Living Catholicism: The Crucifix: A Sign of Faith

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October 20, 2004

The Crucifix: A Sign of Faith

The crucifix is "the sign of faith" as manifested down through the ages. There should be a crucifix in every church, as mandated by the Catholic Church. Likewise there are several reasons for having a crucifix in your home.

1) They are a constant reminder for you and your children of the Catholic faith. This cannot be emphasized enough. It is necessary for your children to "visibly" see signs of their Catholic faith.

2) They protect the home. Down through the ages the Crucifix has been used to ward off the devil and evil spirits, being the "sign" of Christ's victory over sin and death. In our modern world, many people frown on this, they don't believe in the presence of evil spirits in this world, yet it is a reality. Satan is active in our world and the crucifix is a protective means against such attacks. The crucifix, as a sign of faith, is powerful.

3) The Crucifix serves as a constant reminder of the value of suffering. Many of us have experienced various forms of suffering in our lives. The Crucifix is the perfect demonstration of why suffering is valuable. If we are experiencing suffering in our lives we have only to look at the Crucifix to see that we do not suffer alone or in vain. We can understand that suffering should be offered to God. Suffering has value. This is a fundamental truth of the Catholic faith.

Considering all of these truths, it makes sense to have a crucifix in your home, in fact, it is practical to have a crucifix in each room of your home. Many Catholic schools have a crucifix in every classroom, many convents have crucifixes in every room, and many seminaries do likewise. Why not do the same in your home? Make your home a distinctly Catholic home.

May the Holy Family continue to bless and guide you and your family. Amen.