The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Atilano Corcuera SVD – Divine Word Seminary of Tagaytay
Tuesday 2nd Week of Easter
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
Jean 3,15
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
Using images and statues as part of our faith is misunderstood by some non-Catholic religions. They mistakenly insist that Catholics adore, worship and bow to these images. In the Old Testament, God commanded Moses to make images of serpents to cure the sick people of their disease (cf. Numbers 21,8-9) . It was not the serpents that gave the cure but God’s power.
The same with the images in our churches: we do not adore the wooden statues but pray before them to remind us of what they symbolize. Just as we do not sing to a piece of cloth when we join the morning flag ceremony, but honor what the flag symbolizes. So in praying before images, our hearts become attuned to what we do – mind and heart and emotions get involved. Integrated prayer comes to reality; mind, heart and body begin to pray. Our whole being prays to God.
Catholics use many symbols: holy water, rosaries, crosses, medals, images of saints. How rich our faith is! Signs, symbols, sacramentals make our faith easier to practice. They make easier for us to feel God’s presence and love ultimately.
