Monday of
the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time
September 7, 2015 8:30am
This morning, I want to comment
on the new cross or crucifix that we have here in the chapel.
It was put into place just last
evening.
It is called the San Damiano
Cross.
We selected it for both its
artistic and its spiritual value for our chapel.
Artistically, the colors fit
beautifully in this space.
I want to say a few words about
its spiritual meaning.
An, by the way, these ideas do
not originate with me but come from an article by a Franciscan priest, Father
Michael Scanlon.
First, this cross is the one that
Saint Francis of Assisi was praying before when he received his special calling
from the Lord.
An artist in Italy, near Assisi, probably
painted the original of this cross in the 12th century – the 1100s.
It was painted to be the
centerpiece over the altar of the San Damiano church in Assisi.
The central figure is, of course,
Christ himself.
The golden color of Christ’s body
conveys that Christ is a figure of light, “the
light of the world,” giving light to the other figures in the painting.
Also, the eyes of Jesus are open.
He is alive and looking out to
the world which he loves and saves – much like the figure of Christ on the
crucifix in our main church here at Saint Margaret’s.
The black rectangle behind Christ
signifies the empty tomb.
Christ stands above or over the
tomb.
Then the rectangle of red on top
of the black signifies love overcoming death.
All of this together is then a
symbol of resurrection.
Then, above Christ’s head is a
circle of red with Christ breaking out of the circle.
This signifies Our Lord’s
Ascension into heaven.
In this way, the crucifix depicts
the entire story of death, resurrection and ascension into glory.
The letters just below the image
of the Ascension are in Latin and they mean: “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.”
They are taken from Saint John’s
Gospel.
Above this symbolic image of the
Ascension is a hand with a finger extended outwards.
This depicts God the Father
giving a blessing and sending forth the Holy Spirit to all of us.
There are various images of
people and angels in the cross – 33 of them.
The most notable are to the left
of Christ’s body – Mary and Saint John.
This recalls the touching scene that
is remembered in Saint John’s Gospel when the dying Jesus says, “Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother.”
There are many other details and
much richness in them.
We have a little booklet in the
back of the chapel that you can get as you leave.
Reading this prayerfully, and preferably
here in the chapel and even up close here, can make a wonderful meditation for
you.
I hope you make time for this in
the days ahead.
