We bless the artifacts we use for prayers and devotions to except our forgiveness

We bless the artifacts we use for prayers and devotions.

This is not the official format of blessings we use to make these items holy.  It is more of a reflection regarding the reason we use these items to remind us of the very depth of Christ’s decision to become one of us and learn from our perspective what humanity is all about.  This surmises the choice of God to learn through the Incarnation what his creation is about as he lives in the flesh and is tempted as a man.  Some may say that God knows everything so why would he not understand what humanity goes through in their lives?  That is the premise of what the divine Trinity established when humanity was formed.  

In order that we humans cannot tell God he doesn’t understand our dilemma in a world filled with evil intent all around us, he ordained the perfect solution to confound our questioning by becoming one just like us.  The perfect manner to accomplish this greatest mystery was to assume humanity and walk this earth, confront his creatures with love and mercy, and ultimately become flesh and blood, bleed and feel pain, suffer as a man of sorrows just like us, and die in the same essence of death like you and me.  

Recently I published the article, “A Cross without a corpus is just that, a cross.”  Its foretaste of devotion to a crucifix is more than looking at this artifact, it is a deeper understanding that Christ went one step further than most of us by becoming the very sin that we are and for that giving us eternal life through something we couldn’t do;  Dying for another person, out of love.  

That is why Catholics use crucifixes, pictures of the Sacred Heart and Mary’s Immaculate heart, and many reminders of the saints and martyrs.  That places our mental ability to see through the eyes of faith something many are not able to see or understand.  We worship none of them but still feel the virtuous agony each one suffered reflecting the very passion of Christ and his disciples.  Disciples is a term that designates you and I and all who are true believers in the Resurrection.  

Today I purchased two crucifixes, one for my granddaughter who just moved into a new house and the other one for a step-daughter.  I felt the Lord urging me to do this and am certain both will be better spiritually. I only wish several other children would accept this as well.

This of course is no different from sacred pictures or other types of religious artifacts that no longer are displayed in most homes.  People move from inner-city homes to the suburbs and decorating their homes in living rooms or other family gathering areas  no longer accept holy pictures or even crucifixes.  Get used to it, because modern society has turned its faces away from God or churchy items.  It no longer is apropos in society.  

One thing that is noticeable, only older seniors seem to hold onto what is religious, holy, and the future of the Church is in trouble if exposing a Crucifix is no longer acceptable in our homes.  Earlier, I mentioned about my great-grand-son is on his way to the priesthood.  When he was born the Lord told me that he was calling him to the priesthood.  Recently his grandmother bought a children’s bible for him and his brother.  Cole fell in love with it.  When she asked him to choose a cover for his cell phone he searched through a selection and found the one with Jesus on it.  He’s on his way, I assure you.  Keep Christ in your sight and never reject his presence in our current 21st century and later to come upon us.  That’s all we will have when the enemy of evil becomes our only sustenance.  

Ralph B. Hathaway