The Cross of San Damiano
The Icon of Christ in Glory
Origin
The cross was originally housed in the
ancient church of San Damiano on the outskirts of Assisi. Thomas of Celano (1 Cel 8) attests to the
great age and dilapidated condition of the church. It is first mentioned in documents in 1030
(Fortini) as an established building. By
the time Francesco Bernadone (ca 1206) came across the church, it had fallen
into disrepair but had a resident priest.
The cross of San Damiano is twelfth century Byzantine icon style
common in Italy at the time. The style
also shows Syrian influence. The icon is
painted on wood (walnut) to which cloth had been glued. It is about 190 cm
high, 120 cm wide and 12 cm thick. Its
author (icons are written) is unknown but it is thought to be local because of
the presence of Umbrian saints surrounding the Crucified.
It is believed that the cross probably hung above the altar in San
Damiano.
This cross follows the ancient icon tradition in which the icon
has a mediating or ‘sacramental’ function in that it enabled the reader (one
reads icons) to come face to face with the compassionate, wounded and glorified
Christ. Icons echo 1 Jn. 3:2 – ‘then we
shall be like him for we shall see him face to face’. It was the power of this
‘sacramental’ function that opened St Francis to a profound and life-changing
religious experience.
Connection with
St. Francis and St Clare
During the early period in St. Francis’ life there were
significant moments which were to shape him, his spirituality and the way of
life for him and his followers. His
encounter with the lepers led him to those who were poor and on the margins of
society (the minores). His encounter
with Christ crucified on the cross of San Damiano led him to ‘compassion for
the crucified’ who is at the same time ‘the Lord of Glory who became our
brother’. This, in turn led him to the
brotherhood and sisterhood of all people and all creation.
Around 1206 the restless young Francis frequented isolated places
to pray and discern how he may live the Gospel. The
Legend of the Three Companions (L3C:13) says that the Spirit led Francis
into the ruined church of San Damiano.
All the biographies concur that the crucifix responded to Francis’
prayer for discernment with the words, ‘Francis, don’t you see that my house is
being destroyed? Go, then, and rebuild
my house.’ Francis replied, ‘I will do
so gladly Lord.’ He had prayed to know God’s will for him and this was the
commissioning. He sold cloth from his
father’s business, gave the money to the priest who refused to accept it;
Francis refused to handle it and threw it on to a windowsill. Francis put himself under the priest’s
protection and lived there for some time.
It is believed that Francis became an oblate by this move.
Francis, ever the concrete thinker, set about a church restoration
period of his life. After repairing San
Pietro, San Damiano and Santa Maria degli Angeles he came to understand that
the Lord meant him to repair the house of the church - the living church of the
people of God (Thomas of Celano). This
shaped the rest of his life and the mission of the three orders that he founded.
In 1212 St. Clare, joined by her sister Agnes came to live at the
restored San Damiano after she left her family.
They became the nucleus of the Poor Ladies who followed Francis as
contemplatives. The community remained
in San Damiano with the cross in their custody until 1257 when the sisters left
San Damiano for the safer monastery of San Giorgio. They took the crucifix with them where it is
still housed in what is now the Basilica of Santa Chiara.
Much has been made in Franciscan hagiography about St Francis and
this icon. However, St. Clare and her
community were custodians of the cross for forty-one years. She read that icon daily. In a letter to Agnes of Prague she invites
Agnes to gaze upon the crucified Christ “…gaze upon him, consider him, contemplate
him as you desire to imitate him’ (2Lag 20).
So Clare begins prayer by gazing at the book of the Crucified which
leads to consideration of his meaning which in turn leads to prayer and finally
imitation which brings delight.
Clare describes the crucified Christ as a mirror, a reflection of who
we are. Given the imagery of the icon
which invites the reader to enter into who Christ is and therefore who the faithful
Christian is, it is likely that Clare’s mystical theology was nurtured by
reading this icon.
The final link to San Damiano, the cross and St. Clare came at
Francis’ death when his funeral cortege stopped at San Damiano so Clare and the
Poor Ladies could farewell him who had so influenced her life.
Significance of
the imagery
When reading an icon, one must bear in mind that everything,
including gesture, colour, stance etc. has a deeper symbolic significance. The San Damiano cross is in the tradition of
the Christus Triumphans – Christ is
the perfect doxology. For this reason,
is it properly known as The Icon of Christ in Glory.
Relationship with
Fourth Gospel
The theology of the icon reflects the theology of the Fourth
Gospel. Christ’s crown of thorns is
replaced by the crown of glory. The people
under the arms of Jesus all appear in John’s Gospel, the wound in Christ’s
right side is significant and the colour black in contrast to the red and gold
reflect Johannine theology of darkness and light. The dark representing sin and death, and the
red symbolising the victory of love over death.
Gold symbolised glory.
In this icon Jesus prayer, ‘Father, glorify your son’ is answered
and the life of the Christian is revealed.
The Frame of the
Cross
The scrolls design
The borders of the cross have scroll-like designs which may refer
to John 15 ‘I am the vine, you are the branches... ‘
The Scallop shells
The Scallop shells of the border are the ancient Christian symbol
of pilgrimage from its close association with the pilgrimage to St James of Compostela. The scallop also symbolises the Christian’s
journey towards heaven as in Hebrews 11:13 – we ‘are pilgrims and strangers on
earth’. This phrase became important to
St Francis and in his Testament, he writes ‘as pilgrims and strangers let them
always be guests here’. So, the scallop
shell is to remind the reader of pilgrimage and our final destination in the
glory of the Trinity.
The scallop shell is often to be seen artistically represented in
baptistries or on baptismal fonts to symbolise the Christian journey and our
heavenly destination.
The Colours
Gold represents the glory of God and heaven. Red speaks of Christ’s humanity and love
which is victorious over sin and death.
The black square on which Jesus’ feet stand and the black of the cross
and surrounds indicate the tomb, darkness and sin. Jesus is risen from the tomb and death has
been conquered.
Not a Closed Frame
The frame is not closed. At
the base of the icon the frame ends either side of what appears to be a block
of stone which reminds the reader of the icon that Christ’s church is built on
Peter the rock and the promise that God will prevail (Mt. 16:18).
The Figure of
Christ
The figure of Christ is central as indicated by its size and
luminosity. He stands upright, not nailed;
his eyes are open and his arms reach out to embrace the reader and the world. He
looks out to the world, which He has saved. He is alive, the one who is eternal;
the Tree of Life in the Holy City (Rev 22:14-19). The Christ image dominates the icon and
therefore all the other figures and symbols should be read in this
context. The crown of thorns had been
replaced by the large crown of glory.
Christ’s sufferings are not forgotten but are seen in the light of his
resurrection. For this reason, the
surrounding figures are smiling and joyous.
They live in the light of the Lord (Rev 22:5); ‘I am the light of the
world. Whoever follows me will not walk
in darkness but will have the light of life’ (Jn 8:12).
So, while this icon is Christ triumphant, it also tells us about
the reign of God in which we live through baptism.
The Crown of Glory
The crown of glory points to how we need to understand the
icon. In the crown there is an outline
of the cross, with all its suffering and humiliation but it is bathed in glory. This crown is full of consolation and gives
meaning to Christ’s suffering.
The Vestments of Jesus
The loincloth of linen with gold surrounds, represents the
loincloth of the Jewish priests (Ex 28:42).
There is also a reference to King David who fulfilled his priestly
function when making sacrifice and dancing before the Arc of the Covenant (2
Sam 6:13-20 cf. Mt 12:4). So, Jesus is
both priest and victim (Hb. 10:5-7) of the new covenant.
Jesus’ body
Jesus’ chest, throat and neck are depicted as strong. Jesus gives power
of re-creation to his disciples (John 22:23). When he breathed on his disciples
(John 20:22), the Greek word used recalls the moment of Creation (Gen 2:7).
The Divine Breath of Jesus brings about
a new creation.
At the centre of the breast of Jesus there is a faint outline of a
person’s head facing left. This
represents the Father of whom Jesus says ‘….as you Father are in me and I in
you…’ (Jn 17:21). Beneath this figure is
a circle, the symbol of eternity, in which there is another profile. That it is in a circle, indicates that it is
eternal. This is the Word of God –
Divine and pre-existing.
On Jesus’ forehead there is a ‘suggestion’ of a dove descending
with outspread wings – the Holy Spirit.
So, in a few strokes of the brush the Trinity is depicted as well
as the human and divine nature of Christ – ‘In Christ, the fullness of divinity
resides in bodily form’ (Col. 2:9)
The Trinity is also indicated by the three-fold circle made by the
crown of glory, Jesus’ head and Jesus’ hair line.
Both Jesus’ face and the crown of glory are slightly in shadow as
far as his neck. As God was veiled by a
cloud in the Exodus (Ex 24:16) so now his glory is veiled by his humanity (Hb.
10:20)
The Wounds of Jesus
The two angels look intently at the wounds of Jesus, the others
under his hands seem to be expressing their astonishment at the blood shed by
Jesus, the eternal Word. 1 Peter 1:12 –
‘Even the angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.’ The blood trickles down his arms and falls on
the figures below. He has become the
fountain of life and the sacrifice of salvation (Hb. 9:11-14).
The wound on Jesus’ right side from which blood and water flowed
recalls the vision of Ezekiel (47:12) of the water flowing from the Temple and
bringing life, healing and flourishing.
The Eyes of Jesus
Jesus’ eyes are disproportionately large in this icon therefore it
is saying he is ‘the all-seeing one’ – he is the only one who has seen the
Father and shares with us his vision of the Father. (Jn 14:9). He is the good shepherd who knows his sheep
and calls each by name (Jn 10:3-14).
His eyes are focused between heaven and earth as he gazes towards
the fulfilment of all creation.
The Medallion and Inscription.
In the top section of the icon, the ascending movement of Jesus’
leg indicates that this image is the ascension. Christ is breaking
out of the circle of red – heaven is now open; he is holding a golden cross in
his left hand. The cross is now his
royal sceptre, the sceptre of integrity (Ps 45:7). His garments are gold - a
symbol of royalty and victory. His red scarf is a sign of his dominion and
kingship which exercised in love. Angels, wearing gold and red garments like
Jesus, welcome Him into Heaven. Jesus is
smiling, as are the angels.
This small section of the whole icon conveys a sense of joyous
celebration of Jesus’ return to his Father (Jn 16:28).
Above Jesus is a semicircle with a
hand held in blessing. This
blessing is given by the right hand of God the Father with the finger extended
- the Holy Spirit. The Father gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to all because
of Christ's passion. The two fingers
represent the two natures in Christ and the three fingers, the Trinity.
Below the medallion is the inscription on Jesus’ cross. It reads,
in Latin: IHS NAZARE REX IUDEORUM, ‘Jesus
the Nazarene, King of the Jews’ which is reported in St John's Gospel.
It is significant that the inscription is above the crown of
glory.
The People of the
Cross
There are thirty-three figures in the Icon - two
Christ figures, one Hand of the Father, five major figures, two smaller
figures, fourteen angels, two unknown at his hands, one small boy, six unknown
at the bottom of the cross and one rooster. There are thirty-three nail heads
along the frame just inside the shells and seven around the halo.
Given the symbolic nature of numbers, thirty-three
represents the supposed years of Jesus’ life and seven is one of the most
significant numbers in the Scriptures – the seventh day God rested after the
six days of creation; seven as a number of completion and perfection.
The writer of the icon has placed the names of the
people below their images so we are able to read who they are.
All the
figures are bathed in light in that they have become ‘children of the light’
(Jn. 12:36 cf. Rev. 22:35). They resemble
Jesus and one another with large eyes and oval shaped faces. They have become ‘true images of his beloved
Son’ (Rom 8:29) and represent restored humanity. They are smiling.
Mary and John
Mary is at the extreme right of Jesus. In the East, this is a place of honour. ‘At your right stands the Queen in gold of
Ophir’ (Ps 45:10). She is the one who
‘has found favour with God’ (Lk 1:30).
As in John's Gospel, Mary and John are placed side
by side. Mary's mantle is white meaning victory (Rev 3:5), purification (Rev
7:14); and good deeds (Rev 19:8). The jewels covering her mantle in rows refer
to the gifts of the Holy Spirit – she is ‘full of grace’ (Lk.1:28). The dark red worn under the mantle indicate
intense love, while the inner dress is purple likening Mary to the Ark of the
Covenant (Ex 26: 1-4).
Mary's left hand is raised to her cheek - her
acceptance and love of John and her admiration before the mystery of Christ
living in John. Her right hand points to
John while her eyes proclaim acceptance of Christ's words ‘Woman, behold your son... ‘(John
19:26).
Her gesture, and that of Mary Magdalene are written
in outline so as not to hide their faces. This is a significant gesture in
Scripture (cf. Wis. 8:12; Job 21:5; 29:9) as one is awed at the mystery.
The blood drips on to John at this moment. John's
mantle is rose colour indicating eternal wisdom, while his tunic is white -
purity. His position is between Jesus and Mary as is fitting for the disciple
loved by both of them. He looks at Mary ‘Son,
behold your Mother’, but his hand like Mary’s points to Jesus in
adoration and tenderness.
He is close to Christ as befits the ‘beloved
disciple’ (Jn 13:23). John represents us
– the believers.
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene is next to Christ. This position indicates that she is special.
She is ‘the apostle to the apostles’; the first witness to the resurrection (Jn
20:18). Her hand is on her chin
indicating a confided secret that ‘He is risen’. She wears scarlet, which is a
symbol of love; her mantle of blue deepens this.
Mary’s head inclines towards Mary Clopas’
head. They are not simply conversing,
they are sharing a secret. Mary’s hand
to her mouth indicates she is in a state of wonder and admiration.
Mary Clopas
Some authorities make her the mother of James. She
wears garments of an earthen colour a symbol of humility, and her light green
mantle indicate hope. Her admiration of Jesus is indicated by the gesture of
her hand. She listens intently to Mary
Magdalene.
The Centurion of
Capernaum
The centurion is a gentile who ‘is a friend of Israel’. He holds a piece
of wood in his left hand, indicating his building of the Synagogue (Luke 7: 1 -
10). The little boy behind his shoulder is his son healed by Jesus. The three
heads behind the boy show ‘he and his
whole household believed’ (John 4: 45 - 54). The centurion has extended
his thumb and two fingers, a symbol of the Trinity, while his two closed
fingers symbolize the hidden mystery of the two natures of Jesus the Christ. ‘Truly He is the Son of God’ (Mark
15:39).
The Smaller Figures
In front of Mary and the centurion are two
similar figures standing in similar poses – knee flexed, hand on hip and eyes
towards Jesus. The one of the left is
wearing a uniform similar to that worn by the centurion so it can be assumed he
is a Roman. The one on the right, in similar
uniform is not Roman. It is possible
that these two represent the Roman cohort and the Jewish guards who came to
arrest Jesus (Jn. 18:3). The
responsibility for Jesus’ death rests on both pagans and Jews.
However, they are both looking towards Jesus –
‘they will look on the one whom they have pierced’ (Jn. 19:37). Their eyes are opened and they arrive at
faith.
There is a legend that one is Longinus, the Roman
soldier who pierced Jesus' side with a lance, while the other is Stephen, the
name to the soldier who offered Jesus a sponge soaked in vinegar wine after
Jesus cried out ‘I thirst’ (John 19: 28 -30).
There is no evidence to support this.
The Unknown Saints.
At the foot of the icon are six unknown saints. We know they are saints because they are
depicted within the scallop shell border of the icon. Scholars suggest they are Saints Damian,
Rufinus, Michael, John the Baptist, Peter and Paul, all patrons of churches in
the Assisi area. St Damian was the Patron of the Church that housed the Cross
and St Rufinus was the Patron Saint of Assisi.
There is too much damage of that area to make a proper identification.
The Rooster
Firstly, the inclusion of the rooster recalls the
denial of Peter who wept bitterly after he denied Jesus. Secondly, the rooster
proclaims the new dawn of the Risen Christ who is the true light (1 Jn.
2:8). 2 Peter 1:19 exhorts the
community to ‘hold fast to prophecy until the dawn comes and the morning star
rises in your heart’. ‘But for you who revere my name, the Sun of Righteousness
will rise with healing in its wings’ (Malachi 4:2 or 3:20 depending on your
translation).
The rooster proclaims that Jesus is the true light
(Jn. 11:10).
The Shape of the
Cross.
The shape of the Cross has changed to enable the
artist to include all who participated in the drama of the passion. The right arm of the cross lifts to the
right, a symbol of Christ’s resurrection and victory over death and evil.
Conclusion
This icon is acknowledged as a world standard piece
of art as well as a profound icon.
Without its role in the Franciscan story, it would be revered. However, its association with St. Francis at
a crucial time in his life adds to its spiritual power. The icon became the medium through which the
Spirit of God led Francis to a life of love for the Crucified and his creation,
particularly those who suffered.
These connections affirm the significance of
religious art that is able to mediate the unbounded love of God for us and the
world revealed in Christ and at the same time reveal our identity and dignity
as beloved of Christ.
Pax et bonum.
