The True Cross Relic

The True Cross is the actual Cross Jesus was crucified on for our sins (John 19). It was allegedly discovered by Helena, Constantine The Great's Mother during excavations in Jerusalem in 323 A.D. Constantine had recently converted to Christianity having won at Battle of Milvan Bridge, where he saw the sign of cross in sun or a vision, and words, "In hoc sig natius: in this sign you shall conquer." Helena and Constantine went on pilgrimage, Constantine having already founded St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, Italy went to Jerusalem, where he had the Church of Holy Sepulcher built and his mother's archaeologists found three crosses, one of them purportedly healed people, and this was deemed the True Cross, the one Jesus had died on. Relics had great importance to people back then, although the Apostles and Jesus himself never preached or encouraged relic hording and worship, nonetheless people began to crave anything connected to the sacred, and in this case, what could be more sacred than cross upon which God was sacrificed for sins of mankind.

The True Cross somehow fell into the hands of Crusignatia or Crusaders, who before pitched battles with Muslims would parade the Rood before the ranks of knights as talisman of protection. The True Cross was lost in the Battle of Hattin, where Saladin and his Muslim forces completely routed King Guy de Lusignan and his Crusader forces. Saladin took the True Cross, and from there is reported he had it dragged through the streets of Jerusalem after its conquest, but the truth is after Hattin the full relic disappeared forever. Much like crown of thorns which had been stored in Norte Dame Cathedral, France, the True Cross was lost, and for good reason. While attributed to Christ's passion, these relics became objects of veneration, worship, idolatry, and even superstitious witchract in form of talismans and amulets. I belie Jesus Christ had the True Cross destroyed because it was distracting from worship of Him, "You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father," (Exodus 20:4, Philippians 2:10-11), "Jesus replied, "The Scriptures say, 'You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him," (Luke 4:8), "Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40). One cannot have relic in your heart and the Risen Lord, or to put it more mildly you cannot place trust in God and an object. Some believe however that relics simply give religion and faith to worshippers and not idolatrous, but I think God knows mankind has propensity to make props into demi-gods, and so He removes them.

The truth is we do not need the True Cross, we have Jesus Christ living in us, "For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory." (Colossians 1:27), we are temples of God, "Do you not know that you yourselves are God's temple, and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16), "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me," (John 17:20-22), "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God," (1 John 4:15), and we are God's house, "But Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast." (Hebrews 3:6). The True Cross is less than Christ, it is merely a prop in the Salvic plan, Jesus who is God (Colossians 2:9, Titus 2:13) is the Savior, the cross an instrument, like violin of God's Music, but God makes the music and brings salvation by His sacrifice on the cross. The cross is important because it reminds us of Jesus' death and forgiveness of sins, it was prophesized he must die on cross (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22) but we do not need to take stock in making a True cross an object of worship, "worship the Lord alone and serve only Him." (Luke 4:8, cross ref Romans 10:9-10). Just as we do not worship crown of thorns, or nails that went through His hands, though we look on them and find joy in them because they were part of Christ's passion and plan of salvation, but it is Jesus and His blood, His death that destroyed the power of sin (Romans 6:1-11, Hebrews 2:14). I do not wish to undermine the cross, for I wear it proudly, and as Paul said, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world," (Galatians 6:14) and Jesus said, "Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?," (Matthew 16:24-26) and Paul warned, "For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ." (Philippians 3:18). I am merely saying that the cross should be associated with Christ, and be a symbol fo faith in Him, and His sacrifice for salvation 2,017 years ago. The cross is beautiful, but the True Cross is lost to us and I believe this is because God knew that man can take veneration too far into idolatry. There is nothing wrong with that rugged cross Jesus bled and died on, happily do we display it, wear it, and adorn our homes with it, but the original is lost just as Ark of Covenant and the Holy Grail have gone amiss, because we mere mortals tend to sin and taint what is suppose to be sacred through sacrilege and sorcery. What should have been preserved to make us thank and love Jesus, and worship Him while looking at the True Cross, quickly becomes a talisman that men put trust in instead of Divine Trinity. There is nothing wrong with the cross, it is the badge of honor and sign of our faith, that Jesus has saved us through His sacrifice, and that if we confess him as Lord God and believe He rose from dead by power of God, we shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10). I personally adore the cross, and boast in it as Paul did, I am merely saying the True Cross was lost because men turned it into a talisman, and so Christ in His wisdom decided to remove it from us until He comes again (Revelation 19:11-16). Amen.