The cross in the life of an Orthodox person has many meanings. On the one hand, it symbolizes the sufferings that every Christian must endure with humility and fully, relying on God's will. Also, the pro-Orthodox cross in itself testifies to what kind of faith a person professes. He is the embodiment of that powerful force that can protect against attacks and demons and evil people. It is known that many miracles were accomplished by only one sign of the cross imposed with great faith. And in conclusion, it is worth saying that one of the main sacraments of Orthodoxy - the Eucharist - is impossible without this symbol.
For the first time, a person meets the cross at the time of baptism. During his accomplishment, a “vest” is put on the baby, which will be with him all his life. But this is only an external, formal affiliation with Christianity. The Orthodox person should not be limited only to this rite. However, this is only later, and at first, how strong his faith will be in the future is influenced by the people around the child, their personal example. The shape of the body cross is not approved by the cathedrals canonically. The saints believed that it should be read according to Jesus Christ himself, and not by the number of crossbars. Therefore, there are many crosses in the Orthodox tradition. These are four-pointed, eight-and six-pointed; petal; having a semicircle below; wedge-shaped; teardrop-shaped and others. Catholics use only a cross having four corners and an elongated lower part. But the discrepancies with the Orthodox cross are concluded not just in form, but in content. The Catholic Church depicts Christ too believably; the Savior’s hands and feet are nailed with three nails, not four. The inscription on the plate also differs.
The symbolic image of the cross completely repeats its graphic pattern. By imposing it, a person thereby shows the most holy Orthodox faith. Only this must be done accurately, concentratedly, meaningfully and earnestly. Fold the three fingers of the right hand together and touch them first to the forehead, then to the stomach, and from it rise first to the right shoulder, and then to the left. At the same time, the thumb, middle and index fingers are put together , and the little finger and the ring finger are firmly pressed to the palm of the hand.
The sign of the Cross plays a huge role for the believer. Performing it carefully, with reverence, awe and fear of God, he sanctifies himself. The position of the hand on the forehead clears the human mind; the position on the stomach (or on the chest) clears the desires of the heart and carnal feelings, the position of the hands on the shoulders strengthens the bodily forces.
The first three fingers (this is the thumb, middle and forefinger), put together to make the sign of the cross, symbolize faith in the Holy Trinity, and the ring and little fingers mean faith in Christ, who is both human and God. The Most Holy Trinity is our Lord. God exists in three persons, although He is one: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are all equal to each other, since all three faces are inseparable to form a single Deity. Between them there is neither older nor less. And Jesus Christ is called the Lord, because he has a divine origin and, without ceasing to be God, lived on earth as a man.
Of course, the sign of the cross is not made when it pleases. There are certain rules that indicate at what points it needs to be imposed. A sign of the cross is necessarily performed before any prayer and at the end of it, after the priest exclaims: “Blessed is God” during the morning service. It is also appropriate when the name of the Most Holy Trinity or the Most Holy Theotokos is offered during the reading of the prayer “Honest ...”. We must not forget to impose the sign of the cross when naming the saint, revered that day, at the main points of the service (for example, when “Thy is from thy” is proclaimed).
People who just started attending church at first do not know how to be baptized, pray, they are often embarrassed by this. But there is no need to be upset and even less discouraged: both knowledge and experience will certainly come with time.