MANY CROSS THEMSELVES INCORRECTLY AND THUS UNCONSCIOUSLY INVOKE THE DEVIL: The Warning of Saint Gabriel of Georgia on the Importance of Correctly Making the Sign of the Cross
The teaching of Ave Dorotheos reveals why abstaining from food has no power if the tongue condemns, the gaze wanders, and actions remain uncontrolled, and how without inner discipline there is no true feat.
TL;DR
- Incorrectly making the sign of the cross can leave one unprotected and invite negative spiritual forces.
- Saint Gabriel of Georgia emphasized the correct way to make the sign of the cross: hand to forehead, then navel, then right shoulder, then left shoulder.
- Placing the hand on the heart instead of the navel or making the cross in the air is incorrect.
- The sign of the cross should be accompanied by prayer; otherwise, it is a mere gesture.
- Correctly performing the sign of the cross is not just a ritual but an act of daily devotion and discipline, fostering inner harmony and protection.