Improvised cross

[Laughing_Crow]

I apologize if this is not in the right place. As many of you know I have been wrestling with faith for a while now (nearly my entire life being an atheist will make and faith hard to accept) but im slowly getting there. A few of you have suggested getting a cross to help me but due to a very anti-religious father I cant openly wear a cross. Recently I was given a necklace by my brother, it is a stainless steel ‘sword’ that hangs from the end of the handle, roughly in the shape of a cross. I was wondering, as I am unable to wear a cross openly, can I use this necklace as a kind of ‘substitute cross’ to pray on until I can openly wear a normal one, or is this wrong of me?

 

[puzzleannie]

you can wear any jewelry you want
you are not obligated to wear a cross or any religious symbol in any case
worry more about your actions, following God’s law, honoring your parents, obeying them in all things that are not sinful, and carrying out the duties of your station in life. Prayer is personal and no one can stop you praying.

 

[GEddie]

I apologize if this is not in the right place. As many of you know I have been wrestling with faith for a while now (nearly my entire life being an atheist will make and faith hard to accept) but im slowly getting there. A few of you have suggested getting a cross to help me but due to a very anti-religious father I cant openly wear a cross. Recently I was given a necklace by my brother, it is a stainless steel ‘sword’ that hangs from the end of the handle, roughly in the shape of a cross. I was wondering, as I am unable to wear a cross openly, can I use this necklace as a kind of ‘substitute cross’ to pray on until I can openly wear a normal one, or is this wrong of me?

I think it’s a great idea!

A neck cross is for your own use, as a reminder, and to help in prayer. There ia no requirement that it be blessed, or include the body form, etc. It is for YOU!

A friend from Egypt once told me that in his country, owing to persecution, the Ankh (a local life-symbol somewhat resembling the cross) was used around necks in place of the cross. The situation you d escribe is less serious, but just as real to you; so take courage and go ahead!

God Bless and ICXC NIKA.

 

[JRKH]

I agree with the others.

If this necklace will help you to remember, concentrate, call God to mind etc…then by all means go ahead and use it in that way. Jewelry and such are merely objects. Even purely devotional items such as rosaries, crucifixes, scapulars, and such carry not special powers in and of themselves. The only "power’ they contain is in how they help us to recall God, to pray, to amend our lives, to avoid sin etc…
Of course items can be blessed and thus through the blessing additional graces can be received, but remember that these come through the blessing and not through the item itself.

Peace
James

 

[the_phoenix]

Sounds cool to me!

 

[Laughing_Crow]

Thank you all for your replies. I knew that it wasnt nessacary to wear a cross or rosary, I was simply worried theat using a necklace in the shape of a sword as a Cross was wrong.