Lol! I am not laughing at you! Your comment, however, brought back a conversation I had with the pastor at my previous parish. He shared your notion. In fact, when I confronted him over the absence of a crucifix (mandated by canon law) on/over/or adjacent to the altar, his response was: "Christ was on the cross for ONLY 3 hours; He is risen forever! That response was commensurate with stabbing me in the heart with a dagger.
Dear friend in Christ, the Crucifix differs from the cross, in that it depicts the image of Christ being crucified, rather than that of the empty cross.The addition of His figure to the empty cross is intended to emphasize His human nature, which enabled him to suffer physical pain and death.
Not all crucifixes are identical.Depending on the mission of the church, the depiction of Jesus may evoke various emotions ranging from sorrow, to fear, or to awe. However, the purpose of the crucifix remains the same: to remind Catholics of the price Christ paid for humanity's redemption.
It also affords us the opportunity to practice Ignatian Spirituality, placing ourselves with those at the foot of the cross, looking up at our redeemer, with humble hearts. Jesus Christ died for our sins. We need to reflect on that immense act of selflessness and turn our lives over to Him daily. Do you not agree?
To all:
Just “poking the hornet’s nest”! I prefer the empty cross. It is MY cross He said “to pick up daily” and empty because of Him.