The shroud is a linen sheet that carries an imprinted image, front and back, of a man who died from crucifixion. It is 4m 37 cm long and 1m11 cm wide.
It is a bit unclear, but when you get used to it especially with the help of photography, it clearly shows the picture of a crucified man and bears particular signs of torture on his body.
You will notice burn marks from the fire ( 1532 in Chambery) , mending and water stains on it.
In 1898 it was photographed for the first time and the negative of that photograph revealed in detail and with even greater clarity than the positive image all the “wounds” that the Shroud preserved.
Historical documents record the Shroud’s movements from Jerusalem to Constantinople and Europe, (during the Crusades) Turin and Chambery.
The image is not a painting, computer processing has shown that the image has three dimensional properties, something which neither paintings nor standard photographs possess.
Modern science is still investigating how the image was formed, its date, and how best to preserve it.
By focusing on the image impressed on the Shroud’s linen we may learn to pray for the Lord’s help in living every experience, even the most grievous ones; and allowing God’s love in, to overcome our anguishes.
St. Therese the little flower said “ Jesus burns with love for us, contemplate his adorable face … Contemplate Jesus in his face.. there you will see how much he loves us”
