The [480 - 547] Cross.
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In the darkest of hours, many have sought comfort through the protective love and powerful prayer of St. Benedict. The strong intercession of this reclusive monk is known by believers to stave off temptation, disease and the forces of evil.
The San Damino Cross.
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St. Francis prayed often before an exposed Byzantine-style crucifix in the abandoned chapel in San Damiano. One day the Lord spoke to him through the crucifix, asking Francis to rebuild His Church.
The Tau Cross.
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The first recorded reference to the TAU is from Ezekiel 9:4, “Go through the city of Jerusalem and put a TAU on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” The TAU is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet and looks very much like the letter “T”.
At the Fourth Lateran Council, on November 11, 1215, Pope Innocent made reference to the TAU and quoted the above verse in reference to the profaning of the Holy Places by the Saracens. It is widely accepted that St. Francis was present at the Fourth Lateran Council and that he heard the words of Pope Innocent III when he said, "The TAU has exactly the same form as the Cross on which our Lord was crucified on Calvary, and only those will be marked with this sign and will obtain mercy who have mortified their flesh and conformed their life to that of the Crucified Savior. From then on, the TAU became Francis’ own coat of arms.
Francis used the TAU in his writings, painted in on the walls and doors of the places where he stayed, and used it as his only signature on his writings.
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