Interfaith, Religion
(This column was inspired by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR and Fr. Tom Cronin, SJ.)
Signs and Symbols of our Faith
Signs and symbols have always been significant in anyone’s faith walk. The Star of David for Jews, the Crescent for Muslims and the Cross for Christians to name a few. They are part and parcel with our spiritual identity. In the Judeo, Islamic and Christian traditions, this is clearly found in many variations. But we can all trace these to Apostolic roots accentuating the richness of our traditions.
Currently, it appears that secular humanism has influenced and crept into the mainstream of these traditions, thereby affecting their core tenets. This has caused what I like to call an “Identity Crisis,” or “spiritual adolescence” for some of us. As a Roman Catholic, I will give some examples of this per a song I’ve written, “What’s My Sign?” It relates to what many people may ask of us as to “Who are you?”
What’s my sign? Not Aquarius! What’s my sign? Not Cancer! What’s my sign? Not even Pisces! I was born on March 5, Baptized, so my sign is the Cross! In the Name of the Father, And of the Son, And of the Holy Spirit, Amen, my sign is the sign of the Cross.
People are looking for meaning, In the stars above, Jesus Christ is Arisen, He Shed His Blood, washed our sins, now we’re blessed with His Love. The moon is just a part of God’s Creation, Just like you and me, We are not controlled by its movements, Jesus Christ is King of Kings and He has set us free.
Thus, in the Christian tradition, the Cross has become the universal sign and symbol of our faith. With the Resurrection identified as the ultimate Victory that Christ has won for our salvation, there can certainly be an understandable emphasis on either the crucifix or a bare cross.
As a Roman Catholic, we add emphasis to the “corpus” (Body) aspect to the Cross, as embodied on a crucifix, that St. Paul strongly noted: “But we preach Christ crucified – a stumbling block …” (1Cor 1: 23). Truly we are resurrected through Jesus Christ, but He always stressed: “If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross and follow in my steps.” (Mt.8: 34)
Another secular humanistic encroachment on our Christian faith values is with the actual identity of the Cross. The sacred “T” has been known particularly as the Tau or Cross, yet this sometimes seems to be replaced nowadays by “Tolerance.” While Jesus certainly ate and drank with sinners (all of us), He never condoned what they/we did/do that was contrary to both the Old and New Testaments.
In order to keep a balance in life and bring clarity to our Christian faith, it is helpful to review Carl Menninger’s “Cross of Life, which shines light on a holistic way to be truly faithful and tolerant and grow out of spiritual adolescence:
WORSHIP
+
WORK + + + + + + PLAY
+
LOVE
Worship: we have to acknowledge God in our lives; without Him, we become our own god;
Love: the willingness on our part to sacrifice for others – to even lay down one’s life for another - in whatever manner that this may be manifested in our own particular state of life;
Work: we all need a purpose for why we live – to use the gifts and talents that God has given us to build His Kingdom;
Play: recreation is important for us to experience the joy of the Lord, and this also gives us relief from stress.
Thus, it is critical that we keep a balance in all of these areas, whatever our faith emphasis may be, for our overall emotional growth, tolerance and well being. Any over emphasis in one area may indicate an imbalance in our living out the natural law – unless, of course, one may happen to be a saint and can truly be totally given to worship and/or love!
Finally, for all of us at “Crossroads” in our faith walks, may we “taste and see the goodness of the Lord,” (Psalm 34:9) as Pope John Paul II The Great had noted especially in the year that was dedicated to the Holy Eucharist. We pray for the new Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis. God bless you and yours.
Keith John Paul Horcasitas, LCSW, MHA
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