if you are depressed or feel alone about your cross... * your sufferings *...don't be

....there are more Scripture verses, I ran out of "characters left."

Here's the link. John Salza, Catholic apologist, is amazing, it's his site:

www.scripturecatholic.com...

When the cross seems to heavy, you're experiencing a suffering, don't forget:


Some interior consolations are for infant souls. They are not signs of perfection. It is not consolations that are needed, but suffering. Aridity, listlessness, helplessness, these are the signs of real love. Suffering is pleasant. Exile is beautiful because by suffering we have something to give God. The gift of our pain, of our sufferings is a great thing, which we cannot do in Paradise.

Padre Pio


join Yahoo Groups Seers 2

groups.yahoo.com...

Originally posted by Akragon

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by Akragon

 

Though don't Christians pray to a cross? Sometimes one with Jesus on it...

Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! That would be idolatry, Christ is neither on that cross still, nor are we to pray to anyone other than God. Did you mean to say "Catholics"? Paul makes the argument that if Christ isn't risen from the dead then our faith is in vain.

Christ is not on that cross still.

Arn't Catholics Christian?

LOL..

Sorry i love to tickle the beast...

edit on 3-1-2012 by Akragon because: (no reason given)

Yes. All Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics.

As far as the cross we pray in front of / near or completely without goes, it is simple. It doesn't matter if it has Jesus on it or not, whether it is made from wood, plastic, stone, iron or anything else for that matter. The cross itself is meaningless and powerless without belief - ask any Atheist and they will agree with us on that one. As pointed out, praying to the actual cross is idolatry and would not get you very far anyway. I have been to outdoor masses and catholic worship where nothing more than a man in silly clothes (the priest) , a makeshift altar and chalice have been present.

There is great debate on whether Jesus should be on the cross or not. Most catholics don't really care either way as both arguments are valid. i.e. As catholics we like to see him on there as it reminds us of the ultimate scarifice paid by Jesus for our own salvation - if it were not Jesus on there, it would have simply been another Roman crucufuxion. Christians like it without him there as the bible says, that Jesus has already done his job and risen as such, the cross is now empty. Either way it is meaningful.

As for 'bearing your own cross' This is a Catholic metaphor for the suffering we all endure in life. It relates to the story of the crucifixion and how Jesus was made to carry his own cross up the hill. The story is very rich and meaningful, and is part of the 'stations of the cross' that we pray to around the church.

For those who are curious, if you evert go into a Catholic church it will (well it SHOULD) have either a series of numbers or images marked 1 - 12 around the walls of the church. These represent 12 pieces of the story of the crucifixion of Jesus . It is tradition, especially during lent to have prayer meetings where each of the 12 parts of the story of his suffering is read out by the priest followed by prayers said by those attending before moving on to the next part of the story.

Redemptive suffering is scriptural:

Colossians 1:24

"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church."

Suffering benefits the body of Christ, the Church.

September 14, 2012

I had to surrender to loss of reputation, public humiliation and finally death on the Cross for the sake of My Divine Father's Divine Will and the triumph
of His Will over sin and death.