The Claddagh ring is often given in friendship. In Irish tradition, it is a ring a mother gives to her daughter. The Claddagh can also be given as a sign of friendship, engagement and used as a wedding ring.
The Claddagh ring I wear has a cross on top of the crown. I like my ring. But the cross on the ring often gets snagged on some piece of clothing. If I’m putting my arm through a sleeve, the cross on the ring is bound to get caught on a thread. So too, if I put on gloves. It seems that any sewn item that crosses paths with my hand, the cross on my ring, will find a thread to latch onto. And, there are times it can take time to free the ring from the cloth; especially if I don’t want to do damage to the cloth.
One day, when my ring found a piece of thread, I began to ponder about getting snagged by the cross of Christ.
As Christians, we believe in the power of the cross. We begin prayer with the sign of the cross. In hope or in danger we make the sign of the cross. So, I asked myself, how often do my actions, my words, even my thoughts get snagged by the cross? How often am I made aware of my commitment to the cross when some action I do, some word I said, snags me, catches me in such a way, that I deepen my commitment to my Christian faith? How often does prayer snag me and I am wowed.
Or, how often do the words and actions of someone else snags me; catches me in such a way I walk away awed by the power of God surrounding me?
Perhaps as the Lenten Season unfolds before us, we can become aware of those moments when we are snagged by the Cross.
– Blog entry by Sister Terry Maher