Ecce homo; Behold the man

Vic Biorseth, Saturday, April 19, 2014
https://www.catholicamericanthinker.com/

In yesterday's somber and solemn Good Friday liturgy, we meditated upon the suffering and death of our Lord, and we venerated the Cross. In Fr. Eric's homily, he asked us to "gaze upon the Lord". How do we do that?

A Protestant friend once argued that we Catholics, at some point in time, took the Commandment to "... not make for yourself a graven image" out of the Catechism and out of all Catholic teaching. When I showed him the Catholic teaching regarding graven images beginning in paragraph 2129 of the Catechism, he was forced to soften his argument quite a bit, but I cannot say that he was entirely convinced of the Catholic position. I wish I could.

It's all based on God's continuing message to Moses, which included the wording "... for you saw no form ..." indicating that neither Moses nor any man had ever seen God. Therefore any "form" they created would be a false image. But, now, we see that Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, God become man, has changed all that. He has been seen by men. He lived among men, and ate with them, and taught them.

For the first time, men knew what God looked like. At least in His incarnate form.

Veronica's Veil captured His image on the Via Dolorosa. His form is captured on the Shroud of Turin. The earliest man-made icon of His representation, which is lost to antiquity, was famously done by John the Apostle on the Isle of Patmos.

Fr. Eric beautifully described for us the Paschal Sacrifice, and the tight linkage between the Last Supper and the Good Friday Sacrifice. Unblemished, innocent lambs were sacrificed to God, and then eaten. In the passover meal, lambs were roasted and eaten, after their innocent blood had marked the door posts and lintels of the houses in which sheltered those who would be saved.

On Calvary, the innocent Jesus was crucified, shedding all of His precious blood so that we might be saved, and enabling His believers to continuously partake of His saving flesh and blood in bloodless sacrament from that day forward.

Seek the shelter of the blood of the lamb. Gaze upon the Lord; gaze upon the crucifix, the symbol of the disgraceful death of the criminal, which, through Jesus Christ, has become the most glorious and triumphant symbol on earth.

As you keep watch this day, gaze upon the Lord thy God.

(Original Source: Ecce Homo)

Do not reply to this automatic email.

Respond to this article at the actual article:
Respond to Ecce Homo