Book Review: “The Crucifix”
“The recollection of the sufferings of Our Lord will ever be the great means of stirring up, converting, and sanctifying souls, no matter of what grade... Happy he who possesses no book so cherished nor so well read as his ‘Crucifix.’ There Jesus Christ, with outstretched arms, opens before us the blood-stained book out of which we may learn the order of God’s secrets.”
These statements above are quoted from the introduction of “The Crucifix,” a truly exceptional collection of pious meditations translated from the French text of Frances Grafton.
This book is rather small with a lengthy introduction and eight similarly-long chapters consisting of 15-20 pages each. So many pages are most likely due to the large-sized font of my copy, a feature for which, as a mother who regularly “loses my spot” due to the interruptions which come with having a very mobile and active toddler, I am most grateful!
I am aware that some readers may be inclined to bypass forewords/introductions, so as to not waste time in diving straight into the body of the book, but I do strongly urge the reader of this book to NOT skip over the introduction. Honestly, I would consider the introduction worthy of being a chapter on its own, because it's just that good!
A brief yet detailed history of the origin of the Cross is illustrated herein, as well as many other quite interesting and informative historical facts pertaining to the development of its devotion throughout the ages. Remember, don’t skip the intro!
The chapters following the introduction focus on certain details of the Crucifix, more specifically:
I. The Body,
II. The Arms and Hands,
III. The Head,
IV. The Face,
V. The Feet, and
VI. The Wounded Side.
In the first six chapters of our little book, we receive many points of meditation, as the titles suggest, from the features of the Sacred Corpus and its individual Members. When we lay our eyes upon Our Lord’s Body fastened to the Cross, what do we see? Yes, there is the Body of Our Lord with His gaping Wound, His Arms outstretched with His Hands and Feet nailed into place, His bowed Head with a Face full of grief, but what about when we look beyond the surface of these images? Beyond, there is so much more to be discovered!
We find the fulfilment of God’s promise in the Body of Christ, the willing Victim for our sins, and besides the grief, we see in His Face the expressions of courage and love. We find protection in His Arms, ever ready to receive us, and through the opening of His Wound we discover a straight path to His Heart full of love for us. Within these pages, we look beyond all those outward particular details of the embodiment of the Crucifix, and, in doing so, find the perfect example of virtue and the eternal source of Love.
The last two chapters provide a different aspect on which to meditate, namely:
VII. The Crucifix and its Lesson of Silence, and
VIII. The Crucifix and Death.
These final chapters teach us how to truly look at our Crucifix and learn. We learn the importance of humility and submission in the form of obscurity and holy silence through the admirable example of Our Lord. Even in the face of injustice and adversity, we must look to our Cross, holding our Crucified Jesus, for who has ever faced an injustice more grievous than He? Who better to teach us patience in the face of hardship and suffering than He, Who suffered so much for Love of us?
The last chapter provides us with considerations of a most important reminder when we look at the Cross – death. How many times do we dismiss the notion of death as something to think about “later”? And when the mere thought of death does happen to enter our minds, how often do we regard this thought with unspeakable dread in our hearts? Indeed, when we look at the Cross, we are presented with the clear reminder of death, every man’s inevitable end, but simply look again and we can see Life. Learn how to do so when you read your Crucifix!
Within the eight (or dare I say nine?) chapters of this little book, we constantly encounter the obvious theme of Christ’s great Love for us. In fact, the very image of Christ Crucified offers the greatest proof of His Love, which is why it is so important to display and revere this image. Especially in this day and age when the world teaches self-love and love of life/fear of death, the sight of the Crucifix as an ever present reminder of death is just so
important. It is also comforting to remember that in times of affliction when we are tempted to despair, a never ending source of strength and hope may be found in the image of the Crucifix – we just need to learn how to read it.
To conclude, I have found “The Crucifix” to be an ideal source of reading and recollection for the current Penitential Season, and as such, I wholeheartedly recommend this modest but eloquent work as an invaluable title to add to your library, if not already there. It truly is perfect for Lenten reading and reflection! However, what is there to say that one cannot enjoy this excellent compilation at other times of the Liturgical Year? And
if, for some reason or other, one happens to lose one’s spot, then one should remember and appreciate the fact that there could be worse things in life than having to read the same passage more than once.
Now, I shall leave you with these words, taken, like the opening of this review, from the introduction of our book, “The Crucifix”:
“The ‘Crucifix’ is, so to speak, a second edition of the Gospel, for does it not present to us the same spectacle of love?... ‘O Cross! What great lessons dost Thou not impart! O my Crucifix! What vivid rays dost Thou not shed! But they are hidden from the wise of the world. None can fathom Thee who revere Thee not, none harken to Thee who adore Thee not!’”
O CRUX, AVE!
