crucifix

[billcu1]

What all can a person do with a blessed crucifix on the wall other than kneel before it? Can one pray as if it were a host in a monstrance? What about an unblessed crucifix? I pray before a live image on the computer screen of a host in a monstrance.

 

[Sacredheart1208]

Well for starters the Host in the Monstrance is the actually Jesus fully and substantially present, when we look at the Host or kneel before it we are kneeling before Jesus for He is truly substantially present. But in my opinion you shouldn’t kneel before a crucifix as it were a host in the monstrance, Jesus isn’t substantially present in the crucifix. It is only a statue of Him, it is nice to kneel and pray before but it shouldn’t be thought of as a Host. Just my :twocents:

 

[Dorothy]

A blessed crucifix on the wall reminds me of the passion of our Lord.

 

[SecretaryMonday]

You can kiss it or pray/kneel before it as a sign of devotion. It is a reminder of Christ, even though Christ is not physically present there, as He is in the Monstrance.

 

[R_C]

What all can a person do with a blessed crucifix on the wall other than kneel before it? Can one pray as if it were a host in a monstrance? What about an unblessed crucifix? I pray before a live image on the computer screen of a host in a monstrance.

Never like the Blessed Sacrament!! To the Blessed Sacrament, really our Lord, we offer the cult of latria reserved to God alone.

A blessed crucifix is - in my words - consecrated to God, and can allow us to merit indulgences given through the power of the Keys (remission of temporal punishment, that is).

Kneeling before it is one pious practice One can contemplate the Lord in it represented, meditate on His passion, pray to Him who the crucifix represents, and other pious practices (a kiss to the Holy Wounds is one example, usually a public devotion in churches on Good Friday).

 

[billcu1]

Never like the Blessed Sacrament!! To the Blessed Sacrament, really our Lord, we offer the cult of latria reserved to God alone.

A blessed crucifix is - in my words - consecrated to God, and can allow us to merit indulgences given through the power of the Keys (remission of temporal punishment, that is).

Kneeling before it is one pious practice One can contemplate the Lord in it represented, meditate on His passion, pray to Him who the crucifix represents, and other pious practices (a kiss to the Holy Wounds is one example, usually a public devotion in churches on Good Friday).

What is the cult of latria? How do you use a crucifix to gain indulgences. My prayer life consists of the rosary and lectio divina.

 

[katy]

Latria is worship and adoration given to God alone. Dulia is reverence for saints; hyperdulia is the reverence given to Mary in view of her being the one chosen to be mother of God.

 

[SecretaryMonday]

What is the cult of latria? How do you use a crucifix to gain indulgences. My prayer life consists of the rosary and lectio divina.

To add to Katy’s response (maybe it isn’t necessary), “cult” in this sense does not refer to people drinking poisoned Kool-Aid.

From a Catholic Answers response,
*The word “cult” has fallen on hard times. Used authentically, it refers to a grouping of people for some religious purpose; it can also refer to specific ceremonial, liturgical, and prayer activities carried out within a particular group. Vatican II, for example, refers to the “cult of the saints,” meaning the honor and devotion Christians show to Christians who are now reigning with Christ in heaven. Used this way, “cult” carries no pejorative connotations. *

catholic.com/quickquestions/why-are-religious-groups-such-as-mormons-and-jehovah39s-witnesses-called-cults-while-

 

[R_C]

What is the cult of latria? How do you use a crucifix to gain indulgences. My prayer life consists of the rosary and lectio divina.

Latria is the Latin word that properly describes the worship offered to God our Creator (as others brilliantly explained).

Your prayer life does sound wonderful to me. Indulgences are covered in their Enchiridion (a peculiar Greek name that means “that which is held in the hand” - handbook) - more on EWTN which I quote:

The first more general concession reads:

A partial indulgence is granted to that individual among the faithful who, in carrying out his duties and bearing with the trials of life, raises his mind in humble trust to God, adding—even mentally—some pious invocation.

The second more general concession has to do with works of mercy to the needy and reads:

A partial indulgence is granted to that individual among the faithful who, led by a spirit of faith, mercifully expends himself or his goods in the service of needy brethren.

A partial indulgence is granted to that individual among the faithful who, in a spirit of penance, freely abstains from something licit and pleasing to himself.

The second category of concessions lists seventy devotional and penitential prayers and practices. The first letter of the first Latin word of the prayer or pious practice determines its place.

Some of the seventy are sweeping in content. For example “The Use of Pious Objects” reads this way:

“That individual among the faithful who devoutly uses an object of piety (a crucifix or cross, a chaplet, a scapular, a medal) rightly blessed by any priest, is granted a partial indulgence.”

Four of the seventy are singled out for special mention. To these are attached a plenary indulgence daily. They are:

• Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, for at least a half-hour

• Pious reading of Sacred Scripture for at least a half-hour

• The Stations

• The *Rosary *said in common.

One of the “longer” of these seventy declarations has to do with the Rosary.

After giving the accurate notion of this devotion as described in the liturgy, that is, that the complete Rosary embraces “all” the Christian Mysteries (the Incarnation, Passion, and Exaltation of Christ), it is clearly stated that for “concessional” purposes a third part of the Rosary suffices. Thus five decades with meditation on the series of the Joyful, the Sorrowful, or the Glorious Mysteries are noted. The Rosary’s communally structured nature is accentuated by the concession of the daily plenary indulgence (mentioned just above) for the Rosary said in common (“in church, in the family, in a religious institute, in a pious group”).

Among others, there is an indulgence for hearing the Word of God; for prayers to the Angels, St. Joseph, the Saints; for the Souls in Purgatory; for the catechetical apostolate; for mental prayer; for prayers for Church unity; for the Sign of the Cross; for prayers to the Holy Spirit; for the acts of faith, hope, love and contrition; for the Miserere; for a spiritual communion; for a monthly day of recollection; for prayers for the Holy Father; for various episcopal and parochial acts; for prayers for vocations. There follows a two-page helpful appendix of examples of scriptural prayers.

Besides what I quoted above, there is a specific prayer before a crucifix (see here).

Special indulgences are given in special moments: see here for a bit more