Never heard this before

[Jacob21]

Hello all! As some may know I started college about 3 weeks ago, and in that time period have made many wonderful friends. In this time I have discuss the faith on numerous occasions, with Catholics and non catholics alike. I attend Mass at the Newman Center on campus, where the Chaplain plans on training me to Altar Serve, Lector, become an Extraordinary Minister, and also set up before and help after the Mass. It’s been an eventful couple of weeks to say the least. I also attended Mass at the Church downtown, Immaculate Conception Parish. (I mentioned this in an early post a few weeks back) It is a magnificently beautiful Church, very traditional. It still has the old High Altar and Side Altars, as well as part of the Communion Rail.
Now to get to my question. As I said above, I've been discussing the Faith quite frequently. (Especially in my Faith and reason course.) Early today in a discussion with a friend (who is Lutheran), they stated that the "Crucifix always bothered them." I asked them why, and they said "because it was satans crowning moment." Now obviously I strongly disagree with this and started to explain that the Crucifix reminds us of our Salvation, for Jesus suffered for us to redeem us. But in response to my comment about it reminding us of our Salvation they stated that "no, thats the Resurrection." I started to bring up the Scriptural passage of "We preach Christ Crucified" (Unfortunately I don't know the exact passage.) But before I could discuss the topic further, someone else brought up the history of crucifixion, and after that person 1 didn't want to discuss the topic any further. Anyone want to comment on this? I didn't push the subject on the risk of loosing a friend, but did I do the right thing?

 

[jmcrae]

You know,I really love that moment in the Passion of the Christ, where, as Christ is being raised up on the Cross, the Devil gleefully rubs his hands. Then, when Jesus says, “it is finished”, it cuts for just a moment - less than a few seconds - to Hell, where the Devil is astounded and shocked to find himself utterly alone - all of the souls have been removed from there - the look of horror on the Devil’s face is really all that can be said about the Crucifixion - it is not the Devil’s crowning moment as he thought it would be; it is, instead, his absolute defeat.

What your Protestant friends don’t understand is that the Sacrifice on the Cross is what saved us from the Devil. Not the Resurrection. The Resurrection was confirmation that salvation had been achieved, but the actual act of salvation was the Crucifixion.

 

[Eucharisted]

Two things:

One, the Passion of the Christ is not a great movie, it is based on unapproved revelation, and, Christ did not die for the souls in Gehenna but for the souls in limbo.

Second, Christ’s death is the center of Christianity, and any Christian who dares to question His victory on the Cross is not a Christian but a fool and a false prophet. Anyone who is ashamed of the Cross will not enter Heaven, for the Cross is the way to Heaven. Pray for your friend, because he is being deceived by the devil, who fears the Cross.

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud19881019en.html
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud19880928en.html
vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p122a4p2.htm
vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p122a5p1.htm

 

[graciesuico]

Your friend comes from different belief and receive different teaching.Of course what we need is to be more compassionate. Remember Crucifixion is a stumbling block to some of our Brothers and Sister.

You may start praying to the Holy Spirit ask His help; of how you can help your friend.

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

The Crucifixion is sacrifice and the protestants are not about the “works” of sacrifice. This is not in their theology and is why your friend cannot see the effective nature of the Cross with the Corpus. If you are sick and suffering then you have not enough faith. The message of Fatima is Eucharistic reparation for sin by sacrificing to God. The Sacrifice of the Mass is the perfect Sacrifice of our Lord and thus Mass is preferable to discussion with those who propose they know better than the “Pillar and Ground” of the truth. It is God who calls, as Cardinal Newman said, “It is as absurd to argue men, as to torture them, into believing”.

 

[Eucharisted]

“Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the cross our seal, made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink, in our comings and in goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are travelling, and when we are at rest.”
– St. Cyril of Jerusalem