The Syro Malabar Solemn Sign of the Cross

[Thomas48]

Dear Friends,

In the Syro Malabar Church there are actually two (quasi three) methods of making the Sign of the Cross, I recently saw a Syro Malabar friend post about this topic on another forum and thought I’d share. I remember making the Solemn Sign of the Cross many times in my youth growing up, I don’t see it used as often now a days. Also I am not sure if this is only a Syro Malabar custom or if it carries on with the other St. Thomas Churches.

**
Simple Sign of the Cross:**

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…Aamaynn.
Left to right, just like Latin rite.
**
Solemn Sign of the Cross:**

Vishudda Kurishinde (of the Holy Cross) (Vertical bar of the Cross on forehead)

Adayalathal (by the Sign) (Horizontal bar of the Cross on forehead)

Njangalude (our) (Vertical bar of the Cross on lips)

Shathrukkalilninnu (from enemies) (Horizontal bar of the Cross on lips)

Njangale rakshikkaname (save us) (Vertical bar of the Cross on chest)

Njangalude Thamburane (Our Lord) (Horizontal bar of the Cross on chest)

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…Aamaynn

The bars of the Cross, on the forehead, lips and chest are drawn from left to right. And the prayer, grammatically ordered, would look like this: O Lord, deliver us from our enemies by the sign of the Holy Cross. The original I gave is Malayalam.

Now, Always, and Eternally Sign of the Cross:

Ippozhum (Now): Forehead
Eppozhum (Always): Chest
Ennekyum (Eternally): Left to Right Shoulder
Aamaynn

 

[powerofk]

Dear Friends,

In the Syro Malabar Church there are actually two (quasi three) methods of making the Sign of the Cross, I recently saw a Syro Malabar friend post about this topic on another forum and thought I’d share. I remember making the Solemn Sign of the Cross many times in my youth growing up, I don’t see it used as often now a days. Also I am not sure if this is only a Syro Malabar custom or if it carries on with the other St. Thomas Churches.

**
Simple Sign of the Cross:**

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…Aamaynn.
Left to right, just like Latin rite.
**
Solemn Sign of the Cross:**

Vishudda Kurishinde (of the Holy Cross) (Vertical bar of the Cross on forehead)

Adayalathal (by the Sign) (Horizontal bar of the Cross on forehead)

Njangalude (our) (Vertical bar of the Cross on lips)

Shathrukkalilninnu (from enemies) (Horizontal bar of the Cross on lips)

Njangale rakshikkaname (save us) (Vertical bar of the Cross on chest)

Njangalude Thamburane (Our Lord) (Horizontal bar of the Cross on chest)

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…Aamaynn

The bars of the Cross, on the forehead, lips and chest are drawn from left to right. And the prayer, grammatically ordered, would look like this: O Lord, deliver us from our enemies by the sign of the Holy Cross. The original I gave is Malayalam.

Now, Always, and Eternally Sign of the Cross:

Ippozhum (Now): Forehead
Eppozhum (Always): Chest
Ennekyum (Eternally): Left to Right Shoulder
Aamaynn

Actually, this custom is also found in the Roman Rite, though rare with English-speaking Catholics. I’ve seen it quite often with Spanish-Speaking Catholics.

 

[Thomas48]

Actually, this custom is also found in the Roman Rite, though rare with English-speaking Catholics. I’ve seen it quite often with Spanish-Speaking Catholics.

Thank you very much for this reply. I had a feeling it was a Latinization, though I was not sure because I had not seen it done at the Latin Churches I have visited and attended in the United States. This is most likely the reason why I do not see the solemn Sign of the Cross done relatively today since the synod of the Syro Malabar Church is cracking down on Latinizations.

 

[AXO]

I’ve seen it quite often with Spanish-Speaking Catholics.

Yes. Apart from the liturgical law, crossing oneself three times and then crossing oneself again is popular. I don’t do it, but, as an example of this, old people usually do this when kneeling for praying. I actually really doubt it has any origin in the East Syrian rite.

 

[Micosil]

Yes, I’ve seen that as well in Spain, though it isn’t the norm by any means.

Thomas48, is it usual in the Syro-Malabar Church to end the Sign of the Cross by saying “One God”? I’ve seen this practice in the Tewahedo Orthodox Church of Ethiopia, and I was wondering which other churches/traditions also do it.

 

[SyroMalankara]

Yes. Apart from the liturgical law, crossing oneself three times and then crossing oneself again is popular. I don’t do it, but, as an example of this, old people usually do this when kneeling for praying. I actually really doubt it has any origin in the East Syrian rite.

Actually, while it may not have a direct link to the East Syrian Rite, the Spanish/Portuguese Romans may have picked it up from the Mozarabic Rite, which is heavily influenced by the Gallican Rite, which has links to the West Syriac Rite of Antioch.

 

[Thomas48]

Yes, I’ve seen that as well in Spain, though it isn’t the norm by any means.

Thomas48, is it usual in the Syro-Malabar Church to end the Sign of the Cross by saying “One God”? I’ve seen this practice in the Tewahedo Orthodox Church of Ethiopia, and I was wondering which other churches/traditions also do it.

No, we do not have this practice of adding “One God”, however the addition of “Ippozhum, Eppozhum, Ennekyum” or “Now, Always, and Eternally” is very common and sometimes even replaces “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” completely.

Malabar East Syriac:

Shuw’ha L’Awa U’lawra wal’Ruha D’Qudsha
Min Alam wadamma L’alam, Amen Wamen

 

[AXO]

Actually, while it may not have a direct link to the East Syrian Rite, the Spanish/Portuguese Romans may have picked it up from the Mozarabic Rite, which is heavily influenced by the Gallican Rite, which has links to the West Syriac Rite of Antioch.

Actually I saw it in Roman-rite churches. Anyway, I don’t believe it. Our use of the sign of the cross is barely wider than that of the Roman rite. I almost completely dismiss the possibility that conquerors have taken that from the Hispano-Mozarabic customs. Bear in mind that the rite was nearly replaced right away by the legates of Pope Alexander II and by the order of Pope St. Gregory VII and that it relatively survived until the restoration carried out by Cardinal Cisneros.

 

[patrick457]

Actually, this custom is also found in the Roman Rite, though rare with English-speaking Catholics. I’ve seen it quite often with Spanish-Speaking Catholics.

I grew up in the Philippines and my grandmothers also it did it.

Ang tanda ng Santa Cruz (cross on forehead)
ipag-adya mo kami (cross on lips)
Panginoon naming Dios, sa mga kaaway namin (cross on breast)
Sa ngalan ng Ama, at ng Anak, at ng Espiritu Santo. Amen. (big Sign of the Cross)

No surprise since we’ve also been a Spanish territory for about 400 years.

Yes, I’ve seen that as well in Spain, though it isn’t the norm by any means.

Thomas48, is it usual in the Syro-Malabar Church to end the Sign of the Cross by saying “One God”? I’ve seen this practice in the Tewahedo Orthodox Church of Ethiopia, and I was wondering which other churches/traditions also do it.

I think they got that from the Copts.

 

[MorEphrem]

I think they got that from the Copts.

It is a general Oriental practice. The Syriacs also says “bshem abo wabro wruho dqudsho, had aloho shariro” (In the name of the F, S and HS, the one true God). I haven’t been able to find anything about the Armenians having a similar practice, but what I recall from reading it is Antiochene in practice from Theodoret of Cyrrhus to emphasize the singularity of God and that he is not three Gods (which surprised me because I always thought it was a post-Islamic invasion response to the accusation of shirk amongst Christians).