I marvel at how Mass is the same week after week, yet God is able to meet me in new ways when I least expect it. This morning my husband wasn't with me because he wasn't feeling well and I was missing him by my side as I knelt to prepare myself before Mass began. Typically I close my eyes and do a very Protestant confession of my sins in preparation for receiving the Lord in the Eucharist. I close my eyes, bow my head, and pray. This morning I looked up at the San Damiano Crucifix in our church. I looked into the eyes of the crucified Christ as I confessed to Him. It changed my weekly ritual for me; suddenly my prayer felt like a conversation with a friend.
When I first started attending Mass I really did not like that crucifix. I didn't really like crucifixes at all because I'd rather "forget" how much was suffered for me and focus on the empty cross and the Resurrection. As a Catholic I no longer have the luxury of "forgetting" because I face a crucifix each time I attend Mass. Recently I've been hearing and reading that the reason the crucifix is the primary symbol of our faith is that it is in the suffering of Christ on the Cross that we see the depths of God's love for us. Certainly Catholics celebrate the Resurrection and understand its importance to our faith just as Christians everywhere do, yet I appreciate the constant reminder of God's love that I see before me week after week. It humbles me and challenges me, forcing me to face my own sinfulness alongside the depths of God's love for me. It reminds me better than an empty cross that I need to love people the way God loves me - sacrificially.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Nice post, Kristi. Visual reminders of God's love and forgiveness in Christ are helpful, aren't they? For many Protestants these are either textual (e.g., framed Bible verses) or two dimensional pictures, but keep in mind there are Protestants (Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, etc.) who also use the crucifix as part of their worship. I've even known some Free Church types who do so in their private devotions. Ask me sometime and I'll tell you the story about when I was asked to "bless" a crucifix at St. Peter's in Rome. JTM
ReplyDeleteI never learned to appreciate religious art as a Baptist; it still doesn't typically appeal to me. The San Damiano Crucifix is special to me, though.
ReplyDelete