The Franciscan Tau Cross (An Explanation)

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The Franciscan Tau Cross (An Explanation)

) Boynton Beach, Florida Beach, Boynton Fraternity Padua of Anthony St. for V. Lesley by (Made CROSS. TAU from the smaller scapular and cord to the the to cord and scapular smaller the from the habit for Secular Franciscans was changed changed was Franciscans Secular for habit the 1978 (the time of the updated Pauline Rule) Rule) Pauline updated the of time (the 1978 to hold it together, became obsolete. After After obsolete. became together, it hold to the original intent of the scapular, with cord cord with scapular, the of intent original the Third Order member. At that point in time time in point that At member. Order Third the waist and under the outer clothes of a Lay Lay a of clothes outer the under and waist the replaced with a string that was worn around around worn was that string a with replaced no longer served a practical purpose and was was and purpose practical a served longer no around the neck. The rope around the waist waist the around rope The neck. the around of cloth held together with string and worn worn and string with together held cloth of came smaller until it became two small pieces pieces small two became it until smaller came worn around the waist. The scapular part be- part scapular The waist. the around worn that were held together by a piece of rope rope of piece a by together held were that Explanation) (An (two large pieces of cloth worn front and back) back) and front worn cloth of pieces large (two changed to the wearing of a large scapular scapular large a of wearing the to changed Cross Tau Franciscan The wore a habit. After 1508 the use of a habit was was habit a of use the 1508 After habit. a wore Up to the year 1508 Third Order members members Order Third 1508 year the to Up This symbolic image was In the year 1215, Pope Innocent III called for immediately taken to heart by a great reform of the Roman Catholic St. Francis, who was in Church...the Fourth Lateran Council. The attendance at the Fourth Later- Pope opened the Council by recalling the Old an Council. The TAU could Testament image of the TAU easily be identified with the (Hebrew letter “T”) as taken from the cross of Christ and from that Prophet Ezekial...Yahweh said this to him, day forward, instead of signing “go all through the city, and through Jerusa- his name, Francis would use the sign of the lem, and mark a cross on the foreheads of all TAU as his signature. who grieve and lament over all the loathsome practices in it.” Today, followers of Francis, laity as well as religious, wear the TAU cross as an exterior In Old Testament times the image of the sign, a “seal” of their commitment, a TAU, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, remembrance of the Victory of Christ over meant that we were admonished to be faithful evil through daily self-sacrificing love. to GOD throughout our lives until the last. The sign of contradiction has become a sign of hope, a witness of fidelity till the end of our lives. .

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