THE HOLY CROSS Leads Us to Public Prayer

Connecting Catechesis and Life

under which we gather. It is the sign which THE HOLY CROSS leads us to public prayer. We also expect all will make a sign of the cross at or very

near the beginning of every Liturgy. So it by Eliot Kapitan is no surprise when checking the rubrics How do we begin? How do we (the rules for doing Liturgy) to find these gather? Over time and by experience we expectations clearly spelled out. learn the patterns, we know the customs. They become so natural that we often do Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion is them without thinking. in the middle of the Paschal Triduum. With great drama, a large cross is unveiled while Who does not know how sporting someone sings, “Behold the wood of the events begin? All stand and sing the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the national anthem. Then, following the coin world.” All respond, “Come, let us adore.” toss, the tip off at center court, the first And then one by one all come to venerate pitch, or the drop of the puck, the game as disciples of the one who has gone begins. before us.

Children have time honored ways of In the middle of September, on the th beginning. Hand over hand on a baseball 14 , is the feast of The Exaltation of the bat determines who gets first pick. “Eeny- Holy Cross. We pray that day that the meany-miney-moe.” Both hands behind the death of Christ on the cross will bring us to back with the prize closed up in one. the glory of the resurrection.

Graduations begin with “Pomp and WHAT THE CHURCH BELIEVES BY PRAYING Circumstance.” Weddings begin with the procession of the wedding party. Military Crucifixion is an awful death, a events begin with the presentation of shameful death. And yet for Christians the colors. Independence Day concerts and empty cross, as the empty tomb, is a great parades begin with festive John Philip sign of faith. Both manifest to all believers Sousa marches. that the one who was killed is alive. The one who was dead is now risen. We know how to begin all of these events because of past experience. The cross is no shame for us. As a flag leads patriots in any parade, the cross HOW THE CHURCH PRAYS leads the followers of the dead and risen Christ. It calls to mind the great love The members of the Church also Christ has for the Church. It calls to mind learn how to begin by experience. We that shed blood has reconciled us to God. expect a crossbearer with cross in hand to It calls to mind the words of the Gospel: “If lead liturgical processions. It is the sign any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me” (TEV, Mark 8:34). It reminds us that in this sign we find protection and strength.

This cross contrasts with the tree of Eden and the sin that entered the world. This cross manifests the salvation that

WHAT THE CHURCH LEARNS BY BELIEVING the risen Christ wearing a crown and priestly vestments. Later still, artists Because of our believing, we trace began to fashion what is called a crucifix, the cross on our bodies as a reminder of the image of Christ dying on the cross. what Jesus Christ has done for us. We recall the triune God who calls us into Some ritual books: The Feast of The being and shows us how to live. Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated every 14 September. The Mass prayers in We place a cross in our homes, our the Roman Missal are a source for places for worship, and our parish schools reflection and teaching. The entrance because it is an important symbol of antiphon repeats the same verse used on Christianity. We place a cross on a staff Holy Thursday to begin the Paschal and use it to lead ministers and people to Triduum: “We should glory in the cross of and from our public acts of prayer. our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our Sometimes, even the floor plan of the salvation, life and resurrection; through parish church bears the shape of a cross. whom we are saved and delivered” (see Galatians 6:14). The Lectionary for Mass, The empty cross reminds us of the no. 638, provides these Bible texts: risen Christ and his victory over death. Numbers 21:4b-9; Psalm 78; Philippians The empty cross reminds us of the new life 2:6-11 (also read on Palm Sunday of the and hope we have in Christ. Death is not Passion of the Lord); and John 3:13-17. the end. Many more Bible readings are listed in the Votive Mass for the Mystery of the Holy The crucifix, a cross with an image Cross (LM, nos. 969-975). of the dying Christ on it, reminds us of the great sacrifice he made. By allowing The Book of Blessings has an Order himself to be killed, redemption was won for Blessing of a New Cross for Public for all of humanity. Veneration. The introduction (BB, nos. 1233 ff.) gives a helpful summary of Both cross and crucifix are treasured Church practice and belief. In Catholic by Catholics and treasured by the Church. Household Blessings and Prayers, one finds the “Prayer before a Crucifix” on page 360. Keep a cross or crucifix in your home and classroom. Begin each day with Although not a ritual book, the the sign of the cross. And do it again Catechism of the Catholic Church has a every time you stand for prayer throughout helpful list of sections devoted to this the day. important symbol. Check the index under “cross.” RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY Some music: Here is a short list of Some history: In the first three suitable songs. “Adoramus Te Christe” centuries of the Christian era during the (Marty Haugen); “At the Cross Her Station Roman persecutions, the cross was rarely Keeping;” “Behold the Wood” (Dan Schutte); used by Christians. With Constantine and “Lift High the Cross” (George Kitchin and the Edict of Tolerance, however, the cross Michael Newbolt); “Sing, My Tongue, the was widely displayed in public places. Song of Triumph” (Venantius Fortunatus); “Tree of Life” (Marty Haugen). Talk with During the early Middle Ages, in some your parish musician about music already places, the cross began to bear an image in the parish repertory. of ______Eliot Kapitan is the director for the Office for Worship and the Catechumenate in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.