This Great and Angelic monastic schema is made of durable black fabric of excellent quality. The embroidery made with red thread depicts the Cross adorned with the instruments of the Passion of Christ and surrounded by abbreviations.
Great and Angelic schema symbolizes the second baptism of the schemamonks and schemanuns. It is a sign of perfect monasticism, symbol not only of humble wisdom and gentleness, but also of the Cross, of suffering, of Christ’s wounds, of constant dying with Christ.
The spear and the sponge. To the right and left of the cross stand the instruments of the Passion. On one side there is the sponge, which they used to give vinegar to Jesus when He was thirsty, while on the other there is the spear with which they pierced His body.
The crown of thorns. A symbol of the mockery endured by the Lord.
The base of the cross. As mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew: They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). (27:33)
The skull and the bones. Placed at the base of the cross, they symbolize the first man. Thus, a parallel is drawn between Adam, as the first man of the Old Testament, and Christ, who, through his incarnation and death, became the first man of the New Testament.
ΙΣ ΧΣ ΝΙΚΑ (Ιησούς Χριστός Νικά) — Jesus Christ Conquers (According to tradition, the Christogram comes from a vision of Emperor Constantine, who saw a cross accompanied by the inscription "Ἐν τούτῳ νίκα" (In this, conquer). It thus became a symbol of every victory and, primarily, of the victory over death)
ΤΤ ΔΦ (Τετιμημένον Τρόπαιον Δαιμόνων Φρίκη) — Honored Trophy of Demons Horror (the trophy refers to the cross on Golgotha, the sacred monument, which is an eternal reminder of Christ's victory over death and the salvation of man through the Divine Passion)
ΡΡ ΔΡ (Ρητορικότερα Ρημάτων Δακρύων Ροή) — Tears flow more than words (that is, more than even the most elaborate words, tears of repentance are worthy as proof of true love for God)
ΘΘ ΘΘ (Θεού Θέα Θείον Θαύμα) — God's View Divine Miracle (the miracle of being able to see God with one's own eyes)
ΧΧ ΧΧ (Χριστός Χριστιανοίς Χαρίζεται Χάριν) — Christ Grants Grace to Christians
EE EE (Εωσφόρος Έπεσεν Εύρωμεν Εδέμ or Ελένης Εύρεσις Εύρωμεν Εδέμ) — Eosphorus Fell We Found Eden or Helen's Discovery We Found Eden (There are two different versions of this abbreviation. According to the first, the phrase refers to the fall of Lucifer and the ability of man to rise above sin, overcoming evil and ultimately finding paradise. According to the second version, the phrase refers to Saint Helen, who in 326 recovered the Holy Cross. With this discovery, every man can be saved, finding his Eden in paradise)
ΦΧ ΦΠ (Φως Χριστού Φαίνει Πάσι) — The Light of Christ Shines Upon All (i.e., the light of Christ's grace that illuminates everything)
ΤΚ ΠΓ (Τόπος Κρανίου Παράδεισος Γέγονεν) — Place of the Skull Became Paradise (the place of the skull refers to Golgotha, which after the sacrifice of the Lord becomes the gateway to paradise. There sin dies, Hades is abolished, and the salvation of man is accomplished)
Color: Black
Embroidery: Cross-stitch
Size: 70*30cm
