I was in Cardiff last week to give a talk about the Year of Faith. I was meditating on the words of Pope Benedict in Porta Fidei, and in particular on the need for us to ‘rediscover the joy of believing and the enthusiasm for communicating the faith’. These are the concluding thoughts I gave.
Not the Allen Hall Chapel! But a Cimabue Crucifix from the Basilica of San Domenico
I work at Allen Hall, which is the seminary of the Archdiocese of Westminster in central London. Our chapel is over fifty years old, and it is in desperate need of refurbishment.
We have a huge sanctuary with a high ceiling and a beautiful sense of space, but it is sparsely furnished and what little furnishing there is looks very tired. As part of the refurbishment, we are thinking about commissioning a large Cimabue-style crucifix to hang above the altar. Last week, as an experiment, a very roughly produced crucifix was hung in the centre of the sanctuary, just to see how it ‘sits’, how it ‘feels’.
It’s about 7 feet high, made of crudely cut whitewashed wood, with just a charcoal sketch of the outline of Jesus’s crucified body, and the heads of Mary and John placed symbolically at the end of each arm.
It has utterly transformed the sanctuary. You have an immediate sense of the presence of Christ, standing there powerfully in the centre of the church. Everything within the sanctuary is suddenly seen in a new perspective. Of course he was always there before – above all in the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle – but now we really realise that he is there, visually, spatially, emotionally; with the eyes and the heart as well as with the head.
When you are looking at the altar, the priest, the ambo or the tabernacle, you are constantly aware, at the edge of your vision, of the powerful presence of Jesus who died for us and rose from the dead for our salvation. It’s as if he has crashed through the roof, and broken open our complacency and forgetfulness.
It reminds me of the gospel story about the paralysed man, only in reverse (Mk 2). You remember that his friends brought him to meet Jesus, but there were so many people gathered round that they could not get in the door. So instead of giving up, they went to the top of the house, broke through the roof, and lowered their friend down on a stretcher to where Jesus was standing.
For us, in the chapel at Allen Hall, it’s the opposite. It’s as if we are sitting in this sacred space, often distracted, sometimes lost in our own concerns or anxieties, forgetting what really matters. So Jesus breaks through the roof, lowers himself down into the centre of the sanctuary – just above the altar – and stands there before us in all his glory.
It’s as if he is saying: ‘Wake up! Remember! I’m here!’ The fact that the two strands of white rope hang there so ostentatiously reinforces the perception that he has just descended from above.
This says something to us about the Year of Faith. We need to allow Jesus to break into our lives again, so that we can rediscover his face, hear his voice more clearly, and appreciate his life-giving presence.
Our faith is real. It really matters. He is here amongst us. If only we could see him more clearly, and deepen and intensify our faith. If only we could let our hearts be broken open by his love, our minds be transformed by his truth, and our vision expand to take in the vast horizon of the gospel.
There is something quite beautiful about the above crucifix and in our little church we have an almost identical one, though it is nowhere near 7 feet more like 2/3. His halo is almost scooped out and reflects the golden orb of divine light even on the dullest of days.
In a time when faith needs to be re-ignited in the Catholic Church, It would be very sad in this year of faith if Magdalene was not one of the people represented on your crucifix. She devotedly stayed by the cross throughout all trials, and were first witness to the resurrection, She is redeemed from her humanity by Love.
Faith and evangelism doesn’t shine much brighter that that.
You should take a look at the Cimabue-style crucifix just over the river at St Francis de Sales and St Gertrude in Stockwell.
It’s not as big as the one you might be getting but it’s really beautiful – perhaps you could find out where they got it from?
Thanks for the suggestion Stephen – I’ve never been in the Stockwell church
The imagery you describe sounds wonderful to me and very appropriate for the setting.
And it was because of her witness and her faith and her evangelising her experience to the apostles that they themselves were open to a visitation, and able to evangelise themselves. The new evangelisation must surely recognise this in the year of faith.
and so could Allen Halls crucifix!
Great cross. I like the cross of St Damiano the best as it reminds me of St Francis of Assisi looking up at this particular cross when the Divine “crashed” through the heavens like never before since, perhaps, the time of Christ, Himself, on Earth.
Father – your comment on the Crucifix transforming the Sanctuary says it all.
When Pope Benedict celebrates Mass ad populum he has a Crucifix in front of him – the Benedictine arrangement – which some churches have adopted. Those that have not often have the Priest having to stare up at a clock (or whatever is on the opposite wall) during the Mass which cannot aid their concentration particularly at the moment of Consecration.
Before the ‘changes’ the Priest led the congregation before the altar on which was always a Crucifix. He could thus concentrate fully on the Sacrifice of the Mass as could we in the pews behind. Now in so many places he has his back to the Crucifix – if there is one. In some modern Catholic churches I have been in there is only a plain Cross. One I visited earlier this year had banished a large magnificent old crucifix to a side room and placed a plain crooked Cross behind the Altar.
In my parish the majority of the NO Masses are now celebrated ad orientem which I greatly welcomed. The true meaning of the Mass has returned and I understand that Priests who now celebrate ad orientem are finding a big spiritual differance too – and they no longer have to look at their flock!
“The true meaning of the Mass”
- The priest facing the congregation fulfills an important part of the Mass. You don’t make transubstantiation more real by getting the priest to turn his back on the congregation.
Central as transubstantiation is (its key for me going to Mass), facing the crowd is, also, important as it:
1) fulfills the “do this in memory of me part” of the Last Supper (Jesus didn’t have his back to the disciples). Historical.
2) it undermines, to a degree, the idea of the priest as Jesus as head of the congregation, as head of the family. Metaphorical.
3) it helps me prepare for the Bread and Wine. The priest facing the congregation, facing us, reminds me i’m not just at Mass for myself but for everyone else there (and to pray for people outside too). If the priest had his back to me, i wouldn’t experience this so much.
We’re human beings, we need all the help we can get. That’s one reason why i think Jesus said “do this in memory of me” to remind us in a visual way (with Prot.s interpreting this to undermine transubstantiation).
“Clock” – well put a Cross at the back of the Church, too. But the priest should pray before the Mass that he is not distracted by clocks or by ugly faces in the pews ..
“2) it undermines, to a degree, the idea of the priest as Jesus as head of the congregation, as head of the family. Metaphorical”
- because Jesus NEVER turns his back on man. God is at every second of the day getting us to face Him, to be open to His grace.
It’s man who turns his back on God and others.
I think the priest turning away is not good.
Plus, at Mass we all, also, bear crosses with Christ, as if facing Him on calvary with our own crosses in imitation of the real Cross.
And we’re his disciples at the foot of the Cross, too, looking at Him.
(more reasons why the priest should face the congregation ..).
“Doing this in memory of me” is an important part of the Mass, we’re remembering the historical event of Jesus from the time of the Last Supper to His Rising from the dead. The priest turning away undermines this (at least Jesus at the Last Supper and on the Cross facing his followers) particular human, historical side of the Mass.
:O)
0-:O)
it is also a reminder that we are to look into everyman’s eyes and see Christ, and possibly to see our own short fallings in each other too. By the Grace of God who is Love and Spirit, we may all help lift up each other. One of my most prayerful parts of Mass before receiving the Eucharist is the Our Father and then watching and sensing the impregnation of the wine and host with our Lords real presence. A privilege I would never part with.