As I've had to ask my conservative Catholic friends more than once, which is the greater victory: Tossing Satan into Hell, where he can brood defiantly for eternity--or seeing Satan kneeling at the feet of the Most High, confessing his error and begging forgiveness?
There's an interesting book I've been meaning to recommend: Outward Signs, by Canon Edward N. West (Walker, 1989) which is a catalog of Christian symbols, including every species of cross I have ever seen or heard of. When I first read the book, I deliberately paid attention to the symbols that triggered a resonance with me; among the crosses, the only two were the Celtic cross and the cross pommy, which is the cross generally associated with St. Michael. In my meditations since, I've had the insight that the cross pommy represents the struggle against evil, and the Celtic cross universal redemption. Seen another way, one represents the journey, and the other the journey's end.
I keep a small Celtic pectoral cross, given to me by my bishop when we belonged to an Old Catholic parish in Phoenix, and wear it on religious occasions. I've never seen a pendant of the cross pommy, but I'm watching for it, and someday the two will hang side by side.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-07-01 07:14 pm (UTC)There's an interesting book I've been meaning to recommend: Outward Signs, by Canon Edward N. West (Walker, 1989) which is a catalog of Christian symbols, including every species of cross I have ever seen or heard of. When I first read the book, I deliberately paid attention to the symbols that triggered a resonance with me; among the crosses, the only two were the Celtic cross and the cross pommy, which is the cross generally associated with St. Michael. In my meditations since, I've had the insight that the cross pommy represents the struggle against evil, and the Celtic cross universal redemption. Seen another way, one represents the journey, and the other the journey's end.
I keep a small Celtic pectoral cross, given to me by my bishop when we belonged to an Old Catholic parish in Phoenix, and wear it on religious occasions. I've never seen a pendant of the cross pommy, but I'm watching for it, and someday the two will hang side by side.