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cross, the principal symbol of the Christian religion, recalling the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the redeeming benefits of his Passion and death. The cross is thus a sign both of Christ himself and of the faith of Christians.
It is the most important symbol of our faith, because it represents the message that is at the heart of the gospel, without which there would be no Christianity at all. The gospel in a nutshell is that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for our sins. The cross is central in that message.
The universal symbol of the Christian faith, the cross represents Christ's victory over death. The feast celebrates the redemptive transformation of a barbaric instrument of torture into a divine “tree of life” that brings hope to humankind.
cross verb (GO ACROSS)
to go across from one side of something to the other: It's not a good place to cross the road.
Despite its simplicity, the Sign of the Cross is an ancient prayer rich in meaning. Each time we make the Sign of the Cross, we renew our profession of faith; express our belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and acknowledge the divine work of creation, salvation, and sanctification. We invoke the Holy Trinity.
In addition to its Catholic associations, the sign of the cross was significant in English folk traditions, with the sign believed to have a protective function against evil.
With crucifixes, we see sacrifice, commitment, redemption and most of all love. As Catholics we agree with all Christians that God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to take away the sins of the world. He was crucified and died to fulfill His father's will.
The Crucifix is probably the most important symbol of Christianity. It represents a cross with the image of Christ on it and reminds everyone of the mystery of the resurrection of Christ. It reminds us of God's sacrifice of Jesus, his only Son that leads humanity to salvation.
The cross conquers sin and death.
The curse of sin and death was placed on Jesus so that we might obtain the blessings of Abraham (Gal 3:13). Understanding the cross and resurrection as a single event is important here, for it is through the death and resurrection of Christ that death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor.
Kneeling is the ultimate posture of submission and surrender. In the Catholic Church we genuflect and kneel to indicate, by bodily attitude, a total submission of our minds and hearts to the true Presence of Christ. It is an exterior manifestation of the reverence inspired by His Presence.
Catholic services do often require congregants to move from sitting to standing to kneeling and back; while as a visitor there's no need to kneel, it is considered polite to stand when others are unless not physically capable.
mass, the central act of worship of the Roman Catholic Church, which culminates in celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist. The term mass is derived from the ecclesiastical Latin formula for the dismissal of the congregation: Ite, missa est (“Go, it is the sending [dismissal]”).
The power of the cross of Christ reconciles humanity with our heavenly Father. In Jesus we find forgiveness of sin. He was raised from death to give us a new life in Him. In the risen Lord Jesus, we are a new creation.
The cross covers the penalty of my sin, so that a perfect God can enter my life and make me a new creation without my own physical death.
Both groups see Christ's crucifixion as a sacrificial act which atones for all of humanity's sins. Catholics and Protestants generally understand the crucifixion provides forgiveness. In choosing to exhibit a crucifix, Roman Catholics place a special emphasis on this sacrifice and its forgiveness.
Prayer to Mary is a way of being drawn towards Jesus. Just as a Protestant might go to a pastor to say, “pray for me” with the assumption that your pastor will point you to Jesus—so also a Catholic will pray to Mary with the confidence that she will direct us to the Lord Jesus. It is an act of intercession.
Catholic (both Eastern and Western), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran Christians generally use the crucifix in public religious services.
Jesus is the source of all God's grace and salvation, and Mary directs her prayers and our attention to Jesus. Catholics believe that God has chosen to use Mary as a unique channel of the grace of her Son because of her special relationship with Him.
But for Christians, the cross had deep meaning. They understood Christ's death on the cross to be “completed” by God's raising him from the dead three days later. This Resurrection was a sign of Christ's “victory” over sin and death.
The cross has been widely recognized as a symbol of Christianity from an early period. Before then, it was a pagan religious symbol throughout Europe and western Asia. The effigy of a man hanging on a cross was set up in the fields to protect the crops.
Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
Some Christians believe that the wearing of a cross offers protection from evil, while others, Christian and non-Christian, wear cross necklaces as a fashion accessory.
Jesus sees that His mother and the disciple have followed Him to His cross. They are firm witnesses of His love for humanity. He will start a dialogue with them, but before he uses words to address them, He starts a dialogue with the eyes.