{"id":4665,"date":"2019-09-14T11:02:05","date_gmt":"2019-09-14T16:02:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/?p=4665"},"modified":"2019-09-14T11:05:01","modified_gmt":"2019-09-14T16:05:01","slug":"behold-the-cross-of-the-lord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2019\/09\/behold-the-cross-of-the-lord.html","title":{"rendered":"Behold the Cross of the Lord"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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An Egyptian obelisk stands in the middle of Saint Peter Square in Rome.\u00a0 As old as the Basilica is, the mighty obelisk is approximately 3,500 years older, and has stood by the Vatican Hill for 2,000 years.\u00a0 The Roman Emperor Caligula transferred this obelisk from the city of Heliopolis to Rome and installed it in the middle of the Vatican Circus in AD 37.\u00a0 This new sports arena was built on the side of the Vatican Hill outside the city of Rome.\u00a0 In the year AD 67 during the Christian persecution of Emperor Nero, Saint Peter along with hundreds of other Christians were executed at the Vatican Hill under the shadow of Caligula\u2019s obelisk. Tradition states that Peter was crucified up-side-down next to the obelisk at the center of the arena since he was the recognized leader of the Christian community of the city.<\/p>\n

When the first Saint Peter Basilica was built in the fourth century, the obelisk remained in its original location on the southern side of the temple.\u00a0 Today a marker in the Teutonic Cemetery within the Vatican walls recalls the exact location.\u00a0 When the present basilica was built in the sixteenth century, Pope Sixtus V ordered the obelisk moved to the middle of the new square designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.\u00a0 It took 900 men and 140 horses to move the massive obelisk in 1586.<\/p>\n

The obelisk was crowned with a bronze cross containing a relic of the true cross of Christ, and two brief Latin inscriptions on its pedestal inform the pilgrim of its significance.\u00a0 The first is an exorcism prayer attributed to Saint Anthony of Padua: Ecce Crux Domini \/ Fugite partes adversae \/ Vicit Leo de tribu Iuda, which in translation means: Behold the Cross of the Lord \/ be gone all evil powers \/ the lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered.\u00a0 The second is an ancient acclamation used in the coronation ceremonies of Holy Roman Emperors: Christus Vincit \/ Christus Regnat \/ Christus Imperat \/ Christus ab omni malo plebem suam defendat, which in translation means: Christ conquers \/ Christ reigns \/ Christ commands \/ Christ defends His people from all evil.<\/p>\n

The inscriptions indicate that the cross stands over the Egyptian obelisk as a sign of victory.\u00a0 The cross of Jesus, through his death and resurrection, has conquered all evil and fulfilled the desires of every human person expressed through the diversity of religions that have existed throughout history.\u00a0 The ancient obelisk pointed upward toward the sun when built in Heliopolis, but now it directs the attention of every pilgrim who arrives to Saint Peter Square to the victorious cross of Christ, protecting them and dispersing any evil that approaches.<\/p>\n

The Christianization of Rome also saw the placement of a statue of Saint Peter over the Triumphal Column of Emperor Trajan and one of Saint Paul over the Column of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.\u00a0 The placement of these bronze statues in the 1500s over the ancient columns commemorating significant military conquests represents the victory of Christianity over pagan Rome.<\/p>\n

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14th<\/sup> is a reminder for us to place the cross of Christ over everything that we are and do.\u00a0 Christ wants to claim each one of us entirely, and invites us to surrender completely to Him.\u00a0 The victory of Jesus on the cross informs everything in our lives and allows us to exclaim, \u201cwe adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your cross you have redeemed the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Pictures from public domain.\u00a0 Information here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Egyptian obelisk stands in the middle of Saint Peter Square in Rome.\u00a0 As old as the Basilica is, the mighty obelisk is approximately 3,500 years older, and has stood by the Vatican Hill for 2,000 years.\u00a0 The Roman Emperor Caligula transferred this obelisk from the city of Heliopolis to Rome and installed it in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2533,"featured_media":4668,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1002],"tags":[1005,1011,1014,126,1008],"class_list":["post-4665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reflection","tag-cross","tag-obelisk","tag-reflection","tag-rome","tag-saint-peter"],"yoast_head":"\nBehold the Cross of the Lord<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An Egyptian obelisk stands in the middle of Saint Peter Square in Rome.\u00a0 As old as the Basilica is, the mighty obelisk is 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