Care to help?

Re: Care to help?

• agapecarrie member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  we proclaim Christ crucified.... proclaim His death.  (this is in scripture).
  
  At Mass, we are present at the last Supper, and at the crucifixion, outside of time. Having the corpus on the cross isn't just "focusing on the negative". It doesn't deny the resurrection, but is a more real symbol and sign of God taking on our sinfulness.
  

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• newlyseliski member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  Another way I've heard it is that Christ crucified on the cross is the ultimate expression of the highest form of love... total self-gift!  A.K.A. "agape"... which I appreciate being reminded of every time I see a crucifix.

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• linzluvsgzuss

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  There could be no Resurrection without first the crucifix, the death of our Lord...to say the crucifix is negative is to say that the sacrifice of love is negative. Plus, we are sensual creatures of God - we need visual reminders. Most crucifixes in the US look like this:
  
  or
  
  
  Both of these are really sanitized. The magnitude of the Cross and Resurrection are much more tangible looking upon a crucifix like this (IMO):
  
  
  
  
  
  So if we don't even have the Corpus on the Cross, it's easier to not think about the full gravity of Christ's sacrifice.
  
  
  

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• Hope61 member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_care?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:6bc621e7-477e-480d-9285-5b0135aa4793Post:be73c2b6-1011-4888-97fd-7e2d4abb60d2">Care to help?</a>:
  [QUOTE]Hey Ladies! I was wondering if you could help me answer valid question posed by a non-Catholic. I have a general answer, but I'm sure you all could provide further insight. Why do we show the crucifix with Jesus nailed to the cross while others show a blank cross? Why wouldn't a blank cross be an equal reminder of the sacrifice? Why only focus on the negative, rather than the positive (resurrection, etc)? I appreciate your thoughts!
  Posted by Riss91[/QUOTE]
  
  I don't know that I can put my thoughts on all of this into words very well... but as to the last question... First, what good is the resurrection without a crucifixion? The resurrection itself is not our salvation, and is not what Christ did for us. The resurrection is a sign and the beginning of what is to come in eternity, but what is that if we are not saved by the blood of Christ? Secondly, we don't look at it so much as a "negative"... the crucifixion, while a horrible thing in itself, is the greatest sign of love that anyone could possibly imagine. If we just have a cross, an empty object, we are just reminded of a bad event that happened. If we have Christ on the cross, we are reminded of His great love for us and His sacrifice.
  HTH!

  
  Little Gabriel: BFP 7/12/11~EDD 3/21/12, miscarried 8/24/11 at 10w

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• Riss91 member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  Thanks ladies, that helped a lot!

  
  

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• lmeade62

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  I get this question from time to time...and since I started out as a Methodist, I hadn't thought about it. Far from expressing the negative, a crucifix to me is so much more...personal. That's kind of a weird way to say it, but when I see Jesus on the cross, I am reminded of the sacrifice He made for ME. It's visceral, I can't forget it, and I don't want to. It is a beautiful reminder of the gift the Father and the Son gave me. Now, when I see a regular cross, it seems empty and somehow...sterile...
  
  Besides, an empty cross doesn't remind me of the Resurrection...that would be the empty tomb, with the stone rolled away.
  
  Linda

  

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• Librarydragon member

  

  March 2011 edited December 2011

  To echo others and quote an Episcopalian priest friend, "you can't get to Easter without going through Good Friday." I explain it as the visual representation of John 3:16.

  Mother of the Groom

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