Legitimate or Superstitious?

[ByzCat3]

Just wondering, are these three practices legitimate or superstitious? Leaning towards legit, but wanted to make sure.

1. Kissing the Cross on a wrist chotki before putting it on and after taking it off,
2. Having certain articles of (really comfy) clothing that you only wear after Confession, and
3. Crossing oneself each time one passes in front of one’s icon corner.

 

[Joel_PF]

No practice is inherently superstitious. Many popular devotions of nowadays sprang from personal devotional practices that got popular.

It all depends on the meaning it has for you. Do you believe in magical powers in the cross, in the icon, or that God cares much about external observances devoid of spiritual meaning? Do you believe that one’s clothes actually increase the amount of God’s forgiveness because they make you feel better?
Or do you take the cross and icons to be symbols and images that point to a supernatural reality that you revere? And you wear the clothes in a symbolic way to underscore your spiritual comfort after letting yourself go on the arms of God?

It all comes down to that. So no, I don’t think any of these are superstitious.

 

[Suslar]

I agree with Joel - it all depends on HOW you use these practices. If they draw you closer to God, then all is good. If they are done out of habit, one might want to be concerned. If they are done with the idea that the symbol, article or action are protecting or saving you in some way, then yes, that would be superstitious.

 

[Bookcat]

Just wondering, are these three practices legitimate or superstitious? Leaning towards legit, but wanted to make sure…

I agree with Joel - it all depends on HOW you use these practices. If they draw you closer to God, then all is good. If they are done out of habit, one might want to be concerned. If they are done with the idea that the symbol, article or action are protecting or saving you in some way, then yes, that would be superstitious.

1. Yes “how” is important. The interior reason etc. The sign of the Cross at particular times…and kissing the cross etc…is all good. If done for the right reason etc.
2. If done out of habit…such can be* very good*. Habit is good. Heck virtue is a “good habitus”…a “kind” of good habit out of which we act well. We though need to have the right general intention or virtual intention. In other words it is a habit for a good reason.
3. The cross…and the action can have to do with protecting you…(though it is more than that…it is profession of Faith etc) …no worries there…of course one knows that it is not the thing itself…by some magic…but God etc that is protecting one…just think of all the exhortations of the use of the sign of the Cross for protection among the early Christians…it all has to do with as you note in the beginning “how” one does it…with the right intent and belief …or some wrong way.

As to the clothes thing? Not sure on that one…

Catechism:

2111 Superstition is the deviation of religious feeling and of the practices this feeling imposes. It can even affect the worship we offer the true God, e.g., when one attributes an importance in some way magical to certain practices otherwise lawful or necessary. To attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand, is to fall into superstition.

Sacramentals (CCC) scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c4a1.htm#1669

To the OP …by all means kiss the cross and make the sign of the cross…in the East as you know…the sign of the cross is made a great deal…not out of superstition …you are well within your tradition. But do it for the right meaning (even if it is a habit)…

In the early Church…the sign of the cross was made quite a lot …at least in certain places and periods.

 

[Suslar]

Bookcat, perhaps I didn’t not make my point clear enough.

Perhaps I should have written “mindless habit” instead of just “habit.” Mindless habit is not generally a good disposition for doing much of anything . For instance, we encourage fellow Catholics to receive Eucharist intentionally, and not simply out of habit – as if on autopilot.

I also think we may be saying the same thing but with different words. If the OP feels certain actions or articles are offering his/her salvation, it is completely superstitious. The cross or making the sign of the cross do not save us – Jesus Christ saves us and the action of making the sign of the cross or looking upon/kissing a crucifix is to remind us of this. The action or item does not offer magical protection – God does.

 

[Bookcat]

Bookcat, perhaps I didn’t not make my point clear enough.

Perhaps I should have written “mindless habit” instead of just “habit.” Mindless habit is not generally a good disposition for doing much of anything . For instance, we encourage fellow Catholics to receive Eucharist intentionally, and not simply out of habit – as if on autopilot.

I also think we may be saying the same thing but with different words. If the OP feels certain actions or articles are offering his/her salvation, it is completely superstitious. The cross or making the sign of the cross do not save us – Jesus Christ saves us and the action of making the sign of the cross or looking upon/kissing a crucifix is to remind us of this. The action or item does not offer magical protection – God does.

Yes I think we are.

 

[Suslar]

Thanks - sorry I wasn’t more clear in the first place

 

[Bookcat]

Thanks - sorry I wasn’t more clear in the first place

Of course …we should not confuse “Mindless habit” with necessaryly being superstitious or sinful…

and as I noted…habit is good…and can be even good when you it is “mindless” in the sense of being engraved into us…second nature …not needing to be thought out…and in fact when something is acquired as a habitus…it becomes con-natural to us…and can thus even be of a more perfected act

There is a “mindless” that is a sort of not caring…just doing it …and other kinds of “mindless”

 

[Suslar]

right, like how I habitually drive my car to Church each mornign for Mass . . . . . I think I could get there with my eyes closed (although I don’t recommend it!) a very good habit indeed

 

[Bookcat]

well the more perfected “con-naturalness” is things like virtue etc.

or the proformance of a pianist after years and years of practice…