Why do Catholics display the cross with Christ still on it?

Didn’t He resurrect from the dead on His own power? Isn’t His conquering of sin and death is what Christianity is all about?

Why the crucified Christ?

It’s very simple. St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said, “God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us” (CCC 1847).

The Christian is expected to participate in the Cross of Jesus Christ to work out his own salvation in fear and trembling” (Ph 2:12) through the grace of God.

No guts, no glory

In other words, the Cross is the only means to the resurrection.

Without the guts on the part of the Christian there can be no glory. It is the pathway to our own eternal life.

Since Christ willingly submitted to the pain and humiliation of dying on the Cross, why, as His followers, do we think we should be exempt from our own?

Jesus didn’t suffer and die so we wouldn’t have to: He did it so we could have the strength to deny our selfish impulses, take up our own crosses daily and follow His lead (Luke 9:23).

Just me and Jesus?

But didn’t Jesus promise He would carve out a safe and comfortable passage if the Christian lets Him “take the wheel” in his life?

No.

As the Anglican poet, John Donne wrote, “No man is an island.”

God created us as social creatures, born into a family. Therefore, He wants the Christian to care for one another as brothers and sisters (John 13:35), and–by the power of the Cross–make up for the love that is lacking in Christ (Col 1:24).

“What could possibly be lacking in Christ’s death on the Cross?”, one might ask.

Nothing. It was a sacrifice with infinite merit and perfection for the remission of all the sins of humanity of the past, present and future (1 John 2:2).

The mystical body of Christ

St. Paul meant the early Christians in Colossae were supposed to make up for the sins and selfishness of others by loving more intensely.

It was a call to heroic Christian charity towards members of Christ’s Mystical Body–His earthly family and members of His universal Church.

Since no man is an island, what one does (good or bad) affects others.

That means, just as every act of selfishness produces resentment and disgust in others, every act of unselfishness has the power to bring them closer to God.

How?

By showing there exists a patient and compassionate God who loves them so much He wants them to be with Him in heaven forever.

A big heavenly family

So is it just “me and God” in heaven?

No, there is a big “heavenly family”, praying for each and every one of us. These people have died before us in God’s friendship, and this “great cloud of witnesses” are the saints (Heb 12:1).

Through their merits and prayers, God allows them to work towards our good, just as we have the power to work towards others’ good on earth.

Cool huh?

So next time someone asks, “Why do you Catholics keep Christ on the Cross?”, one could say that He invites us to do likewise: to ease Jesus’ pain and lighten the load for others, so that–God willing–we may celebrate with them in heaven someday.

“Ours the cross, the grave the skies” (hymn from the Office of Readings, https://www.universalis.com/usa/-400/readings.htm).

St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), pray for us.