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| Several Years ago, thousands of people were polled internationally and asked
the question: “What do you think is the most recognized symbol in the world?”
Sadly, the cross of Jesus Christ came in fourth on the list. That the cross of Christ was not more recognized should give us cause for reflection. Some might say this indicates that we who call ourselves Christians could better emphasize and highlight the cross in our own lives, and particularly in personal and public expressions of our faith. Belonging to Christ The first Christians believed that the cross of Christ was their “brand-mark.” At their baptism, a cross was traced on their forehead and they were told, “I mark you with the sign of the cross, through the offering of His life for our sins, that Jesus Christ won for us our eternal salvation. The cross of Christ, the instrument of His death, actually is the means of our victory and vindication. That’s why St. Paul wrote that we should rejoice and glory in the cross of Christ. In truth, the cross of Christ is our greatest treasure. It is precious and important to us because it was the most striking means of God’s grace and the greatest act of His love for us. A precious symbol The early Christians expressed this conviction in a very dramatic way. At their conversion to Christ, when they had made the decision to turn their lives over to the Lord, they would donate all their precious jewels to the Christian community. These gems would then be affixed to a cross that was place prominently wherever their Christian group would gather to worship. In this way, Christians would visibly have before them the constant reminder of their great treasure. Here was the most precious gift God had given them – the cross of Jesus Christ, the means of eternal redemption. And so, centuries before Christians would prominently display a crucifix which had the body of Christ on it, they held dearest their jeweled or gem crosses. This was a clear sign of their willingness to sacrifice their personal treasures so that they could embrace the deepest treasure of everlasting life in Jesus Christ. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someday the most widely recognized symbol in the world would be the cross of Jesus, the sign of our eternal life in Christ! |
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