Out and about these days, I notice that decorative, carved crosses are very, very popular in many stores.  You don’t see Crucifixany crucifixes, though, except in religious goods stores (mostly Catholic).  When someone buys a decorative cross, it could be for a number of reasons — inspirational or religious affiliation, or for a friend who is not Catholic, or just because it has nice colors and fits into the particular design of a room.  Crucifixes, which used to be a staple in EVERY Catholic home (and often as part of a little corner table shrine), are purchased very specifically to express our Roman Catholic Faith.  I still like to give a really nice crucifix as a wedding gift for a Catholic couple – something that definitely won’t be on the department store gift registry and highly unlikely to be duplicated! 

I find it more than a little ironic, though, that carved/decorative crosses are so popular, and yet there are groups working in our country every day to remove religious symbols from the public square.  Could it be a subconscious rebellion to keep the cross in our midst, even if it’s in our own private space?