all the trials that a person experiences throughout his life. To lose means to go astray. On the one hand, if a person is in need, deprived, sick and suffering, this will be a good sign for him. Fate is favorable to him, and soon everything will change. On the other hand, the loss of the cross of a happy and satisfied person with his life is a sign of change for the worse.

What does the loss of the cross mean?

Losing a cross along with a gold or silver chain is a bad omen. It is believed that this symbol is a kind of protection from the evil eye and damage, evil spirits and demons. To lose all this is to be prepared for trials and tribulations.

From the point of view of occult sciences, the loss of the cross is depriving oneself of a load negative energy and mental and physical pain. It happens that the cross itself comes off the chain or the chain breaks without mechanical damage. This means that a person has accumulated too much energetic “dirt” and “garbage” that needs to be thrown off.

Popular superstitions considered the cross, first of all, a talisman against evil forces. To lose it is to become defenseless and weak before the machinations of the evil one.

Where is a cross usually found, and what does it mean?

Superstitions have different interpretations of the meaning of the place where the cross was discovered. Here are some of them:

• On the road - for trips or long business trips.
• In the grass - to changes in life.
• In a puddle - to tears, envy and gossip.
• At the crossroads - with the help of this cross, damage or the evil eye was induced.

Finding a cross made of noble and precious metals is considered great luck. But this is also a test: the golden cross cannot be kept, given to a pawnshop, or sold. This is a kind of test for excessive love of money. According to legend, money will destroy the soul of such a person.

It is better to donate gold or silver crosses to a temple or a specific icon. Finding a broken cross means trouble.

There are two points of view on what to do with a pectoral cross lying on the road or ground:

• Opinion and sorcerers. Under no circumstances should you lift a sacred object. You can transfer all the sins, damage and negative flows of the owner of the cross into your energy field. This can affect a person’s life, destiny and health.
• The opinion of the official church. The cross is a consecrated object that should not be desecrated or desecrated. If it lies on the ground or road, then you should definitely pick it up. Leaving the cross lying around in dirt and dust is a sin.

People believe that if a person picks up someone’s cross and brings it into his home, then throughout the rest of his life he will have to atone for his sins and the sins of the owner of this cross. Therefore, if you find this sacred object, take it to the church. There the priest himself will decide what to do with him. In this they agree folk wisdom, and the opinion of the clergy.

For a true Christian, both the loss of a cross and the discovery of someone else’s mean nothing. It's just an accident. You cannot leave it on the road, but it is better to give it to the nearest temple. If you have lost your cross, then it is enough to buy yourself a new, consecrated cross, since without it Orthodox Christian can't get by.

The sign of “finding a cross” can be interpreted differently by everyone. We must remember that a person’s thoughts also have a certain power, and you cannot set yourself up for bad things. Everyone decides for themselves what to do when they find a cross: as an Orthodox person or as a simple layman.

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