Friday, July 16, 2010

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: IT CROSSED MY MIND

A variant on the cross that is seen quite often is the celtic cross. It is a cross with a circle in the middle. It comes to us from Ireland and has always had my curiosity. Why should this cross appear as it does? Well, as it seems to be anyway, there is not an absolute answer to this question. There are a number of legends associated with it. One says that St. Patrick stuck the circle in the middle of the cross in order to put the “sun god” in his place and to show that the true “Son God” was the one that died upon the cross and now lives. Other histories say it was a “moon goddess.”

A Catholic Encyclopedia says that it the circle represents unity and eternity; that Jesus Who died upon the cross is one with the Father and Son, was, is and always will Be. It is also sworn to be the halo of Christ. Other historians think that it came about from the practice of victors carrying a cross with a wreath upon it. Others claim it to be inherited in whole from a pagan religion, baptized, and now is ours in its present form just because.

In any event they have been a part of Christianity at least in Ireland since the early centuries. Use them as you would any cross though people may think you are making a claim to Irish ancestry.

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