Catholic Crucifix: The Ultimate Symbol of Faith

The Catholic crucifix is the ultimate symbol of the Catholic Church. The representation of Christ as Redeemer and Savior is the central theme of Christianity. The Catholic crucifix serves as a reminder of Christ's sacrifice and love for all men.

The Catholic crucifix is a Latin cross with the Body of Christ (corpus) upon it. It is used to symbolize the redemption of mankind through Christ's sacrifice. The Catholic crucifix is the central symbol of the Catholic faith; no Catholic church in the world is without one.

History of the Catholic crucifix:

The Catholic crucifix was not widely used before the 5th century A.D. Prior to the 5th century the Lamb of God was the most common symbol used to represent Christ.

The Council of Constantinople in 629 A.D. ordered: "That, instead of the lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ will be shown hereafter in His human form in images so that we shall be led to remember His mortal life, His passion, and His death, which paid the ransom for mankind"--this image was the Catholic crucifix.

On the early Catholic crucifix the corpus was usually stylized, but from the 9th century A.D. on medieval artists started to depict increasingly more realistic portrayals of Christ and His suffering. The Renaissance saw a reversion towards more ideally conceived imagery, but the dramatic and more accurate depictions of Christ would return to the Catholic crucifix during the baroque period.

The Catholic crucifix came to be recognized as the universal symbol of Christianity, symbolizing the sacrifice of Christ, and the consequent redemption of mankind. Reformation Protestants in the 16th century, however, rebelled against the use of the Catholic crucifix and stripped the corpus from the cross, so as to but greater emphasis on the Resurrection. Thus, the crucifix came to be identified specifically with the Catholic Church, the bare cross with the "Reformers."

The Catholic crucifix has, over the years, become a powerful symbol in both art and jewelry. By wearing the Catholic crucifix many Christians around the world proudly proclaim their love and faith in Christ as Redeemer. Here is a good page to view the different styles of the Catholic crucifix.

Where is the best place to purchase a Catholic crucifix:

To get an idea of the different styles and prices that are available in a Catholic crucifix it is more convenient to view them online before shopping around at local jewelry stores.

Retail jewelers will sometimes carry a small selection of Catholic crucifixes, but you are more apt to find a greater selection online. Just type "Catholic crucifix " into an Internet search engine like Google or Yahoo and you will find several reliable websites that specialize in the Catholic crucifix.

The cost of a Catholic crucifix is dependent upon many variables. In solid 14K yellow or white gold, Catholic crucifixes should cost about $50 to $300 depending on size.

Faith in Christ, faith in life:

Faith is the central pillar of Christian life. Without faith there would be no hope, and without hope there would be no reason. The Catholic crucifix is the strongest symbol of faith; faith in Christ as Savior and Redeemer. Faith in all that is good and right. The Catholic crucifix is much more than a representation, it is a way of life.

Casey Buell is an expert in the field of religious jewelry, and a contributor to the award winning religious jewelry website located at http://religiousjewelryshop.com/

Celtic Cross Jewelry: Cultural, Religious and Representation of Faith!

The history of Celtic cross jewelry goes back as far as 2000 BC. This was a time that had craftsmen working in gold and silver and many nice pieces were made from wood. There are many interpretations of what all of the ornamentation was and is. However, many wearers of religious jewelry treat it as a matter of faith and enjoy the beauty of the piece, and the way that their faith is reinforced every time they look at it!

As a brief, rather staid, description of what it looks like: Celtic cross jewelry comprises a cross and a circle that surrounds the center junction of the vertical and horizontal pieces. There are usually rather ornate carvings of animals and other devices on the cross itself and these are a part of the national heritage of the countries of Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

The Symbolism:

The circle has been said to represent the love of God in its completeness; others hold that it is the Sun that was worshiped by many of the unchurched. Others have said that St. Patrick saw a perfect circle on a stone and drew the cross around it, thus making the first Celtic cross. Irish Catholic priests say that the circle represents Gods love through Christ's sacrifice.

There are other symbolism beliefs that need to be explored to some degree: It can be seen as a navigation tool. The compass that can show us the way through the seas of faith that sometimes can be rough and unforgiving. The transitions of seasons: each of the four axes can be seen as the representation of the four seasons and the festivals that are held during the different quarters of the year. The symbolic representation of night and day: the top of the horizontal bar can be seen as the day and the bottom of the bar can be viewed as the night. The circle in the middle serves as the sun going up and going down: one day.

The Popularity:

With the symbolism of the carvings, the Christian church was able to advance ideas of God's love for all men to the pagans that would look at the depictions as being some of their own. They could be shown that the church was including them in their worship, not warring against them as many had before them to their own perverted way. This matter of inclusion was a very strong draw for them and they had this representation to take with them and hang on their own walls for further proof of the good intentions of the missionaries. Celtic cross jewelry is still very popular today as a symbol of the love of God and the love that exists between God and man.

The Significance of the Celtic Cross Jewelry:

No one absolutely knows where the original Celtic cross came from. They still like the idea that something so simple can be a very large part of the Christian church history as it has changed the shape of the faith for many millions of people, today. Celtic cross jewelry: The history of faith!

Mike recommends this resource for Gold Crucifix Pendants and other religious jewelry pieces designed as a symbol of your faith.

Christian Jewelry, Jewelry of Faith

Many people think the purpose of jewelry is purely for aesthetics. Indeed, necklaces, bracelets, rings and tiaras all add physical beauty to the one who wears them. Jewelry can even make or break an outfit depending on the wide-ranging notions of style and fashion. But those pieces can actually mean more than the extra charm they add to their wearers' looks. Jewelry can be for a purpose other than aesthetics. In fact, they can be used to profess one's faith. They can even be used for security such as in the case of those who wear Christian jewelry.

There are many types of religious jewelry and the most common are, of course, crosses. In fact, it seems like everywhere we look, somebody's wearing a cross pendant, ring, brooch or earrings. International diva Madonna became controversial because of her bold representations of the cross in her concerts which offended Catholic communities around the world. But while the cross as jewelry has been forced to cross the line between religious and faddish, other types of religious jewelry have been spared. Medallions are perfect examples

A medallion is a type of religious jewelry that comes in metal relief bearing the image of a Christian saint of whom the wearer is a devotee. The faith has more than one hundred saints who can provide inspiration to believers for their different causes in life. For example, there is a saint for lovers, a saint for businessmen and even a saint for lost things. It is believed that while these people who had lived as true disciples of God are long gone, they can still influence their devotees' lives by praying on their behalf depending on their needs. Hence, a believer may wear a particular saint's medallion as an expression of his devotion to that particular saint.

It is known to little but the history of jewelry itself had a lot to do with religion. Although these precious metals were mostly used to represent social and political ties in the past, religion was actually one of the first reasons for wearing jewelry.

Nobody knows for sure what power lies behind religious jewelry if, at all, there is. But those who wear it for religious purposes are happy with the internal sense of security they feel when they know they're wearing a true man or woman of God on their bodies. Cross or medallion, it probably doesn't matter because what truly makes a difference in a person's life are his thoughts, actions and beliefs.

Christian jewelry crosses and Christian jewelry rings are only some of the things you can find at most online jewelry shops. Don't forget to check out reviews so you can find the most trusted site from which to purchase.