Venerating the Cross

[Godric2]

On Good Friday, at the liturgy, how do you venerate the Cross?

I used to kneel and kiss. However, last year I was uncomfortable doing this for hygene reasons. The cross was never wiped at all during the action, and I am sorry to say I felt it was a little unhygenic.

Do you venerate in a different way?

It seems from this blog post that maybe some people do:
Venerating the Cross

 

[Faith1960]

On Good Friday, at the liturgy, how do you venerate the Cross?

I used to kneel and kiss. However, last year I was uncomfortable doing this for hygene reasons. The cross was never wiped at all during the action, and I am sorry to say I felt it was a little unhygenic.

Do you venerate in a different way?

It seems from this blog post that maybe some people do:
Venerating the Cross

I walk through the line, up to the cross, kiss my fingers and touch the cross. They wipe the cross here.

 

[adamhovey1988]

On Good Friday, at the liturgy, how do you venerate the Cross?

I used to kneel and kiss. However, last year I was uncomfortable doing this for hygene reasons. The cross was never wiped at all during the action, and I am sorry to say I felt it was a little unhygenic.

Do you venerate in a different way?

It seems from this blog post that maybe some people do:
Venerating the Cross

Try attending pretty much any Byzantine Liturgy if you think that is unhygenic.

 

[Faith1960]

Try attending pretty much any Byzantine Liturgy if you think that is unhygenic.

What happens at a Byzantine Liturgy?

 

[Irishmom2]

I always feel like God is not going to allow anyone to “catch” something while venerating the cross, or drinking from the cup of precious blood.

Has anyone ever heard about someone getting sick doing either of those? I haven’t. I’ll take my chances. No one can prove that’s what caused their illness, so…how would they know anyway?

 

[tawny]

I always feel like God is not going to allow anyone to “catch” something while venerating the cross, or drinking from the cup of precious blood.

Has anyone ever heard about someone getting sick doing either of those? I haven’t. I’ll take my chances. No one can prove that’s what caused their illness, so…how would they know anyway?

Same here. They also wipe the Crucifix after each person.

 

[pianistclare]

I always feel like God is not going to allow anyone to “catch” something while venerating the cross, or drinking from the cup of precious blood.

Has anyone ever heard about someone getting sick doing either of those? I haven’t. I’ll take my chances. No one can prove that’s what caused their illness, so…how would they know anyway?

Amen. I’ll never get used to the notion that God allows us to get “cooties” during Mass or any other liturgy.


But they do wipe the cross here. Many people genuflect or simply bend down. I’m short, so I can kiss the crossbeam fairly easily.

 

[GoGoDiego]

On Good Friday, at the liturgy, how do you venerate the Cross?

I used to kneel and kiss. However, last year I was uncomfortable doing this for hygene reasons. The cross was never wiped at all during the action, and I am sorry to say I felt it was a little unhygenic.

Do you venerate in a different way?

It seems from this blog post that maybe some people do:
Venerating the Cross

The custom here in the Philippines is to kiss the cross. Some devout worshippers would kiss the Five Wounds, others the foot of the cross.

I usually genuflect and kiss the cross on Good Friday

 

[newlywed8]

What happens at a Byzantine Liturgy?

We like to kiss things. A lot. You know, icons, crosses, priests’ hands, the chalice (in some traditions), sometimes even each other for good measure (on the cheek)

I have been to numerous EC and EO churches and I have only ever seen a cloth to wipe down the icon afterwards in one…

Then again, we also drink holy water and apparently some people find that unhygienic as well