Holy Relics (1): The Holy Shroud


Three are the holy relics that are said to still exist in our time. These are objects that somehow were related to the figure of Jesus Christ's last moments and even beyond that.  The Holy Shroud is the one we know better. It is presently kept in the Royal cathedral of Saint John The Baptist. It is also said to be the piece of cloth used to wrap around the body of Jesus when it was taken to the sepulcher. It has been subject of countless tests to prove its authenticity without reaching definitive conclusion. If it is false then it is one of the most elaborate fake objects ever designed and also a mystery worth of investigation just to find out the identity of its skillful creator. However, if it were real then the implications are many. Among the most important:
1. It would be undeniable proof that Jesus Christ existed, that the events told in the New Testament are real and that in fact he resurrected. 
2. With the traces of blood in the stains of the shroud plus the proper technology, could we perhaps clone his body? It was the body of a human being, but one designed to contain the essence of a god. And gods do not get sick.
3. Would it be possible to obtain enough information so as to replicate the resurrection process? How did that event really happen? A sacrilege, many would say, but if the clues exist and are hidden in the structure of the clothing sure they were not just left there. 
Maybe there is a bigger purpose, one we are unaware of but are destined to serve...in time.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How do you say MIRADOR in English?

Image
"Hmm, why do I have this nagging feeling that someone is watching me watching?" In Spanish, a MIRADOR is any place that allows a privileged view of the surroundings. In English, a MIRADOR is a VIEWPOINT or a LOOKOUT. Another possible translation is VANTAGE POINT, though in a tourist context this term is a bit less common.
Read more

The Maps of Ship-Trap Island

Image
Once I had my high school students read The Most Dangerous Game, a short story by Richard Connell. Rainsford, the main character, is a professional hunter traveling by ship to his next hunting area, accidentally ends up in an island called Ship- Trap island. When he goes into the island he finds there are two men living in a palace in the island. One of them is a Cossack general and the other, his brutish servant.  The Cossack is called general Zaroff who is also  a game hunter but has become bored of hunting regular game and now uses the island's unique position to capture sailors from shipwrecks. He lets them go first and next after some time he hunts them down. Rainford's arrival who is worldwide famous presents Zaroff with a rare opportunity to find excitement in hunting again by hunting another hunter. Little does Zaroff know that Rainsford is The Most Dangerous Game in the World and hunting him will not be easy at all. My students enjoyed themselves at reading
Read more

How do you say EXAMEN SUPLETORIO in English?

Image
Darn! I wonder if there's a Make Up exam for this Make up exam! I remember that long ago I asked my distinguished and knowledgeable colleagues of that time to enlighten me and tell me the right English word for what we know in Ecuador as EXAMEN SUPLETORIO or EXAMEN DE RECUPERACION.  After hearing Recovery exam or Supplemenary test and even Supletory exam, I was not convinced so I decided to go to a higher authority and looked up one of those encyclopedic dictionaries from Oxford or Cambridge university (these were the pre-browser times) and found the right expression is MAKE UP EXAM which is taken when an exam has been missed or when a student needs to change one score with a more favorable one. The British say RECUPERATION EXAM which is perhaps more practical since to some people the term Make Up is confusing. Make-up is the word for the wearing of cosmetics. There are Make-up tests which are oriented to future Make-up artists.
Read more