by Fr. Hilary Conti, O.S.B.

continued from Part 3...

     The doctor continued his description of the Shroud, “On both shoulder blades the impression is quite outstanding” and the medical doctor explained to us why,  “because of two excoriations or deep scratchings caused by the carrying of the cross-beam.  Our Lord did not carry the complete cross as we see in most depictions.  The cross was made in two parts.  The vertical post was always ready on Calvary.  What our Lord - and the thieves - carried was the cross-beam.  He carried it with both hands stretched open and tied to the cross-beam.  Because the victim was usually reluctant to go, the soldiers would tie a rope around his chest and lead him to the place of execution.  When our Lord fell under the cross He went straight down with His face to the ground because His hands were tied to the cross-beam.  When Simeon helped our Lord carry the cross, he probably carried the whole cross-beam.

     “The actual crucifixion was quite simple.  Let us keep in mind that the soldiers were not looking for extra work, therefore they made the operation as easy as possible.  They laid the cross-beam on the ground, then they laid the victim flat on the ground with his hands over the cross-beam.  Then they tied the victim to the crossbeam; the thieves were tied with ropes, while our Lord was fastened with nails to make Him look like the worst criminal of the three.  Once they were tied to the cross-beam, they were raised up on their feet and lifted up to the vertical post, high enough to keep them suspended two or three feet above the ground.  At the very end of the operation, they nailed the feet to the vertical post, not to hold the weight of the body but just to keep the feet steady, to prevent them from flailing around.  The feet of Jesus were pierced with a nail; here is the hole on the right foot (he pointed it out with a stick).  The sole of the right foot is quite clear, a sign that it was pressed flat against the cross while the left foot was on top of it.

     “From the Shroud we have been able to make a good description of the Person of Christ.  Jesus was approximately 5 feet, 1 inches tall; the weight: 170 pounds; physically a strong man; the age between 30 and 35 years old; the features of the face are of a Jewish person.  All these details are taken from the Holy Shroud, regardless of the Gospels.”

     The doctor then pointed to the face and asked us to pay attention to the countenance, to the expression of His face:  remarkably patient, resigned to suffer.  No sign whatsoever of despair, and for this there is an explanation.  Jesus died on the cross not because He was forced, by compulsion, but because of His love for the Father and for us.  Love gave Him the strength to suffer patiently, with resignation, like parent because of love for their children, are able to suffer any sacrifice, and while they suffer they may have a smile.  Jesus was respectful, obedient to the Father up to the very end and he said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”