A graven image or idol is an object of worship. Moses had his staff with the image of a snake to cure the Israelites from snake bites they suffered while wandering in the desert for 40 years. The Staff of Moses was broken by Hezekiah because the Israelites had started to worship it. And that is when the staff of Moses became an idol or graven image when before it was used to heal them. God gave instructions on how to build the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant has images; the two cherubim. Of course God did not contradict himself by telling them first not to make images and them tell them to make the snake on Moses Staff and then to make the Ark. This sin is to worship those things. Now it is common for idols to be money, people, ourselves or anything that we hold dearer than God.
Some fundamentalist Christians will accuse Catholics of idolatry and of worshipping images because we have icons or images such as the crucifix or statues of Mary and other saints. Well, any Catholic who knows better will know that this is a sin to worship these images or even that particular saint. We admire and look to the saints for inspiration and intercession, just as some might do when they look at a picture of their deceased parents of relatives. One of the differences is, is that we do not have photographs of Jesus, Mary or the other saints. We have paintings, icons and statues instead. Will the typical Evangelical Christian complain that we should not have the Lincoln memorial or the liberty bell because they are images? I hope not. Those are considered historical icons of our nation’s history and traditions. That same logic applies to the Catholic tradition of statues and icons. What these icons do is appeal to our senses, i.e. visual, emotional etc. This is God’s design. He made us this way and we need reminders of His work and how he worked in the lives of the saints. We can for sure, read these reminders in Sacred Scripture as well but we are not limited only to Scripture.
We have many things in Catholicism that point to God. That is what helps to make our religion so rich and beautiful. We are not stripped down solely to Scripture and to do so contradict Scripture itself.
I mentioned above some examples of why we have icons and they all pretty much are unique in their significance. I think the most meaning full image is the crucifix. I have heard from Evangelicals and secularists that it is morbid to see a man crucified on a cross and why would we even want to look at the crucifix. This is due to ignorance as to why the crucifixion had to be done in the first place. The short answer to that is so that we can have abundant life, meaning eternal life. Evangelicals can agree with that but get hung up on the idea that it is a sin to have an image/ crucifix and liken it to idolatry.
When pray the Rosary and I meditate on the Sorrowful Mysteries, especially the 5th, The Crucifixion, it opens up an understanding and deep insight to His suffering and death. I need that constant reminder of what he did for me. That is why I have a crucifix around my neck and have them throughout my house. Have you ever seen those bumper stickers, “9/11, never forget”? I pray that I never forget what Jesus did for me, personally. He calls me by name so that I can exist and be reconciled to Him so that I can share in His divine nature. By His death I will be restored to how he originally intended me to be, eventually a gloried body only after I share in His suffering, death and resurrection, God willing.
Next time you look at the crucifix, imagine Him first praying in agony sweating blood profusely in the Garden of Gethsemane. Imagine Him getting scourged at the pillar by the hands of the Romans. Imagine the crown of thorns being placed on His head. Imagine Him carrying the cross up to Golgotha and falling three times. Imagine all the people mocking and spitting on Him. Imagine His mother who had to watch all of this. Imagine, the nails being driven in His hands and then His feet. Imagine Him hanging on the cross for three hours until he died. And now ask yourself, why did that have to happen? He did it for you.
Is that morbid to have a crucifix or a symbol of someone who loves you? We shouldn’t censor the image of the crucifix because anything less would be a lie. A cross without the body is just a cross, an instrument of torture. We do not worship the cross but we worship Him who was on it, not the image, but Him.
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