The Crucifix
Why the Crucifix? Why not an empty, clean cross with no nail holes? Have Catholics so short a memory that they can not traverse that short distance from the Cross to the empty tomb?
Because "greater love has no man than this, that to lay down his life for his friends". The Crucifix shows the reality of that love, a snapshot of the moment in time when man can so clearly see how dearly God loves his soul. A picture of an empty Cross, or an empty tomb, does not plumb the depths of His sacrificial death. His death remains sterile and clean and "spiritual".
Because He made suffering redemptive on the Cross. In the age when comfort and ease are the most precious treasures and suffering is avoided like a plague (or at best simply endured), the crucifix reminds us that suffering has great purpose. Our suffering is not simply to be endured, our suffering becomes redemptive as we unite ourselves with the suffering of Christ and offer it to the Father.
Because of the intimate relationship between the Crucified Lord and the Holy Eucharist within the heavenly worship of the Mass. As Christ offers Himself on our behalf as High Priest and Victim under the humble appearance of bread and wine, the merits won on that bloody Cross of Calvary are applied outside of space and time in an unbloody manner until He comes again. To cast our eyes onto the crucifix is to see our Salvation, given to us by unmerited grace in every Mass.
Those are a few of the thoughts that mind and heart are cast to when I view a crucifix. An empty, clean cross with no nail holes could never serve the same purpose I propose.
posted by Peter @ 4:59 PM
2 Comments:
"As Christ offers Himself on our behalf as High Priest and Victim under the humble appearance of bread and wine, the merits won on that bloody Cross of Calvary are applied outside of space and time in an unbloody manner until He comes again."
Outside of space and time? What astral plane do you live on, Pete? All of the benefits of Christ in this life, including "the mass" are, and must be, applied in space and time.
Perhaps I could have worded it better. Many Christians(for whatever reason) seem to decry the concept of the merits of Calvary being applied daily, as in the Sacrifice of the Mass. All Christians of course believe in this basic concept even if they believe that they are saved in an instantaeous moment in time. For there are innumerible numbers people around the world "getting saved" (whatever that means) having that one Sacrifice of Calvary being applied to their souls daily. I am speaking essentially about the Sacrifice on Calvary and the Sacrifice of the Mass being one sacrifice which is perpetual and not bound by space or time, yet is applied within space and time (if that's a more clear way of stating it).
So are you going to go out and buy a crucifix? :.)
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