How many fingers when you sign the cross?

[St_Francis]

Why do different people/groups touch a different shoulder first? I’m asking because of the above about the Eastern Orthodox and because I recently heard some new age guy claiming that the Catholic Church makes the sign backwards and that doing it right to left is somehow more beneficial. Is there actually any significance in which shoulder is touched first?

From Here:
As Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, we make the sign of the Cross over our face and over our body. With our right hand, and with our fingers in the form of the Cross, we make the sign from above downwards. This symbolizes the Incarnation of Our Lord, when God came down from heaven to earth. Then we make the sign from left to right, which symbolizes the salvation of Christ, who took us from a sinful life to a right life.

Amazing the amount of symbolism in the Sign of the Cross!

 

[John_Lazarus]

Why do different people/groups touch a different shoulder first? I’m asking because of the above about the Eastern Orthodox and because I recently heard some new age guy claiming that the Catholic Church makes the sign backwards and that doing it right to left is somehow more beneficial. Is there actually any significance in which shoulder is touched first?

As I understand it, Eastern and Western priests give the blessings identically: from the point of view of the priest it’s top, bottom, left, right – from the point of view of the viewer, top, bottom, right, left. The “Eastern” way (for those who do it) is to mirror the priest’s action (forehead, body, right shoulder, left shoulder), the “Latin” way is to imitate the priest’s actions (forehead, body, left shoulder, right shoulder). That’s how it was explained to me.

I think it also depends on which pockets you keep your wallet and watch.

 

[MorEphrem]

As I understand it, Eastern and Western priests give the blessings identically: from the point of view of the priest it’s top, bottom, left, right – from the point of view of the viewer, top, bottom, right, left. The “Eastern” way (for those who do it) is to mirror the priest’s action (forehead, body, right shoulder, left shoulder), the “Latin” way is to imitate the priest’s actions (forehead, body, left shoulder, right shoulder). That’s how it was explained to me.

I think it also depends on which pockets you keep your wallet and watch.

No. The Eastern way is not right → left. This is specifically the Greek way. In the Syriac Churches we have always touched our left shoulder and than our right shoulder. I don’t think one is superlative to the other, but I do think it disproves the silly Greek anecdote about Latins being too dim that they mirrored the priest incorrectly, unless the Armenians, Syriacs, Indians and various other Churches all made the same mistake and Greeks somehow remained immune.

I do, however, prefer the symbology given to signing one’s self from left to right because it I’ve heard it explained as Jesus came to Earth in the incarnation (forehead → chest) and brought men to divinity (left → right) as opposed to the less positive Greek explanation. Overall, the direction doesn’t really matter. Anyone who claims a direction makes it more “efficacious” is poorly catechized, especially if they’re Eastern since we lack the notion of strict validity and the like.

 

[Zekariya]

No. The Eastern way is not right → left. This is specifically the Greek way. In the Syriac Churches we have always touched our left shoulder and than our right shoulder. I don’t think one is superlative to the other, but I do think it disproves the silly Greek anecdote about Latins being too dim that they mirrored the priest incorrectly, unless the Armenians, Syriacs, Indians and various other Churches all made the same mistake and Greeks somehow remained immune.

I do, however, prefer the symbology given to signing one’s self from left to right because it I’ve heard it explained as Jesus came to Earth in the incarnation (forehead → chest) and brought men to divinity (left → right) as opposed to the less positive Greek explanation. Overall, the direction doesn’t really matter. Anyone who claims a direction makes it more “efficacious” is poorly catechized, especially if they’re Eastern since we lack the notion of strict validity and the like.

Here is the positive Greek explanation that I have always heard:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first [the right shoulder], and also to the Greek [the left shoulder].

 

[MorEphrem]

Here is the positive Greek explanation that I have always heard:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first [the right shoulder], and also to the Greek [the left shoulder].

Pardon Zekariya, a bit of Syriac angst in me gets frustrated when we’re conflated with Greeks

 

[Zekariya]

Pardon Zekariya, a bit of Syriac angst in me gets frustrated when we’re conflated with Greeks

Haha! St Paul is not politically correct at all.

 

[John_Lazarus]

No. The Eastern way is not right → left. This is specifically the Greek way. In the Syriac Churches we have always touched our left shoulder and than our right shoulder. I don’t think one is superlative to the other, but I do think it disproves the silly Greek anecdote about Latins being too dim that they mirrored the priest incorrectly, unless the Armenians, Syriacs, Indians and various other Churches all made the same mistake and Greeks somehow remained immune.

I do, however, prefer the symbology given to signing one’s self from left to right because it I’ve heard it explained as Jesus came to Earth in the incarnation (forehead → chest) and brought men to divinity (left → right) as opposed to the less positive Greek explanation. Overall, the direction doesn’t really matter. Anyone who claims a direction makes it more “efficacious” is poorly catechized, especially if they’re Eastern since we lack the notion of strict validity and the like.

Sorry, MorEphrem. I’ve been a Catholic all my life, but I’m still learning some of the lingo and distinctions. I did not even know of the existence of Armenian, Syriac, Byzantine etc Churches until I was in high school. :embarrassment:

At least I did not make the mistake of calling y’all “Roman” Catholics…

 

[Brendan_64]

Two fingers and one thumb, held together as a sign of the Trinity.