Friday, September 14, 2012

The Finding of the Cross

Today the church commemorates the day when St Helena found the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Being the mother of Emperor Constantine, who ended the persecutions in 313AD, Helena was determined to find the abandoned cross on which Jesus was crucified. The excavations actually found three crosses buried in Jerusalem close to Mount Calvary. To verify which was the actual cross of Christ, they asked a sick person to touch each cross.  When he touched the third one, the person was completely healed, and thereby they concluded which was Jesus's cross.
The above cross is the one in the St Francis De Sales day-chapel, where we celebrate Mass three times a week, and where the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held every Friday. The image of the crucifixion, along with the nativity is the most painted subject in the history of art, and every painting is a true meditation on the passion of Christ.
Crucifixion by Mathias Grunewald

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