Any rules...

[OrthodoxyUSA]

Don't spend any money.... I'll send you one.

 

[Matrona]

Wearing my cross outside reminds me that I am accountable to Christ for all that I do and say. In many cases I'm the first/only Orthodox that someone else knows--my own actions and words can help or harm the Orthodox mission in America. I could save a soul from heresy or cause one to be lost to it forever. So that is why I wear my cross outside my clothes.

 

[Kolya]

Here's something else to keep in mind. While I don't believe it is forbidden to where the cross on the outside, I have learned from reading and from talking with others that it is general orthodox practice to wear one's cross under their shirt. This is, in part, to remind ourselves that symbols do not make the Christian. It also can protect us from pride, secretly hoping that others see your cross. It helps us focus on the biblical verse that tells us that others will know we are Christ's disciples by our love. It is also practical because you can often feel it touch your chest and so it reminds you of the cross. I often push it against my chest to remind myself.

I remeber when I decided to become Orthodox. I bought a beaut silver cross, and wore it outside my shirt the next Sunday. When Father came out to cense the icons and the assembled, he took one look at my cross, and did a double take.
After the service he called me aside, and tactfully told me that Orthodox men wear their crosses inside theit clothes. (He then pulled down the collar of his vestment to show me his baptismal cross was under his clothes too.)
Only the ladies are supposed to wear their crosses on the outside with pride, though here, as in Moscow, you put it under your shirt in the street, for the same reason.


14 to go

 

[Xpycoctomos]

I remeber when I decided to become Orthodox. I bought a beaut silver cross, and wore it outside my shirt the next Sunday. When Father came out to cense the icons and the assembled, he took one look at my cross, and did a double take.
After the service he called me aside, and tactfully told me that Orthodox men wear their crosses inside theit clothes. (He then pulled down the collar of his vestment to show me his baptismal cross was under his clothes too.)
Only the ladies are supposed to wear their crosses on the outside with pride, though here, as in Moscow, you put it under your shirt in the street, for the same reason.


14 to go

I didn't know all these details. Thanks Koyla!

John

 

[Moros]

I bought this one from ECS a while back:
http://www.easternchristian.com/product2478.html

I've been by their monastery but they don't allow visitors for some reason, probably wise considering they are a major distribution center and could get robbed fairly easily.

After the service he called me aside, and tactfully told me that Orthodox men wear their crosses inside theit clothes.

Must be a cultural thing, the priest here encourages the opposite.

 

[Kolya]

I didn't know all these details. Thanks Koyla!John

A pleasure, to be sure

Must be a cultural thing, the priest here encourages the opposite.

Could very well be. That's what my priest told me, and our Russian men never display their crosses. BTW, that's a VERY BEAUT cross you bought. and it costs only 20% of the white gold one I want made up for me for my nameday.



11 to go

 

[Moros]

Ours is OCA. Durn "liberals" again!

Only problem I have with it is, people see the three-bar and assume I'm Russian.

 

[Kolya]

Ours is OCA. Durn "liberals" again!

Only problem I have with it is, people see the three-bar and assume I'm Russian.

Everyone sees Seraphima's cross, and when a stranger asks if she's Russian, she says 'Yes', and acts the part. She's Incorrigible!


10 to go

 

[Zacharias]

Thanks everyone. In my relatives OCA Church everyone wears their cross on the outside. I guess the best thing to do is ask the priest of the parish. I haven't attended it yet but I hope to soon.

 

[The Prokeimenon!]

I'm glad all this inside/outside stuff came up... My Greek Orthodox friend told me that we should always keep our cross under our shirt- close to our heart, except inside Church. We should always take it out inside Church.

Then, a ROCOR Monk told me that in Russia (and I'm assuming he meant 19th century Russia) the only people who were allowed to wear their crosses outside their clothes were the Priests and Bishops and that this had something to do with fact that the Church was supported by the state, the cross served as kind of a "state employee badge."

This was a very crabby monk and I got the feeling that he mainly just wanted to complain about something.

Anyway, the point was- the Monk told me that we were supposed to wear our cross outside our clothes, except when inside Church, which made little sense to me, but I didn't want to further irritate this monk.

Moses

 

[gzt]

I think the main point is, don't be showy about your piety.

 

[Photini]

Freak4JC, don't worry. Most of the priests and monks I've talked to frown upon looking at Orthodoxy as a list of do's and dont's. As you become more interested in Orthodoxy many things will work themselves out....like the interest in non-Orthodox Bible studies, etc. Becoming Orthodox is something that takes time....all of our lives actually.

 

[gzt]

Although one "do" that you must do if you're seeking an Orthodox way of life: DO make more descriptive titles than "If..." "What if..." "Any rules..." etc. But, yeah, there aren't many rules, just ways to check our pride and attain humility.

 

[Zacharias]

Although one "do" that you must do if you're seeking an Orthodox way of life: DO make more descriptive titles than "If..." "What if..." "Any rules..." etc. But, yeah, there aren't many rules, just ways to check our pride and attain humility.

Okay

 

[Xpycoctomos]

Ours is OCA. Durn "liberals" again!

Only problem I have with it is, people see the three-bar and assume I'm Russian.

Well, you are OCA so that is your heritage... at least in large part.