The gestures in the Syro-Malabar liturgy according to the restored text (1960)Taken from: Luke Nampiaparambil: The gestures in the Syro-Malabar liturgy according to the restored text(1960), Rome, 1962AbbreviationsVS66: Vat. Syr. 66 (Mar Joseph)RC: Chaldaicum, Rome, 1767RM: Malabaricum, Rome, 1844EU: Engl.tr. Urmi: London, 1893M: Mosul, 1901P: Puthenpally, 1904U: Urmi, 1890K: Kelaita, 1928A: Alwaye, 1948O: Ordo celebrationis quddasa, Rome, 1959I SIGNS OF THE CROSS (1-73)1. Sign of the cross with the hand (1-57)1. On himselfFrom right to left, but not in RM and P. Monteserrate wrote in 1579 that Thomas Christians "when they callupon the name of SS (while making the sign of the cross on themselves) sanctify themselves from the right tothe left" [Archives of SJ, Rome, Goa 33, f.149; cf. Geddes: History of the Church of Malabar, 383; Nestorians:Assemani, BO 3/2, 338; Maclean: The catholicos, 236; Rahmani: Les liturgies, 354; Drower, 18]. Diamper,(S.8, d. 37) forbade it. Until Pius V the whole Church made the cross in this way [O'Brien: History of the massin the eastern and western church, 182]. Meaning: The cross was the cause of our salvation and hence the faithderives its origin from the right side and infidelity, nl. error, is dispelled from the left (Assemani, 388).a. With the open palm of the right hand:Three times the priest signs himself at the end of certain prayers at the words "now and at all times and for everand ever'. (O 31 & 45). Iso Yabh IV: "Although he signs over his own person, he lifts his hands upwards inorder that he may sign the cross over the people" (Van Unnik: Nestorians questions, 178, q.93). U 24, K 43:because this signing is done on behalf of the people; M 25, P 23, K 23: "The priest, instead of turning to thepeople and blessing them, makes a large sign of the cross on himself, raising his hand above his head andshoulders and turning the palm of the hand towards the people, so as to be actually seen by them the sign of thecross. Thus he blesse...