I watched a video today based on Padre Pio’s reasons for kissing a crucifix. It gave me some thoughts to ponder. Of course, a crucifix doesn’t have magical powers and we are not venerating wood or metal. We kiss the cross firstly to humble ourselves and acknowledge that Jesus is God and we are not. We purposefully make ourselves meek in the presence of Christ crucified. As we look at Jesus on the cross, we remember the sacrifice that He made for us, giving His life so that we can live forever with Him in Heaven. As God, He chose to enter into our humanity, another humbling thought. At the same time, we realize that He suffered tremendously. When we are going through hard times and suffering, it is necessary to remember that Jesus is walking our journey with us, and He understands our pain. As we hold and kiss the crucifix, we realize that we can unite our suffering with His for the benefit of others. Finally, the more time we spend with Jesus, the more our hearts can be changed from despair to hope, from anxiety to joy. I also found some quotes by Padre Pio that I found particularly fitting to the topic:

“You should rather humble yourself before God than be distressed if he reserves for you the sufferings of his Son, and makes you experience your weakness. You should offer up to him the prayer of resignation and hope, even when you fall through frailty, and thank him for all the benefits with which he continually enriches you.”

“The sublime degree of humility is not only to recognize one’s own abjection but to love it. I have chosen says the prophet to be abject in the house of God rather than to dwell in the houses of sinners.”

I Found God today in a reflection about kissing a crucifix.