St. Thomas

Question: What does it mean when we venerate a cross or statue?
Answer: We don’t so much pay respect to the objects themselves, but what they represent. When I pray before a crucifix, I’m not worshipping a carved block of wood or some beautiful work of art; what I’m worshipping is Christ who suffered and died on the cross to redeem me from my sins. When I pray before my statue of St. Joseph, I’m not worshipping the porcelain; I’m praying to God and seeking the guidance and intercession of my patron, St. Joseph, on my behalf. The physical objects focus the attention of our minds and hearts upon the unseen glory of an invisible God. They remind us of the great work of Salvation that has been done for us. The objects are not sacred and holy on their own; they are sacred by their connection to the power of God of which they speak. A holy picture does not save me. If I thought it would; I would be mistaken. God saves me, and the image reminds me of that. At times, people have forgotten that and see the objects as salvific themselves. The iconoclast, people who rejected all images of the divine as idolatry (condemned by the Ten Commandments), fought against such deviations from the truth. They did, however, go overboard in the opposite direction and rejected the making of any images. There is a happy medium. If you wear a crucifix, rejoice. The little image does not make you holy or bring you God’s mercy itself, but it does remind you that Jesus does that for you. It helps you pray to him and rejoice in God’s love. It brings your mind and heart to the Lord, and that is very good.