Kissing a wooden cross during Veneration

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TimothyH said:
This isn’t difficult people.

We venerate His Holy Cross for the same reason we kiss and bow to the altar. We venerate the Cross because it is the instrument of our salvation upon which the savior of the world was sacrificed. The Cross is the altar of sacrifice. Besides, Jesus was in the tomb. He wasn’t there!

People who say, “The crucifix is the only way for me” are just being silly, or dramatic, or trying to prove to the world how Catholic they are.

-Tim-
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No, I didn’t want to imply that. And no, I don’t have any documents that say one way or the other. What I DO know, is that I have never been to a Good Friday Veneration where we kissed and adored the Cross without the Corpus. From talking around, I did learn from someone taking liturgy courses that when the wording of the Mass was changed in 2011(?) by Benedict, that was changed as well. I guess it just took a few years for people to ‘catch up’. I also noted that The National Basilica in Washington has not yet caught up, they venerated a Crucifix. Yes, it does make sense to me now, Jesus is in the tomb. I don’t think people are trying to be proud about it, but I do think there is only one way to be Catholic, and that is to be truly Catholic, and I for one will not waver on it.
 
Teelynn said:
I don’t think people are trying to be proud about it, but I do think there is only one way to be Catholic, and that is to be truly Catholic, and I for one will not waver on it.
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Being truly Catholic means bowing to the will of the Church, not expecting the Church to bow to your will. Often that means following your pastor or bishop, even if you would prefer to see things done differently. In some situations it means recognizing that there are valid options, and someone choosing their preferred option doesn’t make them less Catholic than someone who chooses your preferred option.
 
My current parish uses a plain cross (actually, the large processional cross that we use for Lent & Easter). I’ve gone to churches that have used the crucifix, as well. It’s always been confusing to me as to what is meant, because the English translation for the unveiling of the cross says “This is the wood of the cross” - not “Behold Jesus on the cross”.
 
I’ve seen it done many ways. Some parishes…one giant crucifix and everyone goes up to that one. Some parishes…individual smaller crucifixes at different “stations” in front of church and people file up by where they are sitting. Our parish now…a single large wooden cross, that Father holds and everyone comes up to that one cross.

I will show reverence when any of these options are presented. Jesus knows what’s in our hearts.

(I tend to be a germaphobe…if a crucifix is presented I will kiss it, but the plain wooden cross…I kiss my fingertips and press them against the wood!!! )
 
All of my pre Novus Ordo missals (going back to the 1930s) state crucifix. My early Novus Ordo missals and my current missal say only cross. My last parish used a crucifix, my current parish uses a simple cross. Veneration of the holy cross is more than the form of cross used. I personally would like to see the crucifix used, but no one asked me. I am not going to get into the weeds on this and ruin my Holy Week.
A Blessed Easter Season to all.
 
Mintaka said:
(And security used to be pretty loose. **But then once there was an incident where one guy managed to bite out a big chunk of splinter **and take it home and sell it, and after that they started watching people’s kisses more closely.)

(And yes, there have always been people who did bad things in church.)
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Nah, he just misunderstood the bit about “take and eat.” 😃
 
I’ve been to parishes where a larger crucifix was brought out for veneration, and others where a large dark color cross has been brought out for veneration. People still kissed the cross no matter what. When I went to Good Friday service last week, we had a large cross brought up the aisle, and the priest was assisted by a lay person to bring it to where it could be placed in 1 place for veneration.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
Being truly Catholic means bowing to the will of the Church, not expecting the Church to bow to your will. Often that means following your pastor or bishop, even if you would prefer to see things done differently. In some situations it means recognizing that there are valid options, and someone choosing their preferred option doesn’t make them less Catholic than someone who chooses your preferred option.
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Now, tell me, what in my post indicated that I didn’t want to follow Church teaching? If the new teaching is a ‘wooden cross minus the corpus’ so be it, I will of course obey that. When people infer that people want to be ‘more Catholic than the Church’ however, that is sort of a derogatory put down. I never said I didn’t want to follow Church teaching. I just thought it was peculiar that some were using a wooden cross minus the corpus and some were not. It reminds me why I avoid this site. People tend to be a tad uppity on their responses. Thanks anyway, think I’ll be leaving now. No hard feeling though.

Blessings of the Risen Christ to all,
Teelynn
 
ajecphotos said:
Blimey, dont you believe in the healing power of God!

Loads of people cough during mass. Wouldn’t stop me from kissing Jesus on the cross!
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The people weren’t just clearing their throats…you can hear the chest congestion, which has been going around this month.

I believe I “venerated” the cross by genuflecting & making the sign of the cross. Venerate means to treat with reverence & respect…not to kiss!
 
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