Good Friday Veneration

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I posted thes the other day with no response but I see it was in the wrong fourm so I am re-posting here with hopes of response.

We are coming up Good Friday where we Catholics will be venerating the cross. The CCC says we must clearly distinguish the difference between veneration and adoration/worship which is due to God alone. How do you distinguish? How do you show/teach your children the difference?

God bless all!!!
 
adf417 said:
I posted thes the other day with no response but I see it was in the wrong fourm so I am re-posting here with hopes of response.

We are coming up Good Friday where we Catholics will be venerating the cross. The CCC says we must clearly distinguish the difference between veneration and adoration/worship which is due to God alone. How do you distinguish? How do you show/teach your children the difference?

God bless all!!!
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I explain to my kids (3 and 5) something to the effect of “On Good Friday we venerate the cross. That means that we show our respect to the cross because of the way it has to do with Jesus- but God is the highest of everything and this cross only helps us because it can help us to understand God.”

Then I would have a conversation about how we can’t see God and things which we can see can help to lead us to Him, but He is so much greater than us that we can’t really understand Him fully until we get to Heaven.

I do something similar when we pray to the saints- I always say- “we can pray to the saints, and that means that we ask them to pray for us, because they are our friends in Heaven and we know that they are very close to Jesus- but that’s different from praying to God- since when we pray to God, God doesn’t have to pray to anyone else.”

Hope this helps!
 
Joannm said:
In the revised Missal it is now adoration of the cross.
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Nothing wrong with that. It is important that people understand how and why the term adoration of the Cross is being used. It might be confusing for newcomers, there is a great post by brother JReducation on the topic but right now I am not able to find it.
 
For all my life (53 years), the parishes I’ve attended have used a large crucifix for veneration/adoration on Good Friday. We are in a new-to-us diocese this year. A large 5’ cross (no corpus) was used at the diocesan cathedral today. The Magnificat does say "Adoration of the Holy ‘Cross’. Does the new Roman Missal now call for a cross rather than a crucifix, or is this a practice I’ve just never experienced? I’d appreciate clarification. Thanks!
 
FM_Catholic said:
For all my life (53 years), the parishes I’ve attended have used a large crucifix for veneration/adoration on Good Friday. We are in a new-to-us diocese this year. A large 5’ cross (no corpus) was used at the diocesan cathedral today. The Magnificat does say "Adoration of the Holy ‘Cross’. Does the new Roman Missal now call for a cross rather than a crucifix, or is this a practice I’ve just never experienced? I’d appreciate clarification. Thanks!
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There is no requirement that it be a cross rather than a crucifix but it is a common practice that you have simply not experienced. For at least 2 decades my parish used a bare cross, a huge 8 foot cross that required 3 men to carry in the procession. A few years ago we reverted to a large crucifix.
 
At the church I was at today, we had a large crucifix with Jesus on it. It was brought forward by 2 altar servers and the priest. After a few intonements of “Behold the wood of the cross…” by the priest, the altar servers then held the cross then all could venerate it. Most kissed the cross as I did. Every time I’ve gone to Good Friday, with the veneration of the cross, I’ve always kissed it anyways.
 
adf417 said:
I posted thes the other day with no response but I see it was in the wrong fourm so I am re-posting here with hopes of response.

We are coming up Good Friday where we Catholics will be venerating the cross. The CCC says we must clearly distinguish the difference between veneration and adoration/worship which is due to God alone. How do you distinguish? How do you show/teach your children the difference?

God bless all!!!
Click to expand...
Veneration is better used in terms of the Saints and Blesseds. It more corosponds to honor (dulia) or hyper dulia in the case of Our Lady.

It is “adoration of the Cross”-- for it is related to Jesus Christ.

One can distinguish more --one can say we give “relative” adoration (Latria) here – relative meaning it passes to Christ.

Where as absolute adoration (Latria) is directly given to any of the Holy Trinity directly (such as to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist).

By the way between now and the Easter Vigil when one passes before that Crucifix used Good Friday – one genuflects (on the right knee as my friend tells me)…as a sign of that relative adoration.
 
We use a ~4ft tall Taize cross, which contains a painted image of Christ.

Out of curiosity…in my church, its customary that people will walk towards where the cross is, then appraoch the last 10-15 ft on their knees…shuffling on the stone floor. Do other parishes do this? It reminds me of the pilgrims who approach the Guadalupe shrine on their knees. A considerable act of humility.
 
Cristiano said:
Nothing wrong with that. It is important that people understand how and why the term adoration of the Cross is being used. It might be confusing for newcomers, there is a great post by brother JReducation on the topic see post #75 from Re: Bowing to Altar or Tabernacle?
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Br. JR’s explination here does help. I assumed this had been asked and answered but it is so hard searching history on the CAF.

Thanks and God Bless!
 
Bookcat said:
Veneration is better used in terms of the Saints and Blesseds. It more corosponds to honor (dulia) or hyper dulia in the case of Our Lady.

It is “adoration of the Cross”-- for it is related to Jesus Christ.

One can distinguish more --one can say we give “relative” adoration (Latria) here – relative meaning it passes to Christ.

Where as absolute adoration (Latria) is directly given to any of the Holy Trinity directly (such as to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist).

By the way between now and the Easter Vigil when one passes before that Crucifix used Good Friday – one genuflects (on the right knee as my friend tells me)…as a sign of that relative adoration.
Click to expand...
Note the revised translation now translates it as “adoration of the cross”. It certainly is not now any older language. It is current and the more literal translation.

We do adore the cross (and not just in some odd use of the word like someone might say “that is so adorable” -or “that baby is adoreable” -to which I respond no only one is)…but such can be said to be relative adoration – that which passes to Christ.
 
The Second Council of Nicea taught:

"The honor paid to the image passes to the prototype; and he who adores the image, adores the person whom it represents. "
 
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