Risen Christ Cross above Altar

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Two images from the same story…Christ’s dying and resurrection are inexectricably bound. The crucification is a beautiful image to Catholics only because we know what it foretells. We see the resurrection in the crucifix only because we know what happened next.

I cannot imagine being offended by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This seems a matter of troubling rigidity…one imagines a thing a certain way, and cannot adapt. You must change, not others in this situation. You are taking offense at an image of the single greatest event.
 
I probably looked it up and did not this time. My bad.

But isn’t it a strange mixing of elements? If Christ is not risen the mass itself is in vain! His resurrection is assumed or else the faith is meaningless.
We know that Christ rose - praise God!

But, the Mass is first and foremost a sacrifice. Why blur that reality?

Since I do not know what I am talking about, I shall disappear.
 
The Gospels spend a large percentage of their pages on the Passion. The glory of the Resurrection is only magnificent when seen in contrast to the suffering and crucifixion of our Lord. If Jesus merely preached into old age and died of natural causes at 70 years old, and then rose from the dead, the Resurrection would not be seen as the same type of victory. The Church has also placed a special emphasis on martyrs since her earliest days, so contemplation and respect for suffering has always held a prominent place in Church tradition. God Himself wasn’t immune to suffering; that’s the point.
 
At the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Christ’s Sacrifice on the altar of the Cross should be front and center for all to see. We must NEVER forget he was there.

Too many Catholics are just “pew warmers” at Mass and need as much reminding as possible of Christ’s sacrifice for us. Since most of the sacrificial language has been taken out of our Sacred Liturgy post-1970, we need to focus more on Christ’s Sacrifice and not less.
 
Trying to p(name removed by moderator)oint why I feel so passionate about a crucifix rather than the resurrection Cross on or around the Altar. So many reasons why I can’t think of anything else but the Crucifix as a focal point together with the Altar and what takes place at each Holy Mass there.

I lost a mother at eight years old. A 16-year-old younger brother in a tragic accident along with my grandparents while I was living with them as a teen. Many others have since have passed. Our reward for living a long life. I guess I am just comfortable spending quiet time in chapels with renditions of the Crucified Christ that I can see. Because of what I have discovered while spending time with loved ones before each burial. Yes, that’s just me take it or leave it for what it’s worth. We all have not had the same amount of suffering loss. I understand this. Many of us have.

When my mother died, I was eight years old. They did not want me to see her at the Mortuary before her burial. I was to young according to those around me. I insisted and I found myself there with my father and his father, my grandfather. Hard to explain how an eight-year-old feels looking upon their mom in that state. Looking back now for many years I have always treasured that image for whatever reason. I was fortunate to be there.

When I became Catholic in 1999 I went back to that room often. What was happening back then before my mothers’ suicide was chaotic. Divorced she tried to do the best she could. Just couldn’t make it.

One dark night she left my brother Skip, my sister Debbie and me, she never came back home.

I have no idea what her faith life was. Never a part of our lives with her back then. She was a neat person, beautiful and just 36 years old. It was not until I moved in with my grandparents a few years later that my Grandmother taught me to pray. She was a convert to the Mormon Church and yes, in my eyes she was a Saint! The closest any of us came to be with Christ flowed freely from my Mormon Grandmother and my agnostic Grandfather. Quit the mix.

My younger brother was a tough one as well. Just a tragic stupid accident on a straight road that never should have happened. But it did. I found myself in another room spending time with him as I said goodbye. Lots of times like that, lots of funerals, lots of spending quality time at the graves of those who meant so much.

The one image that is locked pretty tight in my mind now that stems from my RCIA experience, since my Baptism is that now I visualize the Crucifix above my Mother, above my Brother, above my Grandfather and Grandmother right on the wall behind them as they lay in their resting places before being buried. It all makes sense to me, to lose those we love. The times we spent together, how each one molded us, and us them. It all takes place here on earth under the shadow of the Crucified Christ weather we know it or not. Death is special as it is the best teacher for us humans. The most powerful love wide opened. ~ Continued
 
From our first pets to our parents if we are gifted to live that long. It is the lesson of lessons. It is a very special place to spend time to reflect on the most important aspects of our lives. Our Catholic faith, how awesome is it? We have the resurrection that tells us that all will be good in the end here. Another very special gift from the One who loves us most. I have never felt like there was an end at each grave I have spent time at. If I did, I would not speak to them, tell them I love them, ask for guidance. Nor have I ever felt this while praying under the Crucifix. The best guidance I have and will ever receive takes place for me under the Crucifix. I think that pretty much p(name removed by moderator)oints it for me. But its not all about me. I know this.(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
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Take one single Catholic Church. One that has had the Crucifix as a devotional for 50 years. Then have the Parish Council along with the Priest giving permission to change this devotional with a Cross of the Resurrected Christ. Was this not done because of opinions?

Our Homily Christmas Eve was about having the lay Catholics take their concerns to the Church, to their Priest, no matter what the problem might be. That we need more of that. That the Priest need more of that. Not to be afraid to ask important questions and get involved. No fear. And then he apologized to all of us for the times he may have failed.
Of course, this is my opinion. And I am not the type to force anything upon anyone. Those closest to me know that about me. What I am bringing here at this awesome forum is what I am passionate about. Just as I try my best to bring Jesus to those who do not yet know Him. All it is….its Passion for the one who loves us most. What happened on the Cross is the greatest love of all. Front and center, it’s as simple as that. There is no need to rush the Resurrection by placing the resurrected Christ on the Cross in order to not offend those who do not yet get it. Those who may not be Catholic as not to offend them or possibly chase them away. I spent 14 years with the RCIA in Northern Utah. Mostly Mormons wanting to know what it was that they have been told is evil. What most wanted to see and understand was why we would have a Crucifix in our Church. In other words, I want to know why God allows suffering. I want to learn, to go deeper. They wanted to see the Crucifix in our Church. I would ask them “How does this make you feel? (Would it be the same with a Resurrected Cross?) It became quiet. You could almost hear a feather strike the ground.
One said “it makes me feel sad” another “it makes me think of forgiveness” and the best one I was gifted to hear out loud. “Why don’t we have that in our Church” Under the Crucifix is where I saw conversion planted. If you only knew. What do you think people who have never stepped into a catholic Church want to see? What they see in their own Churches?
What I am looking for is your opinion on why the resurrected Cross above the Altar rather than the Crucifix. Is this not a good back and forth? Should I walk away with my opinion? Should I respect your own opinion? Of course. Do I understand that we are all different in the ways we see things? You bet I do. Jesus Himself had His own Opinions. If we kept our opinions to ourselves there would be no Catholic Answers forum. There would be no Catholic Church, no Christianity at all. Saint Peter had an opinion “I do not know Him” His opinion changed because he saw himself as he was and did not like it. He came back around / powerful.
 
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Here are two of my all time favorite paintings.
My favorite Part of the Movie, the Passion of Christ was the very end.
My faith life moves towards each Easter. I am a Catholic.
Leave you with this story about the resurrection. It was a question asked of me after a tour of our Church.
An LDS man that I knew came up to me and said this:
“Please don’t take offense to what I am about to ask you, as I am sincere.”
I told him, “No, I won’t; ask anything you want.”

He said, “It seems that Catholics focus more on the crucifixion, the death of our Savior rather than on the resurrection; is this true?”

12 years and 12 Easters helping with the RCIA over that same span since my own Baptism does prepare one like me for a question like that. A certain sadness comes over you because you know you will not be able to answer such a question in a few short sentences. But none the less you try. You do the best you can calling upon the Holy Spirit. You prepare for the next time and it goes like this:

“I spent the first 39 years of my life attending Easter with my LDS family. We had some great dinners and Easter egg hunts. Lots of very fond memories and pictures. But when I was Baptized Catholic, after the incense and the Easter Vigil candles were put out, I realized for the first time in my life that I was at Easter for the very first time”

We as Catholics hold the Crucifixion up while holding the Resurrection up as well. We know what our failures are, or at least we should as Catholics with the Confessionals and Jesus front and center, always ready to forgive in order to receive His Resurrection more fully.

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If the crucifix you are referring to is one of the ones that has the abstract/70s look to it I’m not a fan of those either, not that I think there’s anything essentially “wrong” with them, the type of artwork is not to my taste and I find it distracting more than uplifting. I came to the realization that I get easily distracted by visual things, especially if it’s art, architecture that I find ugly or someone’s poor choice in outfit. As the Mass itself is what matters, I have gotten into the habit of closing my eyes for the majority of the Mass to block out these distractions. I open them during the homily, sign of peace, and when walking (obviously). I find that it really helps me focus on the Mass and my prayers more.
 
“And at last, (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.) (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.) conclusion,

The death and passion of Our Lord is the sweetest and most constraining motive that can animate our hearts in this mortal life: and it is the very truth, that mystical bees make their most excellent honey within the wounds of this Lion of the tribe of Judah, slain, rent and torn upon the Mount of Calvary. And the children of the cross glory in their admirable problem, which the world understands not: Out of death, the eater of all, has come forth the meat of our consolation; and out of death, strong above all, has come forth the sweetness of the honey of our love. O Jesus, my Savior, how love-worthy is thy death, since it is the sovereign effect of thy love!

“Mount Calvary is the mount of lovers. All love that takes not its beginning from Our Savior’s Passion is frivolous and dangerous. Unhappy is death without the love of the Savior, unhappy is love without the death of the Savior! Love and death are so mingled in the Passion of Our Savior that we cannot have the one in our heart without the other. Upon Calvary one cannot have life without love, nor love without the death of Our Redeemer. But, except there, all is either eternal death or eternal love: and all Christian wisdom consists in choosing rightly.” ~Saint Francis de Sales
 
The never ending abuse crisis in our Church finds its proper place in the Crucified Christ.
It stops there. We may still be in the game under the shadow of Christ Crucified. How are sin today was felt by Jesus over 2000 years ago. The one Sacrifice moves through time so we all have a chance to understand it. How this act of love itself can save our souls. As Catholics with Christ Crucified front and center. We also know the final score.
Christs prevails … Satan loses.
 
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Quote: “The Crucifix should remind us that even the darkness is not without hope”
The Crucifixion is, as St. Francis de Sales calls it, the academy of love
 
I’m not sure if there is an official Church position on having a crucifix altar, but I love seeing the risen Christ… rising from the dead was the most important thing Jesus ever did. Why not make that front and center?
 
godisgood77 said:
… rising from the dead was the most important thing Jesus ever did. Why not make that front and center?
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So when you are in Mass, or ready to leave Mass, what should be “stuck” in your head:

A) Jesus resurrected himself and I need to do that too.

or

B) Jesus told us to take up our crosses and follow him in this life, to get to Heaven in the next life.

I don’t know about you, but A is beyond my capabilities. So I’ll do the best I can with B.
 
There is to be a crucifix near/on the altar during mass. That requirement certainly exists. Nothing wrong with seeing the risen Christ in an artwork. I just don’t understand the risen Christ on a cross, that always seems rather strange to me.
 
ricmat said:
So when you are in Mass, or ready to leave Mass, what should be “stuck” in your head:

A) Jesus resurrected himself and I need to do that too.

or

B) Jesus told us to take up our crosses and follow him in this life, to get to Heaven in the next life.

I don’t know about you, but A is beyond my capabilities. So I’ll do the best I can with B.
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Well… I didn’t say anything about how I feel leaving mass… I said that raising from the dead was the most important thing Jesus did. We all die. Rising from the dead is something only God can do…

To answer your question thought… When I leave Mass, I typically am grateful that Jesus died for our sins and that he rose from the dead to open the gates of heaven for us
 
Yes, I added the part about leaving Mass, you are correct that you didn’t mention it.

I guess I was thinking that each Mass is an opportunity to improve/increase in some way. So that on the way out, we leave with something to do. e.g. “The Mass is ended, go in peace to love and serve the Lord”. And that a way to do that typically involves suffering.
 
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