Monday, February 27, 2006

The Holy Shroud of Turin

JMJ+D

The Winter Olympics finally came to a close on Sunday in Torino, Italy. And as the world watched the thrill of victories and the agonies of defeat, there was a deeper kind of excitement drawing people's attention - an undeniable interest in the holiest of relics: The Holy Shroud. How timely for the Lenten season.

Headlines claimed that the
Shroud of Turin would outdraw winter olympics. Even an Associated Press reporter wrote how on a recent visit to Turin, he struggled with his Italian so wanting to find the Holy Shroud.

It touches people's lives, even if they come only with curious eyes. One Shroud expert says, "The Shroud has a tremendous impact on people. I have seen scientists break down and cry upon seeing it. Even Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) said something grabbed him when he saw it. It creates converts very easily."

Here I share with you some of my own personal photos taken during my visit to Lourdes, France, where they had an exhibit on the Holy Shroud. [update] The actual Shroud was not in exhibit but images of it.

If you look at the Holy Face, you can see white patches on the forehead of Jesus where Precious Blood trickled down as a result of the crowning of thorns. You can also see that His left eye seemed to be swollen.


Here you can see that during the Passion of Jesus, He tried to hoist Himself up on the Cross in order to breath. This meant more pressure on His Sacred Hands and Feet!

The Shroud also showed stained patches in the area of the arms which indicated that blood flowed downwardly from His hands along His arms during Crucifixion.






This photo shows what the Shroud revealed as far as the Scourging and the Crowing of Thorns. It revealed the direction of the blows and the depth of the wounds on His Head.







This shows a dark patch on the Shroud (image on the left) tracing the bloodied Right Foot of Our Lord while nailed to the Cross (image on the right).









The thumb of Jesus folded in as the nail went through the base of His wrist probably hitting the most sensitive nerve.






This photo shows how carefully the Body of Jesus was wrapped. It is believed that the intensity of Light from the Resurrection captured the image of His Body on the Shroud.



"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him" (Jn 3:16-17).

(Photos via Shroud exhibit in the Sanctuary of Lourdes, 2004)

Things to do:

1. Visit the
official website of the Holy Shroud

2. Make the Stations of the Cross each Friday of Lent, meditating on the Passion of Our Lord.

3. Pray the Litany of the Sacred Wounds in reparation for personal sins and the sins of the world.

4 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Oh my goodness! Just to look at that image makes me want to cry, I love the shroud of Turin and am so glad that you actually saw a exhibit! Thank you so much for showing us these beautiful pictures and the information.
Actually, whenever I hear of Torino, I think of the shroud. =)

1:22 AM  
Blogger Staying in Balance said...

What a priviledge to be able to see the Shroud in person! Your pictures alone are very informative.

6:13 AM  
Blogger Saint Peter's helpers said...

Carmel and 4HC, the exhibit didn't have the original Shroud but actual photos of it. Sorry for the miscommunication - I corrected my post. Anyway, 4HC,it was still a privilege to see all the images.

11:35 AM  
Blogger Saint Peter's helpers said...

Carmel, I know... it moves you to tears just looking at the photos. Just posting them made me reflect on the meekness of Jesus, how He bore all this without complaint.

4:21 PM  

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