Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1912-03-09
THE INSTRUMENT
OF CHRlST'S PASSION
Continued from last week.
THE CROSS OF CHRIST.

TIE CROSS OF CHRIST.
Amongst the Jews, the most disgrace
ful and ignouinious death any male
factor could endure was death by cruci-
fixion. The disgrace naturally followed
the relations, as a leprous taint, and GUS
tom arose to bury that cross and the in
struments of crucifixion with the cul-
prit. The Heathens, out of aversion to
Christianity, had done what they could
to conceal the place where our Saviour
was buried. They had heaped upon 1t
a great quantity of stones and rubbish,
besides building temple to Venus
that those who came thither to adore
Him, might seem to pay their worship
to marble idol representing this false
deity. They had, moreover, erected q
statute of Jupiter in the place where
Christ rose from the dead, which figure
continued there from the Emperor Har.
dams time to Constantine's; which pre-
cautions of the Roman prosecutors show
tuo Ncucidbiou WHICH Shiiotiabo Paiu
from the beginning to the instruments
of our Redemption.
In 3l2, the Emperor, Constantine the
Great, published his edict of federation,
granting to everyone the right to follow
the religion of his choice, after which
he marched into Italy, against Mas
centius. 1t was when marching against
this tyrant that Constantine and his
army saw cross of light appear in the
Heavens bearing this inscription: "Ir
this, conquer" By the miraculous pow
er Of the Cross, he defeated the tyrant
at the battle of Milvian Bridge, A. d. 3l2
Hence it was out of religious respect
to the sacred instrument of the death o.
Christ, that Constantine in the twentieth
year of his reign, forbade the cross to bt
used in the punishment2of malefactors
in any part of his dominions; which
has been ever since observed through.
out all Christendom. r yt'"."..
st. Helena, the Emperor's mother
undertook journey into Palestine il
1926, though at that time near 80 years
of age; and on her arrival at Jerusalem
was inspired with great desire to fine
the identical cross on which Christ hat
died. The Emperor had in the mean
time written 10 Marcarius, Bishop o
Jerusalem, that he wished to erect .
costly church over Christ's Sepulchre
The Emperor's mother instituted
search for this holy tomb. Not only dit
she find the tomb itself, but also thre'
crosses near to it, with nails and the in
scription on our Lords cross, lynn
apart Bishop Macarius, unable to dis
cover, which of the three crosses va
the Cross of Christ, brought lady il
the last extremity of illness to the spo'
and when the last of the three crosse
touched her, she was suddenly cured
st. Helena, full of JOY for having foun,
the treasure which she had so earnestl
sought and so highly esteemed, built
church on the spot-called of the Hol
Cross of Jerusalem, where it remains t
this day. The main part of the Cros
was given to Bishop Macarius, anothe
portion to the Emperor. 1t ls af6rme'
by St. Cyril of Jerusalem, twenty-fiv
years after the discovery, that pieces @
the Cross were spread all over the eartl
to be venerated by the faithful in mem
ory of the one-Who died for our Sal
vation.
REV. JAS. A. MOONEY.
| ITO be Continued.)