Can I give crosses?
Crosses are not worn for show, they do not choose according to the principle "the more, the cooler", they practically do not remove them. If you have not yet decided on your religious feelings, if you are not imbued with faith and are not convinced that you are ready to accept Christian dogmas, maybe you should not wear a cross. Only when the feelings are sincere, conscious, is it worth putting on the cross.
Is the gift appropriate?
Gifts with religious overtones are always taken more seriously than any trinkets or expensive things, but without any sacred meanings. And this can be understood: a religious gift is not so much about beauty and utilitarianism, it is about involvement in religion, to which you are striving to become closer. Ideally, every Christian should wear the cross. This is a symbol of faith, in a sense, a talisman that objectively reflects the feelings of the believer, devotion to the Christian religion.
According to tradition, men who are chosen to be the godfather give their godson a symbol of faith - a pectoral cross.
If mom and dad consciously reacted to the choice of godparents, if they are confident in these people, then such a gift will be made from the heart, with good thoughts and intentions. You can give crosses on the day of christening, but you need to make sure that they are already consecrated.
It is interesting that godparents can make such a gift more than once. As the child grows up, you can replace a simple cross with a product, for example, made of precious metal. This is normal, acceptable, and you can get such a gift for a birthday or other holiday a second time.
Signs
Signs associated with giving do not always intersect with the Christian faith. She does not accept superstitions and conjectures that come from the evil one or simply from ignorance.Again, some signs are associated with esotericism, and whether to rely on them is everyone's business.
There is a judgment: if you accept a cross from a person with a bad fate, his fate will become part of yours.
But it lends itself easily to criticism. Of course, if someone took off the cross and gave it to you, this gift can hardly be called appropriate. Even to those who are against all acceptance, this may seem at least unscrupulous. There are other well-known signs.
- A metal object accumulates the energy of a person, therefore even the one who simply held it in his hands transfers to him a part of his energy. Such statements appear to be controversial. According to him, a person with bad energy, even just holding onto the handrail of a metal trolley in a store, transfers to you in a completely random way his energy, and maybe fate. If you believe this, your belief is more paranoid than common sense.
- If the godfather buys a cross for a child, he gives him his destiny. Just think if you have seen such stories in your life. Remember your godfather and analyze if your destinies are similar. Conclusions will come by themselves.
Suffice it to say that the ministers of the church are categorical about prejudice. There should not be a cross, a pure symbol of faith, a subject of controversy, superstition, accepts.
On the holidays
On the forums, the question often appears of whether a wife can present her beloved husband for his birthday with a cross. However, it is completely incomprehensible why it causes so much controversy. Yes, it is good if the gift of the cross falls on major religious holidays, but not everything has to be so perfectly matched.
If a man is a believer, but he has lost the cross or for some reason has not worn it for a long time, the wife can give the cross to her husband. The main thing is to do it with good intentions, buy blessed crosses and not evaluate the product by its size.
The pectoral cross does not need to be exposed. If you are not a clergyman, but an ordinary parishioner, you should not show the cross, wear it over a shirt, T-shirt. If you bring a cross from some trip to holy places and you know that a person close to you just wanted to buy a cross for himself, it will be a worthy gift.
You can give a cross for Christmas; making such a gift on the eve of Easter is also good. Another important point: you cannot demand from godparents to buy a chain in addition to a cross. This is overkill: a small child does not need it.
From someone else's body
More than once there were cases when a person took off the cross and donated it to another. This situation requires delicate consideration. You've probably read about how mothers' crosses helped their sons in battle. Perhaps, faith, luck, intuition saved them, but it is impossible to deny that they endowed a material object with special properties, and this helped them.
That's why, if you are ready to accept a cross worn by another person, there must be a very good reason... We can say that you must trust and trust this person unconditionally.
In most cases, try not to do this. And the point is not that someone else's fate will become yours. If you are a person susceptible to suspiciousness, then you will be tormented by the thought that you have "tried on" someone's fate. Hence, involuntary associations, suspicions, fears and anxieties. Therefore, everyone should have their own cross, because the expression “everyone carries his own cross” does not exist by chance.
From whom you can’t accept?
It also happens that a person cannot refuse to accept a gift: he is shy, afraid of offending.
But don't be afraid to say no in a situation that is unpleasant to you.
In some cases, you shouldn't accept a cross as a gift.
- From a stranger. This is, in principle, inappropriate, and you can tell him that the cross is too significant for you, and you cannot accept it as a gift.
- From an unbeliever. If for someone the cross is nothing more than an accessory, and he gives it to you without any Christian message, refuse such a gift.
- From a person who does it for a selfish purpose... You can give the cross only with good thoughts, from a pure heart.
Finally, only indelicate, ignorant people give a cross without any warning. The gift is symbolic, special, and its donation must always be coordinated with the person. This is not the case when a surprise works one hundred percent.
Going, for example, on a trip to Jerusalem, ask loved ones what to bring from there. And if there is a cross in the list of gifts, you will buy it without any hesitation.
The topic of giving a cross is not categorical, and deviations from generally accepted cases are possible. If you and a friend exchange crosses to become spiritual brothers (which was once practiced among the Slavs), you follow your intuition, your decision. Unless it is in doubt, there is no document or rule that will prevent you from doing it.
Faith is not about symbols, objects, clear rules from which it is a sin to deviate. The cross does not yet make you a Christian, but respect for it is always honored.
For the rules of wearing your own and someone else's cross, see the next video.
