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** and she wipes his face... an act of courage
** and she wipes his face... an act of courage
*** wanted to console the Lord
*** wanted to console the Lord
***
***she put away her fears and reached out to him in love
**
***reminder to us that every time we see someone suffering, we see the face of the Lord
***Mt 25: when you saw suffering you saw the Lord
***she acted out of compassion and love for the Lord
****= example
*no one has seen the face of God
**but we have seen the face of Jesus, our Lord
*
*
*note: Only John showed up at the Cross, and was the only one not martyred
 
== Other Relics of the Passion ==
 
=== Holy Stairs ===
 
* from pilate's palace
* Jesus walked up these stairs w/ Pilate after the scourging
* there are blood stains on the stairs (made of marble)
* Constantine's mother, St. Helena, wanted to bring items from Jerusalem to Rome
* in a church across from St. John Laterin
* we can climb the same steps, although not directly on them
** can see the blood stains
** can only climb on your knees
** we are not worthy to walk up them
** say a prayer at each step
** Fr. B: did it a few times
*** says it's a reminder about getting through suffering
 
=== Santa Croce in Jerusalem Church in Rome ===
 
* has dirt from Golgatha
* from the ground
* has a piece of the True Cross
** also has a piece of the cross of the good thief
** his name by tradition is Saint >>
* the inscription of "King of the Jews"
* "titulus" was preserved
* a few thorns from the Crown of Thorns
* have the nails he was crucified with
** quite large and thick
 
=== St. Peter's: the Holy Lance ===
 
* Christ died relatively quickly on the Cross
** 3 hrs, shorter than normal
** was so weakened
* the lance that was used to pierce his side
* St. Longinus was the Centurion
** the spear tip survives
** was stolen and ransomed by a Sultan
** so the Christians kidnapped his brother, but if you keep him I'll give you back the spear tip
 
=== Tomb of Chirst ===
 
* Holy Sepucler church
* marks the mystery of Easter, by which the Lord transformed death into life
* the wounds which he showed after Resurrection, St. Thomas Aquinas

Revision as of 10:57, 23 March 2024

per fr. Barnes lecture 3/23/24 << lecutre on the relics of the passion

Relics of Saints

  • First Class
    • part of the Saint's body
    • there is nothing of the Lord
      • but things w/ his blood stains
      • might be called "relics of the passion"
  • Second Class
    • associated with the life of a Saint, or
  • Third Class
  • 4-5 pieces of bone here at STM


physical reminders of holiness > touching the cloak of Jesus healed people Acts: being in the shadow of Peter healed somebody

serve as memories, like a family heirloom


largest collections of relics are in Jerusalem and Rome,

Scourging of the Lord

Pillar of scourging

per Jn: was in the praetorium

the pillar was kept, now in Rome

  • 2-1/2-3 ft tall (65 cm)
  • marble
    • possibly from Egypt, which would have symbolism
    • not certain but if true, slavery to sin
  • the pillar was to keep prisoners upright, tied to the top
    • to inflict maximum punishment
  • possible that Caiphus scourged him a second time
    • ambiguous, "beaten"
    • but there was another pillar thought to exist from Caiaphus
    • at Church of Holy Spec... ?

Shroud of Turin

  • the cloth
  • shows wounds inflicted by two soldiers

Scouraging

  • Pilate knew he was not a criminal, that he was innocent
  • but wanted to appease the crowd, so ordered the scourging
    • so was a political act
    • wanted to maintain his authority
    • so split the difference
    • but it only increased the crowd's bloodlust
  • the beating itself was cruel
    • could kill people
  • evidence shows his flesh was torn head to toe
    • the rods were covered with ___ to would catch his skin and flesh
  • this is the most gruesome and disfiguring part of the Passion
    • loss of blood greatest at scourging
    • crucifixion was designed to kill people slowly
    • death was by ultimate asphyxiation not blood loss
  • Pope Benedict
    • the point of the scourging was to make the flesh hang down
  • Stations of the Cross
    • his weakened state, unable to carry the cross
  • the Lord did not resist any of these punishments
    • Isa 52 ... "so marred was his look beyond human semblance"
    • by those stripes we were healed
    • lamb led to the slaughter
    • he was silent << didn't resist
    • << the prophesy came true
  • violence against the innocent not uncommon
  • JPII said "Oh my jesus, how cruelly bound you were to the pillar..
    • penalty for our sins

Crown of Thorns

  • held at Notre Dame, Paris
    • for about 800 years
  • not a woven crown more like a cap that covered the head
  • had thorns, twigs,
    • had about 60 thorns
  • taken away by a witness
  • St. Paulinus described it as a
  • materials in it are from
  • used for mocking, humiliation
    • called him "king of the jews" so they were aware of what they were saying
    • there was a wicked enjoyment in it by the soldiers
    • possible that they tried to outdo one another
  • likely not placed on his head lightly
    • stayed on him carrying the cross and on the cross
    • the face bleeds alot
  • they put on/off a robe , which probably was painful on his wounds
    • purple: to mock him
    • after Resurrection, Jesus told Peter, "when you were younger, you used to dress yourself..."
      • Jesus was dressed by the soldiers... he endured
      • Peter crucified upside down
      • his bones are under the Basilica in Rome
      • when rediscovered thye had purple cloth around them

he didn't stop it bc he was powerless, but bc he accepted it

  • presentation by Pilate of the crowd
    • JPII spoke about it
      • the price paid for dignity is the blood of the son of God
    • Benedict:
      • Jesus' inner most dignity cannot be taken from him.. the hidden God remains in
      • in the throes of his Passion Jesus = hope
      • God is on the side of those who suffer
        • = the suffering is not the final word
  • put his garments back on

Veil of Veronica

  • Sixth Station of the Cross
  • along the way, while he was carrying the cross
  • she wipes his face, and it is left on the veil
  • = the face of the suffering
  • Montepello, Italy now
  • was in Rome and was the most popular medieval pilgrimage site
  • studies show that the shroud and the veil have images of the same person
  • the fabric is ancient, was an expensive cloth
    • honors the Lord with her best cloth
    • (Fr. B: says priestly vestments are made of fine cloth to honor God)
    • very thin, as thin as a spiderweb
  • it is mentioned in the OT and Revelation
    • OT:
    • Bride of Christ
  • was probably stolen during 2nd construction of St. Peter's Basilica, ended up in Montepello
  • a '93 image shows
    • unusually thin
    • transparent, can read a newspaper behind it
    • image becomes invisible under UV / black light
      • therefore it is not a painting, not ink or printing
      • so the image is the result of an internal change in the fiber
      • reflects light
      • the image cannot be captured by a photograph
    • so it is miraculous
    • can't be appreciated unless seen in person
  • the moment:
    • Lord was carrying the cross
    • people all around, soldiers
    • and she wipes his face... an act of courage
      • wanted to console the Lord
      • she put away her fears and reached out to him in love
      • reminder to us that every time we see someone suffering, we see the face of the Lord
      • Mt 25: when you saw suffering you saw the Lord
      • she acted out of compassion and love for the Lord
        • = example
  • no one has seen the face of God
    • but we have seen the face of Jesus, our Lord
  • note: Only John showed up at the Cross, and was the only one not martyred

Other Relics of the Passion

Holy Stairs

  • from pilate's palace
  • Jesus walked up these stairs w/ Pilate after the scourging
  • there are blood stains on the stairs (made of marble)
  • Constantine's mother, St. Helena, wanted to bring items from Jerusalem to Rome
  • in a church across from St. John Laterin
  • we can climb the same steps, although not directly on them
    • can see the blood stains
    • can only climb on your knees
    • we are not worthy to walk up them
    • say a prayer at each step
    • Fr. B: did it a few times
      • says it's a reminder about getting through suffering

Santa Croce in Jerusalem Church in Rome

  • has dirt from Golgatha
  • from the ground
  • has a piece of the True Cross
    • also has a piece of the cross of the good thief
    • his name by tradition is Saint >>
  • the inscription of "King of the Jews"
  • "titulus" was preserved
  • a few thorns from the Crown of Thorns
  • have the nails he was crucified with
    • quite large and thick

St. Peter's: the Holy Lance

  • Christ died relatively quickly on the Cross
    • 3 hrs, shorter than normal
    • was so weakened
  • the lance that was used to pierce his side
  • St. Longinus was the Centurion
    • the spear tip survives
    • was stolen and ransomed by a Sultan
    • so the Christians kidnapped his brother, but if you keep him I'll give you back the spear tip

Tomb of Chirst

  • Holy Sepucler church
  • marks the mystery of Easter, by which the Lord transformed death into life
  • the wounds which he showed after Resurrection, St. Thomas Aquinas