A little Maltese Cross 101
The Maltese Cross – it is universally agreed that the four arms of the Cross stand for the four Cardinal Virtues – namely; prudence, temperance, justice and fortitude. For the eight points and the meanings given is not so straight forward. Various authorities give differing meanings to the eight points.
The original version will be the Beatitudes as given by the Lord Jesus Christ, in the fifth Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew;
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are those who mourn; for they shall be comforted.
3. Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be satisfied.
5. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.
6. Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.
8. Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
However, two other lists have been found during the research for this paper which are variations of the beatitudes;
In one document the eight obligations of the Knights are given as:
To live in truth. To have faith. To be sincere. To give proof of humility. To love justice. To be merciful. To endure persecution. To repent of sin.
A similar list with slightly differing wording has also been found;
Spiritual Joy; to live without malice; to weep over your sins; to humble yourself to those who injure you; to love justice; to be merciful; to be sincere and pure of heart; and to suffer persecution.
Crosses 
