Quintessence of Religious Doctrines - Malankarasyriac Voice

62On Signing oneself with the mark of Cross... 123 124Quintessence of Religious Doctrinesmicro hole , or niche, so can one see the Crucified Christthrough the Crosses that we make out of wood metals etc.This vision of course is possible only by the luminous eye ofthe inner spirit.2. Veneration of the cross is really the adoration of the crucifiedChrist and His Crucifixion. As none of the actions of David infront of the Ark of the Covenant is deemed idolatrous but asone performed before God, so the adoration of Christ and hisCrucifixion on the Cross are not to be considered idolatry butrather as blessed actions.Ref: (a) Heb. 11:21. It was faith that made Jacob bless eachof the sons of Joseph just before he died. He leanedon the top of his walking stick and worshipped God.(G.N.B.)(b) 2Sam. 6:14-16. David, wearing only a linen clothround his waist, danced with all his might to honourthe Lord and so he and all the Israelites took theCovenant box upto Jersusalem with shouts of joyand sound of trumpets. As the box was beingbrought into the city Michal, Saul’s daughter, lookedout of the window and saw king David dancing andjumping around in the sacred dance, and she wasdisgusted with him. (G.N.B.)CommentThis also is an argument to establish that, the venerationthat we offer to the Crosses is not idolatory. The theologicalaspect is brought from another perspective. It is as follows.Actually what we do, while venerating a man- made Cross asa symbol of the Cross of the Lord, is that, through suchobservance we venerate the Cross and the Crucifixion ofour Lord. As and when we are capable of bringing out thedistinction between the reality and the symbol, all confusionscentred on the veneration of Crosses would cease to haveany hold on our mind.3. What is forbidden is the moulding of the idols and theworshipping of them.Ref: (a) Ex. 20:4-5. Do not make idols that looks like anythingin the sky or on earth or in the ocean under theearth. Don’t bow down and worship idols. I am theLord your God... (L.B.)(b) 2Kings 18:4. He destroyed the local shrines, thentore down the images of foreign gods and cut downthe sacred pole for worshipping the goddessAsherah. He also smashed the bronze snake, Moseshad made. The people had named it Nehushtan andhad been offering sacrifices to it. (L.B.)CommentOnly when somebody worships an image, moulded or madedoes the act become idolatory. The essence in worship, theadoration etc. is of course mental attitude; and it is not to bejudged by externalities; that is to say, they are basicallysubjective and not objective. So the injunction of the S.O.C.primarily aims at the frame of mind and mental attitudes.4. And not the making of articles as mementoes of biblical eventsor of Crosses for decoration or ornamentation.Ref: (a) Ex. 25:18-19. Then hammer out two winged creaturesof pure gold and fasten them to the lid at the ends ofthe chest. (L.B.)(b) Num. 21:8. Moses prayed and the Lord answered,“Make a snake out of bronze and place it on top ofa pole. Anyone who gets bitten can look at the snakeand won’t die. (L.B.)(c) Josh. 4:2-7. Tell one man from each of the twelvetribes to pick up a large rock from where the priestsare standing. Then have the men set up those rocksas a monument at the place where you camp tonight.Joshua chose twelve men; he called them togetherand told them: Go to the middle of the river bedwhere the sacred chest is and pick up a large rockcarry it on your shoulder to our camp. There aretwelve of you, so there will be one rock for eachtribe. Some day your children will ask, “Why arethese rocks here?” Then you will tell them how the