i am trying to find out if there was a particular roman soldier cursed by God for his striking of or participation in the crucifiction of Christ? if so who was he and is he mentioned in Revelations?

-- Jcrisler (trekchik@cheerful.com), July 04, 2001

Answers

Jcrisler,

Not that I know of, but there *was* a series of novels by Barry Sadler with the protagonist being a roman legionaire named "Casca" who was (in the novels ;-) ) cursed by Jesus to perpetually remain a soldier until the second coming. Maybe that's what you're thinking of.

Good hunting, and if you find a biblical referrence, please post it!

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), July 05, 2001.

The first thing that comes to mind is Luke 23:34. If God had cursed someone while Jesus prayed for the same person(s), we either have to assume that that verse is wrong, or that Jesus wasn't the Lord's son. If the latter is true, we need to ignore Paul's letters and 2,000 years of consistent dogmatics. If the former is true, Jesus' love for sinners and even for his enemies is limited, meaning that he isn't God's son...

The idea of one of the people who killed Jesus suffering forever (in this world--we don't know where the soldiers, or anyone else involved in Jesus' death, are now) for what he has done is an interesting starting point for fictional texts, but it has no basis in what we believe.

-- Oliver Schrinner (piraya@hispavista.com), July 05, 2001.

I just browsed through Revelation, and AFAICT there is no reference to any of the soldiers. Unless I've been very careless or the Einheitsübersetzung of the Bible is even worse than my exegetics teacher says, no enemy of our Lord is named explicitly in this book.

Pax et bonum,

-- Oliver Schrinner (piraya@hispavista.com), July 05, 2001.

NEW FOR 2001

An improved timeline, broken down into fourteen sections, not only detailing each of the 23 Casca novels and how they fit into the tapestry of history, but also theoretical Casca conflicts linking the gaps.

A new section, a list of all characters that have appeared in the Casca novels and a little description of each, fictional or factual.

The results of the Casca fans' poll, listing their favourite and least liked novels, plus where they'd like to see Casca fight next. This is to be found in the NEWS section.

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), July 06, 2001.

Soldier you are content with what you are, so then you shall remain until we meet again... as I now go to my father you must one day come to me. And with these words he was condemned to a fate worse than death....Eternal life!

CASCA is the name of a character in the series of books written by BARRY SADLER who passed away in 1989.

CASCA is a roman legionnaire who was condemned to eternal life by Christ... the series of books deals with his wait until Christ returns, forever getting involved in any and every battle throughout time. I haven't found many people who have read these books, there are about 25 of them and I am still trying to find some of the last ones... I have found out recently that the publisher has found a writer that is very similar in style to the way Sadler wrote....and there is talk of some new books... I'll keep you posted.

http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/cascapage/

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), July 06, 2001.

Longinus the Centurion M (RM) 1st century; feast day in the East is October 16. According to tradition, the name of the centurion at the Crucifixion who acknowledged Christ as "the son of God" (Matt. 27:54; Mark 15:39; Luke 23:47) was Longinus. This centurion is also identified as the soldier who "pierced His side with a lance" (John 19:34), probably because the name is derived from the Greek word longche, meaning a lance. Untrustworthy legend exemplified by the Golden Legend says that the blood pouring from Christ's side immediately healed him of incipient blindness. Therefore, he was converted, left the army, took instruction from the Apostles, and then became a monk (centuries before there were monasteries) at Caesarea, Cappadocia, allegedly his homeland. The story continues that he was arrested for his faith and tortured. His teeth were knocked out and tongue plucked. He is said to have destroyed idols with a nearby axe in the presence of the governor who was trying him. From the broken idols came evil spirits that possessed, maddened, and blinded the governor. Longinus told his judge that he would be healed only after his own death. So, Longinus was immediately beheaded; whereupon the governor was healed and converted. An earlier cultus of Longinus was revived and strengthened with the discovery of the Holy Lance in a church of Antioch during the First Crusade, which had transformed the morale of the Christian soldiers (Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer).

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), July 06, 2001.

Really nobody knows the origin of the Phantom Stranger. Even he doesn't know his own origin, but he thinks he is the Errant Jew, a man who: - taked part in the turmoil that claimed to Pilato for Barrabas freedom instead of Jesus Christie's. - brutally pushed away Jesus while J.C. leaned against one of the Ahasvero's home walls. Then, Jesus sentenced Ahasvero to walk away from his home and his land: he will be an errant until Doomsday. His legend says he is able to look to any man's eyes to "see" his soul. He uses to be only an observant of all the things that happen withough taking part, but sometimes appears to any person who are in a moral dilemma or a spiritual dilemma to give them advice, leaving the final decision to each person. When some kind of phisical menaces or mystical menaces appear, he appears to take part directly on the battle showing amazing mystical powers. Sometimes he calls to other mystical heroes to battle this menaces together. When the menace is ended, then he dissapears. He seems to be an omniscient person (he seems to know everything but his origin) with mystical powers, but he hasn't shown neither super-strenght nor flying-capability. He uses to appear at any location in the Earth, the Space or in other dimensions where he knows there are menaces and finally dissapear when they are ended.

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This information has been submited by JAVIER VAZQUEZ SALCEDA

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), July 06, 2001.

A vision of Saint Longinus:

''I saw the Lord dead on the cross. I saw all the people standing around in just the same positions as on Good Friday. It was at the instant in which the legs of the crucified were to be broken. Longinus rode a horse or a mule, but not like our horses; it had a thick neck. He dismounted outside the circle of soldiers and went in on foot, his lance in his hand. He stepped up on the mound at the foot of the cross, and drove the lance into the right side of Our Lord. When he saw the stream of blood and water, he was most powerfully affected.

He hastily descended the mountain, rode quickly to the city and went to tell Pilate that he looked upon Jesus as the Son of God, and that he resigned his appointment in the army. He laid down his lance at Pilate's feet and left him. I think it was Nicodemus he met next, and made the same declaration; after which he joined the disciples. Pilate esteemed this lance dishonored, since it had been used as an instrument of punishment, and I think he gave it to Nicodemus.''

- - - - -

This is from ''The Life of Anne Catherine Emmerich'''; an excerpt dated July, 1820. It was being related to her confessor, a Father Limberg, and later written down by Clemens Brentano.

The ocassion was upon touching a relic of the sacred lance; and it caused her great pain in her own side. She is, of course the well-known visionary and stigmatized Augustinian nun. The book of her life and visions was granted an imprimatur by Peter Joseph, bishop of Limbourg, in Germany, around the 1870's. The fact her words here were spoken to her confessor should be significant of her truthfulness in the matter. Her amenuensis Clemens Brentano also deserves mention. He was a poet and close friend of all the leading writers of Germany at the time, and as famous for his work as Goethe and Schiller. Yet, he abandoned public life to become the biographer and servant of the visionary. Composer Gustav Mahler set many of his poems to music, in the collection ''Knaben Wunderhorn''.

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), July 27, 2001.

>>> July 27 /

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), July 27, 2001.