Crossing oneself

[Sunny]

Hello to all,
I apologize ahead of time-I have a silly question. I was recently at a women's monastery and noticed that during the service the nuns didn't cross themselves when the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was spoken. Since in my home church everyone crosses themselves each time the trinity is mentioned, I wondered what the reason for this absence was.
Thank you,
Sunny

[Fr Seraphim (Black)]

Hello to all,
I apologize ahead of time-I have a silly question. I was recently at a women's monastery and noticed that during the service the nuns didn't cross themselves when the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was spoken. Since in my home church everyone crosses themselves each time the trinity is mentioned, I wondered what the reason for this absence was.
Thank you,
Sunny

Dear Sunny,

Each Orthodox Church has its own traditions regarding this (often very local), changing from parish to parish (even in the same city). One can find in Russian parishes if you notice the elderly (especially the women) that they are crossing themselves almost continously - this is true also in the village parishes of Macedonia, Greece.

Monastics, male or female, tend to be more 'sober' in their church movements, due in part that they virtually live in the Church "their Father's house".

On the Holy Mountain and elsewhere, on any normal day, you are at least at a minimum 7 hours in Church and this only increases with the approach of Feasts and the after Feast period.

I pray this in some small manner helps.

[Sunny]

Thank you Father Seraphim for your kind reply. May I ask- is when to cross yourself a matter of personal choice. There seems to be a wide discrepancy during regular church services. Also, when I visit the monastery, is it distracting to the sisters to cross myself when they are not doing this? (The monastery church is small and we are fairly close together.)
thank you for your assistance-
Sunny