A Tale of the Holy Cross: "Truly this man was the son of God!"

By Rodrigo D. Cruz

Narcissus is a senior Roman officer who served in Germania, Jerusalem and Britannia.

He supervised the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He was present during the Resurrection and the Ascension.

He saved the Blessed Virgin Mary by securing her safe passage to Ephesus, Turkey.

He was instrumental in the total destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.

Most of all, he experienced the saving power of the Blood and Water of Jesus Christ.

But now, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove has entered the room calling for the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685174958

Book preview

Narcissus was born and lived in Pompeii. Their house overlooked the majestic peak of the dormant volcano Mount Vesuvius. His grandfather Alfonsus Bodicia fought alongside General Octavian, who later became Emperor Augustus Caesar. The Roman forces defeated Mark Anthony and Cleopatra in the battle of Actium. A bust of his grandfather stood in the main hall of the house. His father, Horatio Bodicia, was a decorated war hero and as tribune fought with General Tiberius against the Germanic forces before the latter became emperor. Horatio subdued the barbarians menacing the towns near the Rhine River. His mother was the great-granddaughter of the late Senator Sulla.

Narcissus had the best education and upbringing including military training like his father. He attended a school for boys called the Athenaeum of Pompeii wherein he read classics in Latin and Greek, studied astronomy, geography, mathematics, and physical exercises like wrestling. He also learned the martial art of sword and spear fighting. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, was the school patron and also the protector of Athens, the ancient city of Greece.

He also had a learned Jewish nanny named Camilla who provided all his childhood needs. Little Narcissus loved to hear from her the Bible stories. She would start relating, The world has turned evil, so God decided to eliminate all except for one good man, Noah, and his family. God commanded him to build a big boat and to parade inside all the animals pair by pair including his family. For forty days and forty nights, it rained until it stopped. The boat finally settled when the soil has dried up.

Another story was, Man has become too powerful because everybody spoke only one language. The king decided to build a tower so high it almost reached the heavens. The king shot an arrow into the sky from the tower to taunt God. But God was angry, so He changed the people to speak different languages, thus creating total confusion. The tower was never finished.

Camilla sang to him in Aramaic to put him to sleep. Sometimes, Camilla’s son, Mateus, with his father would come to visit Pompeii. Mateus’s father was a successful and avid businessman. Narcissus’s family was very religious, worshipping Father Zeus and Vesta. The latter was worshipped by keeping an open flame in the kitchen all throughout the day and night to perpetuate eternal happiness for the home.

Narcissus grew up to be a soldier of the Roman army, following the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He was easily promoted to the rank of centurion with his family’s influence. His first assignment was a small town outside of Mainz in Germania. As a send-away gift, his mother packed thirty pieces of silver in a pouch. Although Mainz was a backward town, Narcissus aggressively developed it with his agricultural and infrastructure projects. He built roads, bridges, and schools to teach Greek and Latin to the young. By establishing canals from the river Rhine, he irrigated the farmlands, thus creating fertile soil. He created a town market day to transport all the goods to the big market in Mainz. A squad of soldiers accompanied the merchants for protection against thieves and criminals. The locals who used to be practically paupers became prosperous and happy. His soldiers also benefitted with plenty of free food and necessities from the locals. So the collection of taxes in the end was no longer an issue.

One time, the barbarians crossed the Rhine into the town led by Vincentius the Conqueror. They looked very hostile and intimidating with their long blonde hair, pointed helmets, and furry outfit. The Roman garrison went into full alert. The townsfolk went into a total panic, ready to evacuate. The whole cohort went into full formation to challenge the outside threat. However, the Germans, instead of drawing their swords, laid out their fur skins and dried meat made from bear, beaver, and deer. Vincentius signaled, and they all stretched out their empty hands to announce that they were not armed. They wanted to trade! Even if there was no common language, barter made the communication easy. Then their leader, Vincentius, spoke through an interpreter, Let us trade: our dear meat for a pair of shoes or a tin frying pan, or our bear skin for a lady’s dress. It ended well for all sides, the Romans, the townsfolk, and the Germans, with a sumptuous feast celebrated afterward.

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