People who know nothing of Christianity admit feeling put-off when they see a crucifix.  Beyond the image of a tortured man suffering execution, crucifixion depicts total humiliation and degradation – about the worse a man can mete out to another man.

The trouble we Christians have with the crucifix is that we no longer see it but rather filter the image through preconceptions of good days and good living where suffering should never surface.  We’ve gotten used to seeing the crucifix we forget what it stands for.   Some people wear the cross as an accessory like gold earrings or a necklace, others use it as a talisman to ward off evil.  Some people even have it tattooed on various parts of their anatomy.  The truth is, if we actually witnessed a crucifixion or if we simply took the time to  see the crucifix we would be shocked.  Every nerve in our body would be provoked to profound disturbance; our very bodies would tremble at the sight. 

While the ancient Romans did not invent this particularly brutal form of punishment they certainly perfected it.  They were not interested in simply killing criminals; they intended to demean and dehumanize and cause as much agony as possible preventing the person from being able to even speak because of the relentless pain of it all.  Slow, tortuous death by crucifixion was carefully calculated.  Depending on the stretch of the arms on the cross beam could determine how long a person survived breathing while hanging on the cross.   In addition, the public spectacle served not only as a punishment for those who ran afoul of the powers at be but also as a warning to anyone who harbored similar rebellious thoughts.  

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered this manner of death with which to save us for God!

Rev. Bishop Joseph N. Perry is an auxiliary bishop of Chicago and co-founder of Catholic Men Chicago Southalnd Apostolate