Family, one of the most fascinating gifts the Lord has given us is His own burial cloth. How His image was projected onto that cloth, and how it has survived these 2000 years is nothing short of miraculous. We have always had a great love for and devotion to this gift of Our Lord. Let us share with you the history and the journey of the Shroud.
“Taking the Body, Joseph wrapped it in fresh linen…” Matthew 27:59
“Then, having brought a linen Shroud, Joseph took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a tomb which had been cut out of rock.” Mark 15:46
“He took it down (the Body of Jesus), wrapped it in fine linen,
Above: The Shrine of the Shroud of Turin - Turin Italy
Below: The Shroud of Turin on public exposition
and laid it in a tomb hewn out of the rock, in which no one had yet been buried.” Luke 23:53.
“He (Peter) stooped down, but could see nothing but the linen cloth.” Luke 24:12
“He (John) did not enter but bent down to peer in and saw the linen wrappings lying there.” John 20:5
The Shroud, or linen cloth, is mentioned in each of the Evangelists’ accounts of the death and burial of Jesus. It is never mentioned again, which makes sense because the cloth’s importance was completely overshadowed by the surge of energy which brought the life of Our Savior back into His Body. But logic dictates, His followers did not just leave the cloth there on the ground, to be thrown away. This was the cloth which held the Body of Jesus. At a minimum, it would be considered a relic of the Savior. At most, it was a precious keepsake of the death and resurrection of Jesus. And probably, when Jesus left us after 40 days, this cloth was one of the few mementos they had of the physical presence of Jesus among them.
What happened to it next? The answers to this question are documented in part. One of the gaps was officially filled in just this year.