Kissing the cross at Good Friday service

[zab]

The Veneration of the Cross is more than just showing respect to Jesus who died for us. When we kiss the cross it is an opportunity for us to embrace the crosses in our life. We can make use of our sufferings and offer them in union with Jesus’ suffering. Our sufferings do not have to be in vain. That is why some of us actually kiss the wood of the cross instead of the corpus of Jesus on it. I found this short video on Yube that gives some explaination of what I have tried to say: youtube.com/watch?v=MeS6o_HMMP0

 

[johnmann]

That is exactly what I did the first time when my priest criticized me afterwards! I even read that it was okay to do that!

I don’t believe there are any published norms about they form which the reverence should take. The pew missals at the service I attended said that kissing, bowing, genuflecting, and touching are all acceptable. I bowed as I would before receiving Communion standing then kissed my fingers then the cross. Priests should allow it but if they don’t, what are you gonna do? Just kiss or stay in your seat.

 

[ringil]

I have never felt as if kissing the cross is idolatry but I did feel odd kissing a relic of St. Anthony at a liturgical function once. I got over it though as kissing something is showing respect, and love, not adoration.

 

[NovusAugustus]

If anyone is uncomfortable with the word “worship” keep in mind that the modern sense of the word is significantly different from the older sense. There is also an issue of translation. In ancient Greek and perhaps Latin, there were distinct kinds of “worship”–one was the kind that we associate with the word “honor”–like when we say to a judge “Your Honor.” In fact, this sense of “worship” is retained in Great Britain, where they still refer to some officials as “Your Worship.” The other kind of worship is more like “adoration”–this is the total love and attribution of complete supremacy that we reserve for the Holy Trinity.

By the way, this is all in one of the Catholic Answers tracts they have on this website. I’ll see if I can find it.

 

[Claire_Lily]

Yesterday, our priest told us it was our decision if we either kissed the crucifix, bowed, genuflected, touched the crucifix or remain seated. The crucifix is a symbol representing how our salvation was accomplished. To me, the veneration of the cross part of the Good Friday service is a respectful way to express my acceptance of Jesus as savior and my gratitude for the gift of faith.

 

[ziziba]

That is exactly what I did the first time when my priest criticized me afterwards! I even read that it was okay to do that!

pmoo : That priest , unfortunately, had lost the human touch . TO encourage rather than criticize would have been more appropriate.

 

[SanAgustin]

A couple of things I think helped me with this. First is that I teach Religious Education classes to children. We have a high hispanic population. A lot of my kids of the sign of the cross and then kiss their thumb and finger made into a cross. I also noticed they stopped doing it after awhile in my class unless I also did it.

After talking to parents and others on what this meant to them, I did not want these children to lose this wonderful yet simple thing of faith. So I now habitually do it also after 12 years of teaching.

Maria, thank you for sharing this. My wife and I teach CCD, but we have the opposite issue. We are Hispanic and most of our class isnt. We never noticed until now (and we’ve been in the US for a while) that in the US people don’t kiss their finger at the end of the sign of the cross (when you say Amen). I was starting to feel odd about doing it, but my girls are now used to it. Brings a smile that you noticed and respected this!

 

[PJM]

=pmoo;10554731]I would like to know others’ opinions of this practice. I was raised as a Protestant and converted to Catholicism in 2007, when I was baptized and confirmed. However, I cannot grasp the idea of kissing the cross in the Good Friday service because in my mind, it seems to be idolatry.

My first Good Friday, I kissed my finger and touched it to the cross, but my priest scolded me after. I explained I was uncomfortable and it felt like idolatry, but he reminded me I’m a Catholic now and need to do this.

So, some years, I avoid going up. Today I did but more because I felt pressure. If it doesn’t mean anything to me, then isn’t it wrong?

And how can it be wrong not to kiss a cross. It isn’t as if it was the crucifixion cross - it’s just a symbol.

I’m really torn over this as I want to be a good Catholic, but I don’t see how I can be a bad Catholic for not participating in this practice.

Thanks to anyone who responds.

First a bit of comfot through RIGHT understanding:

Please read this carefully and prayerfully

God HIMSELF commanded Moses on two differnt ocassions to build “idols”

Exod.25: 18, 20 And you shall make two cherubim [a class of angels] of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. [20] The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be

Num.21: 8-9 And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

So my friend its NOT “idols” thats is the problem: it is FASLE gods.

Exodus 20:23
You shall not make gods of silver, nor shall you make to yourselves gods of gold

EMPHASIS NOT SHOUTING

SO THE RIGHT UNDERSTANDING TEACHES US THAT ITS NOT THE “IMAGE” BUT WHAT THE IMAGE IS INTENDED TO ACCOMPLISH.

ANYTHING that can bring one closer to GOD is great!

Anthing that competes with God is factually " a false god"; evil and to be shunned.

Kissing the Cross ought to:

1. Bring Home christ passion and Love for us
2. Make us humble and greatfull
3. Show us the debt we OWE Christ
4. Bring us ever-so-much closer to God. Amen

Always ask yourself what is the goal of…??? If its to remind us of good and holy things; its a good thing.

God Bless you and WELCOME HOME!

 

[MariaG]

Maria, thank you for sharing this. My wife and I teach CCD, but we have the opposite issue. We are Hispanic and most of our class isnt. We never noticed until now (and we’ve been in the US for a while) that in the US people don’t kiss their finger at the end of the sign of the cross (when you say Amen). I was starting to feel odd about doing it, but my girls are now used to it. Brings a smile that you noticed and respected this!

Yours brings a smile to mine!!

Truly, imagine that as an adult, if you were feeling weird about it, how kids could feel!

I just use it as a teaching tool. I explain at the start of the year, what I do, and why. I then say you should not feel uncomfortable whether you do it or not.

Interesting thing is I have 3 boys. 1 kisses the thumb and finger, 2 don’t. And the youngest, who is only 11 doesn’t. Been teaching 12 years. It is a complete habit for me. I always do it, but he doesn’t. Yet the 20 year old does! Lol. Go figure.

 

[DaveBj]

OP’s feelings somewhat mirror mine on this issue. I’ve been to only three (I think) Good Friday services since my confirmation, and in the first two I followed the example of everyone else, while the third time I just stayed in my pew. More recently my work schedule has prevented my attendance at these services (industrial security gets no holidays off).

I am just very uncomfortable showing veneration to anything or anyone who is not God. In our parish, the discomfort at venerating the cross is exacerbated by the fact that the target for the kiss is actually a reliquary containing a tiny sliver of the “True Cross.” Whereas I think is possible that the sliver might have come from the materials that St. Helena “discovered” in the 4th century, I have strong doubts that any of that material is from the actual cross on which Jesus died, and these doubts prevent my having any positive feelings toward venerating that fragment.

 

[eonporter]

It is the cross of our Lord that you are kissing, not a foreign object from an unknown God.

If Christ hadn’t died in the cross 2000 years ago, we wouldn’t be kissing crosses in good friday, would we?

All we do, we do for Jesus.

Either you know why you go to the church, or you don’t.

If you know that your Lord is Jesus Christ, and you know that God is above all the things on earth, then you can kiss whatever object you want, and you will not be committing idolatry.

Just know why you are doing things, and try not to fall into the protestant trap of trying to guess what other people have in their hearts. Only God can do that, by the way.

 

[DaveBj]

It is the cross of our Lord that you are kissing, not a foreign object from an unknown God.

No it is not the cross of our Lord; it is a manufactured replica.

snip

Just know why you are doing things, and try not to fall into the protestant trap of trying to guess what other people have in their hearts. Only God can do that, by the way.

Knowing why I am doing things is why I don’t do them. If I’m getting it wrong and showing Jesus disrespect by not kissing a replica of the cross, He knows where I live; He can tell me so Himself. I’m open to correction, provided that correction comes from the proper authority.

 

[porthos11]

If anyone is uncomfortable with the word “worship” keep in mind that the modern sense of the word is significantly different from the older sense. There is also an issue of translation. In ancient Greek and perhaps Latin, there were distinct kinds of “worship”–one was the kind that we associate with the word “honor”–like when we say to a judge “Your Honor.” In fact, this sense of “worship” is retained in Great Britain, where they still refer to some officials as “Your Worship.” The other kind of worship is more like “adoration”–this is the total love and attribution of complete supremacy that we reserve for the Holy Trinity.

By the way, this is all in one of the Catholic Answers tracts they have on this website. I’ll see if I can find it.

Where the Cross is concerned, I have a shocker for you and for the OP. We DO worship the Cross. And by worship, I mean just that, not venerate, honour, or reverence. We worship it with latria, that is the worship due to God alone.

For for those who still have little fears of idolatry from their Protestant days, there it is. We worship the Cross. I would suggest that rather than fight it or try to find more comfortable words that suit everyone’s sensibilities, embrace it, for this is what the Church teaches, and in this case, through the words of her liturgy. Catholics worship the Cross. I worship the Cross. We genuflect to the Cross just as we do to the Blessed Sacrament, and genuflection is an act of latria.

Once you’ve embrace this truth, then it becomes easier to understand why we do so. Ad Orientem got it right. Because the worship of the Cross passes to its prototype.

St. Thomas on the matter:
newadvent.org/summa/4025.htm#article4

To the OP: kissing the Cross is not kissing the Cross inasmuch as it’s wood and plaster. You are showing your love to Christ himself.

 

[MariaG]

Where the Cross is concerned, I have a shocker for you and for the OP. We DO worship the Cross. And by worship, I mean just that, not venerate, honour, or reverence. We worship it with latria, that is the worship due to God alone.

For for those who still have little fears of idolatry from their Protestant days, there it is. We worship the Cross. I would suggest that rather than fight it or try to find more comfortable words that suit everyone’s sensibilities, embrace it, for this is what the Church teaches, and in this case, through the words of her liturgy. Catholics worship the Cross. I worship the Cross. We genuflect to the Cross just as we do to the Blessed Sacrament, and genuflection is an act of latria.

Once you’ve embrace this truth, then it becomes easier to understand why we do so. Ad Orientem got it right. Because the worship of the Cross passes to its prototype.

St. Thomas on the matter:
newadvent.org/summa/4025.htm#article4

To the OP: kissing the Cross is not kissing the Cross inasmuch as it’s wood and plaster. You are showing your love to Christ himself.

Thanks for that link. It gets me a bit closer to wrapping my brain around worship of the cross.

 

[otjm]

TRhis is something we did wel before Vatican 2.

Wasn’t really comfortable with it then.

Still not.

But I do it anyway; with the words of my sainted grandmother in my ears; “Offer it up!”

 

[porthos11]

TRhis is something we did wel before Vatican 2.

Wasn’t really comfortable with it then.

Still not.

But I do it anyway; with the words of my sainted grandmother in my ears; “Offer it up!”

Neither was I; in my younger days I refused to go up and adore the Cross. Having recognized my pride, and gladly do it now, because I know I’m adoring Christ and not dead wood.

 

[PJM]

=MariaG;10567004]Thanks for that link. It gets me a bit closer to wrapping my brain around worship of the cross.

A small but necessary correction

Catholics and everyone else are to “Worship” God alone

Everything else we can honor and reverence; but not “worship”

 

[porthos11]

A small but necessary correction

Catholics and everyone else are to “Worship” God alone

Everything else we can honor and reverence; but not “worship”

Look at the link again. Catholics worship (not merely honour, venerate, whatever) the Cross. Worship=adore, latria; the same worship due to God alone. The worship of latria is the same worship we offer to God and God alone.

We worship the Cross, and according to St. Thomas, it’s the worship of latria (not hyperdulia or dulia) and he explains why. Because the worship offered to the Cross actually passes on to the prototype.

We shouldn’t be so quick to deny what we actually believe in the face of accusations of idolatry. Catholics worship only one Being, and that is God. Yet, we do also worship the Cross with the same worship that is due to God. But the two are not in conflict because we do not worship the Cross as a god, but the worship we offer it is actually the worship of God himself; it passes to the prototype. Read St. Thomas’s articles #3 and #4 in the provided link.

 

[PJM]

=porthos11;10569252]Look at the link again. Catholics worship (not merely honour, venerate, whatever) the Cross. Worship=adore, latria; the same worship due to God alone. The worship of latria is the same worship we offer to God and God alone.

We worship the Cross, and according to St. Thomas, it’s the worship of latria (not hyperdulia or dulia) and he explains why. Because the worship offered to the Cross actually passes on to the prototype.

We shouldn’t be so quick to deny what we actually believe in the face of accusations of idolatry. Catholics worship only one Being, and that is God. Yet, we do also worship the Cross with the same worship that is due to God. But the two are not in conflict because we do not worship the Cross as a god, but the worship we offer it is actually the worship of God himself; it passes to the prototype. Read St. Thomas’s articles #3 and #4 in the provided link.

2096 Adoration is the first act of the virtue of religion. To adore God is to acknowledge him as God, as the Creator and Savior, the Lord and Master of everything that exists, as infinite and merciful Love. “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve,” says Jesus, citing Deuteronomy.

CCC 2135 “You shall worship the Lord your God” (Mt 4:10). Adoring God, praying to him, offering him the worship that belongs to him, fulfilling the promises and vows made to him are acts of the virtue of religion which fall under obedience to the first commandment

CCC 2136 The duty to offer God authentic worship concerns man both as an individual and as a social being.

CCC 2111 Superstition is the deviation of religious feeling and of the practices this feeling imposes. It can even affect the worship we offer the true God, e.g., when one attributes an importance in some way magical to certain practices otherwise lawful or necessary. To attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand, is to fall into superstition.

As much as I love and repect St.Thomas; having quoted him often; he’s not the Magisterium, and he was not a Pope.

 

[DaveBj]

Look at the link again. Catholics worship (not merely honour, venerate, whatever) the Cross. Worship=adore, latria; the same worship due to God alone. The worship of latria is the same worship we offer to God and God alone.

We worship the Cross, and according to St. Thomas, it’s the worship of latria (not hyperdulia or dulia) and he explains why. Because the worship offered to the Cross actually passes on to the prototype.

We shouldn’t be so quick to deny what we actually believe in the face of accusations of idolatry. Catholics worship only one Being, and that is God. Yet, we do also worship the Cross with the same worship that is due to God. But the two are not in conflict because we do not worship the Cross as a god, but the worship we offer it is actually the worship of God himself; it passes to the prototype. Read St. Thomas’s articles #3 and #4 in the provided link.

Maybe you do. I do not. And all of this is bringing me closer and closer to making a promise before God that I will neither worship nor venerate any person or thing, with the exception of God in His three Persons. If I am wrong, God can correct me; He knows where I live.