Whenever I’m in a Catholic Church I find myself gazing upon the crucifix, contemplating this act of self sacrifice Jesus willingly obliged His Father. More and more as I visit Catholic Churches in various states, I am discovering something rather peculiar as in the photo above. Can you see it? 

Let’s recount the actions that lead up to this event. Near the end of the Passover meal with His apostles, Jesus decides to go out to the Garden of Gethsemane and pray for this final cup to pass Him by and He is distressed to the point of sweating blood. Jesus is betrayed with a kiss by one in His inner circle, falsely accused and arrested. Peter, the one Jesus chose to lead His Church, denies Jesus not once, but three times. Jesus taken before Pilot is jeered and ridiculed by people who praised and celebrated Him days before and now demand His crucifixion. Jesus is whipped to a bloody pulp and rejected by the same people above who choose to free a convicted murderer over Jesus. Jesus is condemned to die by crucifixion and forced to carry His instrument of death up hill all the while being spat upon and ridiculed by onlookers. Jesus, like a lamb to the slaughter, is layed out on the cross, three spikes, pounded into his flesh and hung up to die while fly’s and birds pick at His flesh. After three hours of agony, He breaths His last. To add insult to injury, a spear is thrust into His side just to confirm He was dead.

Do you see any hint of the above description in that crucifix? Any agony? Any discomfort? No, neither do I. It looks like all He needs is to spray a little bactine on His hands and feet and He’s good to go.

Why is that? Why do we desire to hide the Truth? To deny the scourge of sin? Is it just, all too uncomfortable? Better that we not see “it,” not talk about “it” lest things get awkward? Would we have to confront our own sin? Wouldn’t want to offend anyone or make anyone uncomfortable. Cause, you know, Truth can be very upsetting.

Why would anyone desire to sanitize the most incredible act of love committed by anyone, ever? He did that for you. He did that for me. He did that for everyone to lived before Him and everyone after Him. 

Next Sunday while sitting in the pew before Mass, take a moment, look at the crucifix and think about that ultimate act of Love and remember, He went all the way to the edge. He gave everything he had and opened not His mouth.  He did all of that, for you.

photo credit: Billy Gillespie, redemptionstreet.net