Inside the Vatican magazine December 2019

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INSIDE SPECIAL ISSUE THE

DECEMBER DECEMBER 2019 2019 $5 $5 // EUR EUR 5 5 // £3.30 £3.30

VATICAN

Madonna and Child with St. Francis and St. Bernardine,

by Bartolomeo Caporali, Croatian Academy of Sciences

THE COMING OF THE LORD INTO THE WORLD ART ESSAY

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MAJOR WORKS ON THE PRIESTHOOD, CELIBACY, AND THE DIACONATE

X PRIESTHOOD AND DIACONATE Cardinal Gerhard Muller

X APOSTOLIC ORIGINS OF PRIESTLY CELIBACY Christian Cochini, S.J.

T

T

he Church's practice of a male priesthood is a matter pertaining to divine revelation and founded upon a theology of the sexes, which is based on the relationship of man and woman originating in creation itself. The spousal relationship between Christ and the Church is reflected in the Sacrament of Holy Orders and the male recipient's relation to the Church, which stands in relation to him as a feminine reality. This book thoughtfully explores the Church's understanding of the ministerial priesthood and the diaconate.

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X THE CASE FOR CLERICAL CELIBACY Cardinal Alfons Stickler

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theological expert at Vatican II and an eminent canon lawyer clarifies the concepts of celibacy and sexual continence. He thoroughly examines the development of clerical celibacy in the Latin West, exploding the myth celibacy is a medieval invention or a church-instituted practical discipline. He concludes with a theological reflection on the priesthood of Jesus Christ, which shows why the popular distinction between "doctrine" and "discipline" doesn't fully explain all the important aspects of the requirement of clerical celibacy and continence.

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X DEACONESSES: An Historical Study Aime Martimort

S

ince the 17th century the history of deaconesses in the Church has been the subject of numerous monographs. What is most evident about the history of deaconesses, however, is how complex the whole subject is. In this exhaustive, thoroughly researched work, Martimort presents a very readable analysis that has become the standard study of the role of women deaconesses in the early Church. He presents in as complete and objective fashion as possible the history, who and what these deaconesses were, and what their functions were.

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his is the definitive scholarly statement on the discipline of priestly celibacy in the Church East and West. Cochini shows through patristic sources and conciliar documentation that from the beginning of the Church, although married men could be priests, they were required to vow to celibacy before ordination, committing to live a life of continence. He provides extensive documentation, a bibliography and an index.

"This work is the result of serious and extensive research.

There is nothing even remotely comparable to it in this whole century." —Henri Cardinal de Lubac, S. J.

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X CELIBACY IN THE EARLY CHURCH Stefan Heid

H

eid presents a wide-ranging study of the historical data from the early Church on celibacy and clerical continence. He gives a review of recent literature, and then thoroughly examines the writings of the Bible, the early church councils, saints and theologians like Jerome, Augustine, Clement, Tertullian, John Chrystostom, Cyril and Gregory Nazianzen. He has gathered formidable data with conclusive arguments regarding obligatory continence in the early Church.

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X MARRIED PRIESTS? Edited by Arturo Cattaneo

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eventeen experts respond to common objections about celibacy, allowing the reader to discover the value that celibacy has today in the lives of thousands of priests and seminarians. Among the key topics this book discusses are: History of Priestly Celibacy, What Theology Says on the Celibacy, Emotions and Sexuality, Discerning and Fostering a Vocation, Celibacy in the Life of a Priest, Celibacy and Inculturation, Papal teachings on Celibacy from Pius XI to Benedict XVI. MPRP‌. Sewn Softcover, $16.95

www.ignatius.com P.O. Box 1339, Ft. Collins, CO 80522

(800) - 651-1531

03 EDITORIAL DEC19, 9.1CORR1_B. EDITORIAL December, 08, p. 4 copy 12/12/19 8:44 PM Page 1

EDITORIAL

by Robert Moynihan

“Seek His Face”

Again, at the center of the Church’s life is an encounter with the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Yet this centrality is increasingly questioned. We must again seek His face, and come to know Him and live with Him

“Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who shall stand in his holy place?

The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things, who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor; He shall receive blessing from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him.

Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.”—Psalm 24 “O Holy Face of Christ, light that enlightens the darkness of doubt and sadness, life that has defeated forever the force of evil and death, O inscrutable gaze that never ceases to watch over mankind; Face concealed in the Eucharistic signs and in the faces of those that live with us! Make us pilgrims in this world, longing for the infinite and ready for the final encounter, when we shall see you, Lord, ‘face to face’ (Cor. 13-12) and be able to contemplate you forever in Heavenly Glory.” — Pope Benedict XVI “The essential problem facing the Church today — and it is a problem that has always been present to trouble and test the Church and the faithful — is the relativization of Christ. It is the attempt to remove Christ, the one Savior, Jesus of Nazareth, from the center of human history and human salvation, and to replace Him with other ideas, ideologies, proposals. Will Rome have the courage and faith to keep Christ at the center of our Church, though the world asks us in ever more insistent terms to set our faith in Him aside?” — Robert Moynihan, Editorial, Inside the Vatican, November 2019

W

ith these words, I closed the editorial in last month’s magazine. And in the days after closing the issue, as I reflected on our situation, it became ever more clear to me that we are drowning in a tide of news and opinion that is not centered on Christ, but on other people, other issues. First, on the abuse scandals that have occurred in recent decades. Second, the financial corruption revealed in high places. Third, and most important, the apostasy from traditional orthodox belief regarding faith and morals, meaning that a certain “non-orthodox” (heretical) opinion has begun to become pre-eminent in many sectors of the Church, also in many places in Rome, also in many places inside the Vatican. So that, to report, once again, on the news “inside the Vatican,” would be to report on many vices, many sins, and many non-Catholic and non-Christian opinions, causing more scandal to my readers.

I thought: “The whole purpose of a magazine like Inside the Vatican has always been to bring readers closer to the heart of the Church, that is, Christ. The idea has always been that ‘inside the Vatican,’ inside the institution that governs and guides the Church,

there would be found, despite all shortcomings and sins, a beating heart, Christ, living in His Church, protecting and guiding His Church, serving His Church yet also ruling His Church — through men and women of faith.”

So I asked myself, “How can I express that beating heart at the center of the Church, at the center of the faith — at the center of the Vatican?”

And my answer: “I will for one month boycott all news about the Vatican, all news about scandal and corruption, all news about heretical and apostate teaching, and simply prepare an issue centered on Christ, on His birth, His life, His betrayal, His suffering, His death and resurrection. Everything about Christ, everything centered on Christ.”

I thought: “Perhaps the readers will be disappoointed that, in our pages, they do not find once again the usual news from Rome, the news of scandals, of corruption, of vice, and of changing the traditional teaching in order to keep step with our increasingly post-Christian times.”

And then I thought: “Well, if they are disappointed, they will only have to wait a few more days, and they will get the January issue, and there will be more scandals, and more corruption, and more heresy, for them to be appalled by.”

And so I took my decision: to make a special issue of the magazine unlike any ever before, an issue focused solely on Christ. It is the issue you hold in your hands.

A Christmas issue that begins before Christmas, with Joachim and Ann, and Mary, and that continues after Christmas, with the flight into Egypt, and the childhood, life, preaching, betrayal, suffering and death of Christ. And it ends with His resurrection. An issue entirely centered on Christ. From “inside” the Vatican, to you. With hopes that all of you celebrate a blessed Christmas with family and friends.

Pope John Paul II wrote in Veritatis Splendor (“The Splendor of Truth,” 1993): “The light of God’s face shines in all its beauty on the countenance of Jesus Christ, ‘the image of the invisible God’ (Cor 1:15), the ‘reflection of God’s glory’ (Heb 1:3), ‘full of grace and truth’ (Jn 1:14). Christ is ‘the way, and the truth, and the life’ (Jn 14:6). Consequently the decisive answer to every one of man’s questions, his religious and moral questions in particular, is given

by Jesus Christ, or rather is Jesus Christ himself, as the Second Vatican Council recalls: ‘In fact, it is only in the mystery of the Word Incarnate that light is shed on the mystery of man. For Adam, the first man, was a figure of the future man, namely, of Christ the Lord. It is Christ, the last Adam, who fully discloses man to himself and unfolds his noble calling by revealing the mystery of the Father and the Father’s love.’” Merry Christmas to all.m DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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DECEMBER 2019

CONTENTS

Year 27, #10

CHRISTMAS ART ESSAY THE INCARNATION: The Coming of the Lord into the World

by Christina Deardurff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 St. Anne

by The Catholic Encyclopedia (newadvent.org) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 DECEMBER 2019 Year 27, #10

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Robert Moynihan ASSOCIATE EDITOR: George “Pat” Morse (+ 2013) ASSISTANT EDITOR: Christina Deardurff CULTURE EDITOR: Lucy Gordan CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Giuseppe Rusconi WRITERS: Anna Artymiak, Alberto Carosa, William D. Doino, Jr., David Quinn, Andrew Rabel, Vladimiro Redzioch, Serena Sartini, Father Vincent Twomey PHOTOS: Grzegorz Galazka LAYOUT: Giuseppe Sabatelli ILLUSTRATIONS: Stefano Navarrini CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Deborah B. Tomlinson ADVERTISING: Katie Carr Tel: 202-536-4555, ext.303 kcarr@insidethevatican.com

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EDITORIAL OFFICES FOR MAIL: US: 14 West Main St. Front Royal, VA 22630 USA Rome: Inside the Vatican via delle Mura Aurelie 7c, Rome 00165, Italy Tel: 39-06-3938-7471 Fax: 39-06-638-1316 POSTMASTER: send address changes to Inside the Vatican c/o St. Martin de Porres Lay Dominican Community PO Box 57 New Hope, KY 40052 USA Tel: 800-789-9494 Fax: 270-325-3091 Subscriptions (USA): Inside the Vatican PO Box 57 New Hope, KY 40052 USA www.insidethevatican.com Tel: 800-789-9494

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INSIDE THE VATICAN (ISSN 1068-8579, 1 yr subscription: $ 49.95; 2 yrs, $94.95; 3 yrs, $129.95), provides a comprehensive, independent report on Vatican affairs published monthly except July and September with occasional special supplements.

Inside the Vatican is published by Urbi et Orbi Communications, PO Box 57, New Hope, Kentucky, 40052, USA, pursuant to a License Agreement with Robert Moynihan, the owner of the Copyright. Inside the Vatican, Inc., maintains editorial offices in Rome, Italy.

Periodicals Postage PAID at New Haven, Kentucky and additional mailing offices.

Copyright 2019 Robert Moynihan

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INSIDE THE VATICAN

DECEMBER 2019

The Childhood of Mary

by Helen Splarn (sol.com.au) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

by Pope Benedict XVI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Admirabile Signum, Apostolic Letter on the Christmas Crèche

by Pope Francis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Simeon’s “Nunc Dimittis”

by The Catholic Encyclopedia (newadvent.org) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 “Christ recapitulated in Himself the long history of mankind”

by Catechism of the Catholic Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 The Slaughter of the Innocents

by St. Augustine of Hippo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 “Flying before the face of man”

by St. Bede the Venerable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

by St. Cyril of Alexandria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 “This is My Beloved Son”

by Catechism of the Catholic Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 “Whatsoever He says unto you, do it”

by St. John Chrysostom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 The Sermon on the Mount

by St. Matthew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

by St. Augustine of Hippo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 “

by St. John Chrysostom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

by St. Matthew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

St. John Chrysostom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

by Pope Francis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 “Your Holy Face, which shines for ever and ever”

by Pope John Paul II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

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X WATER AND SPIRIT: Meditations on St. John's Gospel 1:19 to 5:47 — Adrienne von Speyr Following up her book, THE WORD: A Meditation on the Prologue of St. John's Gospel, this beautiful work by the mystic von Speyr continues her meditations to the end of chapter five. She reflects deeply on the text, sentence by sentence, but developed into a broader picture that is confluent with the scenes and themes of the Gospel itself, using the whole imagery of St. John to convey his thought. Her meditations retain the living, dramatic quality of the original language from the Gospel.

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“Always orthodox, soul-stirring and relevant, von Speyr’s meditations will transport you straight to the Heart of the Word resting on his Father’s bosom.”

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

INSIDE THE VATICAN welcomes letters but cannot reply to all. Each is read and considered carefully. Printed letters may be edited for clarity. You may email us at editor@insidethevatican.com

PRAISE FOR ITV

I’ve wanted to thank you and your staff as I praise God for your gift of editing. Inside the Vatican is one of the few periodicals I can digest. You do a fine job of giving background information on individuals, many of whom I learn about for the first time in your pages. And I would much rather read the information in a magazine in front of me than on a cell phone, computer or TV. I save all of your magazines and plan to “catch up” on any I may have missed reading at the time. I am not a subscriber now due to my impoverished situation, but I look forward to being able to subscribe again in the future when circumstances allow.

Mary Royal Carlsbad, California, USA

THE CURRENT CRISIS It is significant but not surprising that in analyzing the current crisis in the Church, Dr.

Preschool - Age 7: Imprimatur

Samuel Gregg (ITV, October 2019) does not single out Vatican II or Catholic social doctrines as a problem. In fact, these two benchmarks of liberal Catholicism are the prime cause of the crisis.

Current history is making it clear that these two conduits of heresy and confusion have irreconcilably divided the Church. They have fostered and legitimized 1) a permissive morality that led to the priest-abuse scandal; 2) pick-and-choose Catholicism; and 3) a strong Catholic voting bloc that votes for the Democratic pro-abortion agenda. And while traditional Catholics are practicing the Faith, Vatican II “social-justice” Catholics are making and following their own rules.

Indeed, the ultimate crisis in the Church today is the cover-up of the vast harm that Vatican II and “social justice” have inflicted on us. They must be exposed as the first big step in restoring truth, unity and holiness to Christ’s suffering Church.

George Koenig St. Francis, Wisconsin, USA

NOT EVEN HELL CAN BREAK PETER’S ROCK Thank you so much for the Moynihan Letters, which I find both enlightening and encouraging.

I am sometimes so disheartened at how entrenched are Satan’s servants in Mother Church, but then, as one who well knows the devil’s ways from my past way of life, what else would one expect but to find such, hidden amongst the Godly, to breed their

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evil and contaminate the innocent. Let us face a simple fact: the Lord Jesus said that not even Hell would break Peter’s Rock; but, we are vulnerable because we are all so weak. Yet, the Lord Jesus said if you have as much faith as a mustard seed, then you will say to this mountain, “Move,” and it will.

I used to ask myself who is worse, the perpetrator of a crime, or the aiders and abetters, and in my heart I know they are both responsible.

I went to try and talk to men in my city in UK because I was well aware of the amount of homosexuality that was rampant everywhere.

Most of the pubs would not let me enter, and on my way some youths threw stones at me, and I ended up at a club nearby, where I spoke to some bouncers at the door and asked if they would let me enter to speak just for 5 minutes on homosexuality, it being an awful abomination and heinous in the eyes of the Lord. The bouncers were taken aback, and said a defiant “no,” though as we conversed, they agreed it was an ugly act. One of the bouncers finally went to ask the manager if I could speak, preferably on a microphone; my request was denied.

I was disappointed, but by then a group of confessing homosexuals arrived, who were promoting their lifestyle. One of the men suddenly lunged at my Holy Bible and tried to take it out of my hands. It was very frightening but I would not let it go, and he was tugging and pulling at it also. Then I felt this enormous “bolt” and the man immediately let go of the Bible, very scared: he looked at me and said, “I am sorry; do you forgive me?” I was then very aware of how powerful the Lord God Almighty is. And very

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joyous that I still had my Holy Bible!

We have all scattered and are afraid, but the Lord Jesus took on the Roman Empire; He is our strength. May the Lord Jesus pour His blessings on you and all who work so tirelessly for Him! Eileen Finnan finnan7890@gmail.com

and have followed your letters and respect you. I don’t unterstand why everyone is ignoring the illegal incarceration and torture of Julian Assange. Why isn't the Church loudly objecting?

Rosemarie Meuer rosie@meuer.de

“GOD’S GLORY IS MAN ALIVE”

THE CREDIBILITY OF FRANCIS

Thank you for posting Fr. Reardon’s essay on the true meaning of “Man truly alive” (Moynihan Letters, #64: God’s Glory Man Alive). I am circulating it. As Bishop Athanasius Schneider has alluded, there is quite a lot of “calling out” required regarding various Vatican II documents as well.

Misinterpretations have abounded. Blessings on you in Advent and at Christmas. We must brace ourselves for the new year.

Louise Brady bradybunch77@optusnet.com.au

The first error of Francis was not to accept the pomp of the papacy, which is necessary to inspire the faith of Catholics.

Francis played to the gallery of the press. It is not important what corrupt journalists think, as they speak for the Bilderberg Group and Wall Street which desire to transform the earth into a one-world banking government.

Cardinal Peter Turkson was the candidate of the powers of high finance, but in the fumbling of the last conclave, Francis was elected in his place.

Secondly, Francis overlooked the historical meaning of the episode of Galileo, which taught us never to mix religion or politics with the natural sciences. The Church eventually vindicated Galileo, as when Benedict XIV granted him an imprimatur, and Leo XIII taught scientists and theologians to stay in their own fields and not to make rash pronouncements about what is not clearly known. But Francis spoke as an arbiter of the natural sciences when he intervened in the global warming scare, which has no scientific basis, as will be clear to anyone impartially investigating the work of Dr. Jay Lehr of the Heartland Institute, Lord Christopher Moncton of the United Kingdom, Dr. Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at the Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in St. Petersburg, Russia, and other similar independent scientists. Francis has wrecked the social

I can well understand you being very weary of writing of the dysfunction at the Vatican — they “are what they are” and will be until things evolve, apparently not soon.

Certainly Fr. Reardon has St. Irenaeus in clear perspective. He is rightfully critical of clergy who do not immerse themselves in deriving the true meaning of such writings.

Today’s Catholic clergy, albeit there are exceptions, are not particularly meaningful advocates of the teachings of Christ. Unfortunately, the Church seems to be dead in the water, with no leadership... none.

Victor J. Cameron vcamco@comcast.net

TORTURE OF JULIAN ASSANGE

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magisterium of the Church by depriving it of credibility.

Francis might have urged objectivity in the natural sciences, but he could not pose as an expert himself. He has no idea what he is talking about on climate change. We have had many bad Popes before, including those worse than Francis. And I recall that, after denying Christ three times, St. Peter raised Tabatha from the dead, so all is not hopeless.

And so now the Church is dying, unworthy of our trust. The reaction of most of us is no longer to take the Church seriously on anything she teaches. All we have left is faith in Matthew 16:18 — that the Church is indestructible. Francis will not resign, nor can he be deposed, so we must simply wait patiently for him to die, and the Church may survive still another crisis in her long history, rooted in the weakness of human nature.

John Remington Graham jrgraham@novicomfusion.com

FROM PRISONERS I am a disabled Vietnam vet who is also a devout Catholic. I am currently incarcerated and indigent. I am in a very anti-Catholic environment and the prison chaplain refuses to provide any Catholic materials and resources.

I fought a war in Iraq and patrolled the Catholic neighborhood in Baghdad, so fighting anti-Catholicism is nothing new. I lead a group of 10-15 faithful Catholics and share all Catholic materials I receive with them. Can you please renew my subscription as a gift so our Catholic community here can stay abreast of the Catholic world? Thank you in advance!

Zachary Gregory, #U49417 Marion Correctional Institution Lowell, Florida, USA I am writing to request a sponsored subscription to your excellent publication. I had previously let my subscription lapse when another inmate here began to receive ITV, so we could all share.

However, the appeal I helped that inmate file was a success; he is no longer in prison, but we no longer have access to your magazine.

Please assist me — and the Catholic community here that I represent — to receive a sponsored subscription. God bless you!

Richard Pratt, #R27605 Everglades Correctional Institution Miami, Florida, USA DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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THE INCARNATION

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ART ESSAY

BY CHRISTINA DEARDURFF

NATIVITY, in the rectory of the Salesianerkirche in Vienna, Austria, by the Venetian painter Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini (1675-1741. This painting is dated to 1725-1727 10

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ST. ANNE

nne (Hebrew, Hannah, grace; also spelled Ann, Anne, Anna) is the traditional name of the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

All our information concerning the names and lives of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary, is derived from apocryphal literature, the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary, the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the Protoevangelium of James. Though the earliest form of the latter, on which directly or indirectly the other two seem to be based, goes back to about A.D. 150, we can hardly accept as beyond doubt its various statements on its sole authority. In the Orient the Protoevangelium had great authority and portions of it were read on the feasts of Mary by the Greeks, Syrians, Copts, and Arabians. In the Occident, however, it was rejected by the Fathers of the Church until its contents were incorporated by Jacobus de Voragine in his “Golden Legend” in the thirteenth century. From that time on the story of St. Anne spread over the West and was amply developed, until St. Anne became one of the most popular saints also of the Latin Church.

The Protoevangelium gives the following account: In Nazareth there lived a rich and pious couple, Joachim and Hannah. They were childless. When on a feast day Joachim presented himself to offer sacrifice in the temple, he was repulsed by a certain Ruben, under the pretext that men without offspring were unworthy to be admitted.

Whereupon Joachim, bowed down with grief, did not return home, but went into the mountains to make his plaint to God in solitude. Also Hannah, having learned the reason of the prolonged absence of her husband, cried to the Lord to take away from her the curse of sterility, promising to dedicate her child to the service of God. Their prayers were heard; an angel came to Hannah and said: “Hannah, the Lord has looked upon thy tears; thou shalt conceive and give birth and the fruit of thy womb shall be blessed by all the world.” The angel made the same promise to Joachim, who returned to his wife. Hannah gave birth to a daughter whom she called Miriam (Mary).

(The Catholic Encyclopedia, newadvent.org)

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St. Ann, the grandmother of Jesus, with the little Virgin Mary, from a 19th century tapestry in St. Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church (Michelskerk), in Leuven, Belgium. the story of Christmas often overlooks the grandparents of Jesus, Joachim and Ann, parents of Mary, but they were devout and holy souls who cared for Mary, preparing for the coming of the Lord into the world DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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THE PRESENTATION

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OF

MARY

ames describes the day Mary is presented to the temple by her parents Anna and Joachim. “When the day arrived, the undefiled daughters of the Hebrews were invited to accompany Mary, with their lamps burning, to the Temple. There the priest received her, blessed her and kissed her in welcome.”

The priest proclaimed, “The Lord has magnified thy name in all generations. In thee, the Lord will manifest His redemption to the sons of Israel.” Mary was placed on the third step of the Temple and there danced with joy, and all the house of Israel loved her. Without looking back, Mary climbed the stairs of the temple. It was there that she was nurtured and her parents returned glorifying the Almighty. This shows that even in her childhood Mary was completely dedicated to God. It is from this very account that arose the feast of Mary’s Presentation.

In both the Eastern and Western Churches, feast days in honor of the events of Mary’s life came into existence between the 4th and 7th centuries. They celebrate her miraculous conception and her birth, narrated in the apocryphal “Infancy Gospel” of James (September 8); the Annunciation (March 25); her purification in the Temple (February 2); and her death (called the Dormition in the Eastern Church) and bodily assumption into heaven.

We know that in the Byzantine Church this feast is considered one of the twelve great feasts of the liturgical year, called the Dodecaorton. Scholars believe that Mary’s Presentation in the Temple is considered a major feast for the Eastern Churches, celebrating the same values that the Western Church celebrates in the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

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PRESENTATION AT THE TEMPLE OF THE VIRGIN

by Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1594), in the church of La Madonna dell'Orto, Venice, Italy. Tintoretto was a notable exponent of the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized the speed with which he painted, and the unprecedented boldness of his brushwork. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed Il Furioso (“The Furious One”) DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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THE WONDROUS EXCHANGE BETWEEN DIVINITY AND HUMANITY

BY POPE BENEDICT XVI, PUBLIC CATECHESIS, JANUARY 4, 2012

W

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, e are in the liturgical Time of Christmas, which begins on the evening of 24 December with the Vigil Mass and ends with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord.

The span of days is short but full of celebrations and mysteries, and it all takes place around the two great Solemnities of the Lord: Christmas and Epiphany.

The very names of these two feasts indicate their respective traits.

Christmas celebrates the historical event of Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem.

Epiphany, which came into being as a feast in the East, indicates an event, but above all one aspect of the Mystery: God reveals himself in the human nature of Christ, and this is the meaning of the Greek verb epiphaino, to make oneself visible. In this perspective, Epiphany calls to mind a whole series of events focused on the manifestation of the Lord: in a special way the adoration of the Magi, who recognize Jesus as the Messiah awaited, but also the Baptism in the River Jordan with its theophany— the voice of God from on high—and the miracle of the Wedding at Cana, as the first “sign” worked by Christ...

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The CesTello AnnunCiATion, by sandro Botticelli, uffizi, Florence.

Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filippi (c. 1445–May 17, 1510), known as sandro Botticelli, an italian painter of the early Renaissance, belonged to the “golden age” of the “Florentine school” under the patronage of lorenzo de' Medici. Botticelli lived his whole life in the same neighborhood of Florence except for some time spent in Pisa in 1474 and in painting part of the sistine Chapel in Rome in 1481-82 DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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THE WONDROUS EXCHANGE BETWEEN DIVINITY AND HUMANITY (CONTINUED)

BY POPE BENEDICT XVI, PUBLIC CATECHESIS, JANUARY 4, 2012

F

irst of all, let us ask ourselves: what is the first reaction to this extraordinary action of God who makes himself a child, who makes himself man?

I think that the first reaction can only be one of joy.

“Let us all rejoice in the Lord, for our Savior is born to the world.”

The Mass on Christmas Eve begins with these words, and we have just heard what the Angel said to the shepherds: “Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy” (Lk 2:10).

This is the theme with which the Gospel begins and also with which it concludes, since the Risen Jesus was to reprimand the Apostles precisely for being sad (cf. Lk 24:17) — incompatible with the fact that he remains Man for eternity.

However, let us take another step; what gives rise to this joy?

I would say that it is born from the heart’s wonder at seeing that God is close to us, that God thinks of us, that God acts in history; it is therefore a joy born from contemplating the face of that humble Child because we know that he is the Face of God present forever in humanity, for us and with us.

Christmas is joy because at last we see and are certain that God is the goodness, life, and truth of human beings and that he stoops down to them to lift them up to him.

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ADORATION OF THE MAGI, in Saint Étienne du Mont Church, Paris, France.

Saint-Étienne-du-Mont is located on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève in the Fifth Arrondissement, near the Panthéon. It contains the shrine of St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. The church also contains the tombs of the great French writers, Blaise Pascal and Jean Racine

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THE WONDROUS EXCHANGE BETWEEN DIVINITY AND HUMANITY (CONTINUED)

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BY POPE BENEDICT XVI, PUBLIC CATECHESIS, JANUARY 4, 2012

hristmas is the point at which Heaven and earth converge, and the various expressions we hear in these days stress the greatness of what has came about: the remote—God who seems very remote—has become close, “The inaccessible wanted to be accessible, he who exists before time began to be in time; the Lord of the universe, veiling the greatness of his majesty, took the nature of a servant” St Leo the Great exclaimed (Sermon 2 on the Nativity of the Lord, 2.1). (...)

The theology and spirituality of Christmas use a phrase to describe this event; they speak of an admirabile commercium, that is, a wondrous exchange between divinity and humanity. St. Athanasius of Alexandria says: “The Son of God became man so that we might become God” (De Incarnatione, 54, 3: PG 25, 192), but it is above all with St. Leo the Great and his famous sermons on Christmas that this reality became the object of profound meditation...

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MADONNA CHE ADORA IL BAMBINO GESÃ&#x2122; (THE MADONNA ADORING THE BABY JESUS),

by Giovanni Ambrogio Bevilacqua (active by 1481-1512), a Lombard painter in the late medieval or early Renaissance style, in Pavia, Italy

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THE WONDROUS EXCHANGE BETWEEN DIVINITY AND HUMANITY (CONTINUED)

T

BY POPE BENEDICT XVI, PUBLIC CATECHESIS, JANUARY 4, 2012

he first act of this wondrous exchange is brought about in Christ’s humanity itself.

The Word took on our humanity and in exchange human nature was raised to the divine dignity.

The second act of the exchange consists in our real and intimate participation in the divine nature of the Word.

St. Paul says: “When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal 4:4-5).

Christmas, therefore, is the feast on which God made himself so close to man as to share in his own act of being born, to reveal to him his deepest dignity: that of being a son of God. Thus the dream of humanity beginning in Paradise —we would like to be like God—is brought about in an unexpected manner, not because of the greatness of man who cannot make himself God, but because of the humility of God who comes down and thus enters us in his humility and raises us to the true greatness of his being...

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NATIVITY,

by Giovanni Comandù da Mondovì (1746-1822), an Italian painter who studied in Rome but worked mostly in Turin. This painting is in the Duomo of Turin, Italy

DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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THE WONDROUS EXCHANGE BETWEEN DIVINITY AND HUMANITY (CONTINUED)

I

BY POPE BENEDICT XVI, PUBLIC CATECHESIS, JANUARY 4, 2012

t is only by seeing that God is with us that we can see light for our being, that we can be content to be human beings and live with trust and joy.

And where does this wondrous exchange become truly present, so that it may work in our life and make it an existence of true children of God? It becomes tangible in the Eucharist.

When we participate in Holy Mass we present what is ours to

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God: the bread and the wine, fruit of the earth, so that he will accept them and transform them, giving us himself and making himself our food, in order that in receiving his Body and his Blood we may participate in his divine life.

I would like to reflect, lastly, on another aspect of Christmas.

When the Angel of the Lord appeared to the Shepherds on the night of Jesus’ Birth, Luke the Evangelist notes that “the glory of the Lord shone around them” (Lk 2:9); and the Prologue of John’s Gospel speaks of the Word made flesh as of the true light coming into the world, the light that can enlighten every man (cf. Jn 1:9).

The Christmas liturgy is bathed in light.

Christ’s coming dispels the shadows of the world, fills the Holy Night with a heavenly brightness and reflects the splendor of God the Father on human faces.

ADORATION OF THE MAGI by Gentile da Fabriano (c. 1370– 1427) an Italian painter in the Gothic style who worked in central Italy, mostly in Tuscany. His best-known work is this painting from the Strozzi Altarpiece (1423), now in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARING TO THE SHEPHERDS by the Danish painter Carl Bloch (1834-1890), 1879. Bloch met his wife, Alma Trepka, in Rome. They married in 1868 and had eight children. She died in 1886. His sorrow over losing his wife weighed heavily on him DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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Easter in Italy Norcia

Assisi

Rome

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ADMIRABILE SIGNUM

POPE FRANCIS, LETTER ON THE MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF THE CHRISTMAS CRÈCHE, DECEMBER 1, 2019 (EXCERPTED)

he enchanting image of the Christmas crèche, so dear to the Christian people, never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder…With this Letter, I wish to encourage the beautiful family tradition of preparing the nativity scene in the days before Christmas, but also the custom of setting it up in the workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares...

The evangelist Luke says simply that Mary “gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (2:7).

Because Jesus was laid in a manger, the nativity scene is known in Italian as a presepe, from the Latin word praesepium, meaning “manger.”

Coming into this world, the Son of God was laid in the place where animals feed. Hay became the first bed of the One who would reveal himself as “the bread come down from heaven” (Jn 6:41). Saint Augustine, with other Church Fathers, was impressed by this symbolism: “Laid in a manger, he became our food” (Sermon 189, 4). Indeed, the nativity scene evokes a number of the mysteries of Jesus’ life and brings them close to our own daily lives…

Setting up the Christmas crèche in our homes helps us to relive the history of what took place in Bethlehem… In a particular way, from the time of its Franciscan origins, the nativity scene has invited us to “feel” and “touch” the poverty that God’s Son took upon himself in the Incarnation. Implicitly, it summons us to follow him along the path of humility, poverty and self-denial that leads from the manger of Bethlehem to the cross. It asks us to meet him and serve him by showing mercy to those of our brothers and sisters in greatest need (cf. Mt 25:31-46)...

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NATIVITY,

by Alessandro Turchi (1578-1649), Church of San Fermo Maggiore, Verona, Italy.

Turchi was an Italian painter of the early Baroque, born and active mainly in Verona, and moving late in life to Rome. He also went by the name Alessandro Veronese. His style has been described as soft and Caravaggesque at the same time DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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ADMIRABILE SIGNUM

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(CONTINUED)

POPE FRANCIS, LETTER ON THE MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF THE CHRISTMAS CRÈCHE, DECEMBER 1, 2019 (EXCERPTED)

radually, we come to the cave, where we find the figures of Mary and Joseph. Mary is a mother who contemplates her child and shows him to every visitor. The figure of Mary makes us reflect on the great mystery that surrounded this young woman when God knocked on the door of her immaculate heart. Mary responded in complete obedience to the message of the angel who asked her to become the Mother of God...

At Mary’s side, shown protecting the Child and his Mother, stands Saint Joseph... he was to be the first teacher of Jesus as a boy and then as a young man.

Joseph treasured in his heart the great mystery surrounding Jesus and Mary his spouse; as a just man, he entrusted himself always to God’s will, and put it into practice.

When, at Christmas, we place the statue of the Infant Jesus in the manger, the nativity scene suddenly comes alive. God appears as a child, for us to take into our arms. Beneath weakness and frailty, he conceals His power that creates and transforms all things.

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Mother of God and Child, antique russian orthodox icon painted on wooden board. a Madonna is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child, Jesus. the word is from the italian ma donna (from the latin “mea Domina”) meaning “my lady.” in eastern orthodox iconography, such images are typically known as Theotokos (“the God-bearing one”). after the Council of ephesus in 431 formally affirmed Mary’s status as “Mother of God” or Theotokos (“God-bearer”), Marian iconography of this type flourished

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ART ESSAY THE COMING OF THE LORD INTO THE WORLD

F

SIMEON’S “NUNC DIMITTIS” (THE CANTICLE

OF

SIMEON)

ound in St. Luke’s Gospel (2:29-32), the Nunc dimittis is the last in historical sequence of the three great Canticles of the New Testament, the other two being the Magnificat (Canticle of Mary) and the Benedictus (Canticle of Zachary). All three are styled, by way of eminence, the “Evangelical Canticles.”

The title is formed from the opening words in the Latin Vulgate, “Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine” (“Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord”).

The circumstances under which Simeon uttered his song-petition, thanksgiving, and prophecy are narrated by St. Luke (2:21-35). The words following those quoted above, “according to thy word in peace,” are explained by 2:26: “And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.” Brief though the Canticle is, it abounds in Old-Testament allusions.

Thus, in the following verses, “Because my eyes have seen thy salvation” alludes to Isaiah 52:10, rendered afterwards by St. Luke (3:6), “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” Verse 31, “Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples,” accords with the Psalmist (97:2). And verse 32, “A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel,” recalls Isaiah 42:6.

(Catholic Encyclopedia, NewAdvent.org)

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Simeon’S Song of PraiSe, by Dutch painter aert de gelder (1645-1727), the only Dutch artist of the late 17th and early 18th century to paint in the tradition of rembrandt’s late style, in around 1700–1710. in the painting, Simeon sees Jesus and raises his eyes to heaven to exclaim, “now thou dost dismiss thy servant, o Lord, because my eyes have seen Thy salvation”

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THE COMING OF THE LORD

ART ESSAY

S

CHRIST

INTO THE

WORLD

RECAPITULATED IN HIMSELF THE LONG HISTORY OF MANKIND

t. Irenaeus, Adv. haereses: “When Christ became incarnate and was made man, he recapitulated in himself the long history of mankind and procured for us a ‘short cut’ to salvation, so that what we had lost in Adam, that is, being in the image and likeness of God, we might recover in Christ Jesus. For this reason Christ experienced all the stages of life, thereby giving communion with God to all men.”

The presentation of Jesus in the temple shows him to be the firstborn Son who belongs to the Lord. With Simeon and Anna, all Israel awaits its encounter with the Savior—the name given to this event in the Byzantine tradition. Jesus is recognized as the long-expected Messiah, the “light to the nations” and the “glory of Israel,” but also “a sign that is spoken against.” The sword of sorrow predicted for Mary announces Christ’s perfect and unique oblation on the cross that will impart the salvation God had “prepared in the presence of all peoples.”

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph #529)

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THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE, by Federico Barocci (1535-1612) in the Chiesa Nuova (Santa Maria in Vallicella), principal church of the Oratorians, founded by St. Philip Neri in 1561, Rome

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THE COMING OF THE LORD

ART ESSAY

O

THE SLAUGHTER

INTO THE

WORLD

OF THE INNOCENTS

blessed infants! He only will doubt of your crown in this your passion for Christ, who doubts that the baptism of Christ has a benefit for infants. He who at His birth had Angels to proclaim Him, the heavens to testify, and Magi to worship Him, could surely have prevented that these should have died for Him, had He not

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known that they died not in that death, but rather lived in higher bliss. Far be the thought, that Christ who came to set men free, did nothing to reward those who died in His behalf, when hanging on the cross He prayed for those who put Him to death.

(St. Augustine of Hippo) MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS,

by Lattanzio Gambara (1530-1574), Duomo of Parma, Italy (1567-1573)

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ART ESSAY

T

THE COMING OF THE LORD

“FLYING

INTO THE

WORLD

BEFORE THE FACE OF MAN”

he Flight into Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents make manifest the opposition of darkness to the light: “He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.” Christ’s whole life was lived under the sign of persecution. His own share it with him. Jesus’ departure from Egypt recalls the exodus and presents him as the definitive liberator of God’s people. (CCC, Par. 530)

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The flight into Egypt signifies that the elect are often, by the wickedness of the bad, driven from their homes, or sentenced to banishment. Thus He who, we shall see below, gave the command to His own, When they shall persecute you in one city, flee ye to another, first practiced what he enjoined, as a man, flying before the face of man on earth He whom, but a little before, a star had proclaimed to the Magi to be worshipped as from Heaven.

(St. Bede the Venerable, Homilies) The FlighT iNTo egypT, by pietro gagliardi (1809-1890), in the Basilica di Santâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Agostino in Campo Marzo, Rome, mid-19th century

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ART ESSAY

THE COMING OF THE LORD

A

“CHILD,

WHY HAST

THOU

INTO THE

WORLD

DONE SO TO US?”

nd when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. (Luke 2:42) After the Evangelist had said, that Jesus advanced in wisdom and grace with God and men, he next shews that what he says is true: for he carries Him to Jerusalem in company with the holy Virgin, upon the summons of the feast: and then he says that He remained behind, and was afterwards found in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors both asking and answering questions regarding those things, as we may feel sure, which were spoken of old by the law: and that He was wondered at by all for His questions and answers. Thou seest Him advancing in wisdom and grace, by reason of His becoming known unto many as being what He was.

Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing. (Luke 2:48) His mother certainly knew that He was not the child of Joseph, but she so speaks to avoid the suspicions of the Jews. And upon her saying, that Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing, the Savior answers: Did ye not know that I must be at My Father’s business? (2:49) Here, then, first He makes more open mention of Him Who is truly His Father, and lays bare His own divinity: for when the holy Virgin said, Child, why hast Thou so done unto us? then at once shewing Himself to transcend the measure of human things, and teaching her that she had been made the handmaid of the dispensation in giving birth to the flesh, but that He by nature and in truth was God, and the Son of the Father That is in heaven, He says, Did ye not know that I must be at My Father’s business?

(St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke)

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TWELVE YEAR OLD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE, painted c. 1870 by Czech painter Petr Maixner (1831-1884), in the Kostel svatého Cyrila a Metoděje, a Roman Catholic church in the Karlín district of Prague, Czech Republic. It is one of the largest religious buildings in the Czech Republic

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THE COMING OF THE LORD

ART ESSAY

J

“THIS

IS

INTO THE

WORLD

MY BELOVED SON”

esus’ public life begins with His baptism

by John in the Jordan. John preaches “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” A crowd of sinners—tax collectors and soldiers, Pharisees and Sadducees, and prostitutes—come to be baptized by him.

“Then Jesus appears.” The Baptist hesitates, but Jesus insists and receives baptism.

Then the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, comes upon Jesus and a voice from heaven proclaims, “This is my beloved Son.” This is the manifestation (“Epiphany”) of Jesus as Messiah of Israel and Son of God. The baptism of Jesus is on His part the acceptance and inauguration of His mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allows Himself to be numbered among sinners; He is already “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Already He is anticipating the “baptism” of His bloody death. Already He is coming to “fulfill all righteousness,” that is, He is submitting Himself entirely to His Father’s will: out of love, He consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. The Father’s voice responds to the Son’s acceptance, proclaiming His entire delight in His Son. The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from His conception comes to “rest on Him.” Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. At His baptism “the heavens were opened”—the heavens that Adam’s sin had closed—and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation.

(Catechism of the Catholic Church: II. THE MYSTERIES OF JESUS’ PUBLIC LIFE, #535-36)

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THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST, by an unknown painter, Church of San Benedetto Vecchio (“Old St. Benedict”), Padua, Italy, mid-1500s

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Pilgrimage to Ireland with usâ&#x20AC;Ś Belfast

Doonegore Castle, Doolin

Powerscourt Waterfall

Classic Classic Ireland: Ireland: Saints Saints aand nd Scholars Scholars â&#x20AC;&#x201C; July July 24 2 4 - Au August g ust 33,, 2020 2 02 0 We We b begin eg in where where it it all a l l began beg a n on on tthe he H Hill i l l of of Slane, S l a ne , w where here in in 4433 33 S St. t. P Patrick at r ick lit l it a paschal pascha l fi fire re against ag a inst the t he orders orde r s o off IIrelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rela ndâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pagan pag a n king. k ing. Th Thee rom tthose hose fl a mes, the t he Catholic Cat hol ic ffa a it h ffo ound iits ts w ay ffr rom IIreland ssparks pa rk s o off this t h is fire fi re were we re n never ever to to die. d ie . F From flames, faith found way from rela nd to to n new ew lands la nds and a nd new new continents cont inents as as I r ish m onk s, sscholars chola rs aand ou could cou ld return ret u r n tto o ssing ing eternal e te r n a l P Irish monks, nd p pilgrims i lg r ims went w e nt o out ut sowing sow ing in in tears tea rs so so that t hat yyou Psalms. s a l ms .

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Tired of

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Catholic journalism ?

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ART ESSAY

THE COMING OF THE LORD

W

“WHATSOEVER HE

INTO THE

WORLD

SAYS UNTO YOU, DO IT”

hy then after He had said, Mine hour is not yet come, and given her a denial, did He do what His mother desired? Chiefly it was, that they who opposed Him, and thought that He was subject to the hour, might have sufficient proof that He was subject to no hour; for had He been so, how could He, before the proper hour had come, have done what He did? And in the next place, He did it to honor His mother, that He might not seem entirely to contradict and shame her that bare Him in the presence of so many; and also, that He might not be thought to want power, for she brought the servants to Him. Besides, even while saying to the Canaanitish woman, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to give it unto dogs (Matthew 15:26), He still gave the bread, as considering her perseverance; and though after His first reply, He said, I am not sent save unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, yet even after saying this, He healed the woman’s daughter.

Hence we learn, that although we be unworthy, we often by perseverance make ourselves worthy to receive.

And for this reason His mother remained by, and openly brought to Him the servants, that the request might be made by a greater number; and therefore she added, Whatsoever He says unto you, do it.

For she knew that His refusal proceeded not from want of power, but from humility, and that He might not seem, without cause, to hurry to the miracle; and therefore she brought the servants.

(St. John Chrysostom, Homily 22 on the Gospel of John)

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THE MIRACLE AT THE WEDDING AT CANA, detail of fresco from about 1740 by the Sicilian painter Pietro Paolo Vasta (1697-1760), in the Cathedral of Maria Santissima Annunziata (“Mary Most Holy After the Annunciation”), in the main square of Acireale, Italy, a city to the northeast of Catania on the eastern coast of Sicily

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ART ESSAY

THE COMING OF THE LORD

A

INTO THE

JESUS TEACHES US: THE SERMON

WORLD

ON THE

MOUNT

nd seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

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Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

(Matthew 5:1-12) SERMON ON THE MOUNT, mosaic by S. G. Rudl of the school of Austrian painter Albert Neuhauser (1832-1901), Church Svatého Václava, Prague, Czech Republic (1928)

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ART ESSAY

THE COMING OF THE LORD

Y

â&#x20AC;&#x153;LAZARUS,

INTO THE

WORLD

COME FORTH!â&#x20AC;?

ou have just heard that the Lord Jesus raised a dead man to life; and that is sufficient to let you know that, were He so pleased, He might raise all the dead to life. And, indeed, this very work has He reserved in His own hands till the end of the world. For while you have heard that by a great miracle He raised one from the tomb who had been dead four days, the hour is coming, as He Himself says, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth. He raised one who was putrid, and yet in that putrid carcass there was still the form of limbs; but at the last day He will by a word reconstitute ashes into human flesh. But it was needful then to do only some such deeds, that we, receiving them as tokens of His power, may put our trust in Him, and be preparing for that resurrection which shall be to life and not to judgment. So, indeed, He says, The hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

(St. Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on the Gospel of John)

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Jesus calls lazarus forth from the tomb, collegiate church of san Gimignano, Italy, artist perhaps lippo memmi, c. 1340. the collegiate church of santa maria assunta is a minor basilica located in the beautiful town of san Gimignano, tuscany, central Italy. It is situated in the Piazza del Duomo at the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart. the raising of lazarus is a miracle of Jesus recounted only in the Gospel of John (John 11:1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;44) in which Jesus brings lazarus of bethany back to life four days after his burial. In John, this is the last of the miracles that Jesus performs before the Passion and his own resurrection DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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ART ESSAY

THE COMING OF THE LORD

“A

INTO THE

WORLD

“WHEN OUR PART IS WANTING, GOD’S PART IS ALSO AT A STAND”

nd He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter came down out of the ship, he walked on the water, and came to Jesus. But when he saw how blustery the wind was, he was afraid, and, beginning to sink, he cried, ‘Lord, save me.’ And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’

This is more wonderful than the former occasion, which is why it happens after it. Because after He has shown that He rules the sea, He then carries on the sign to what is even more marvelous. In the first instance, He rebuked the winds only; but now He both walks Himself, and permits someone else to do so, too. If He had required this to be done at the

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beginning, Peter wouldn’t have received it so well, because he hadn’t yet acquired such great faith.

Wherefore then did Christ permit him? Why, if He had said, you can not, Peter being ardent would have contradicted Him again. Wherefore by the facts He convinces him, that for the future he may be sobered.

But not even so does he endure. Therefore having come down, he becomes dizzy; for he was afraid. And this the surf caused, but his fear was wrought by the wind...

And wherefore did He not command the winds to cease, but Himself stretched forth His hand and took hold of him? Because in him faith was required. For when our part is wanting, then God’s part also is at a stand.”

(St. John Chrysostom: Homily 50 on Matthew) PETER WALKING ON WATER,

by Lattanzio Gambara (1530-1574), Duomo of Parma, Italy

DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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ART ESSAY

THE COMING OF THE LORD

A

INTO THE

THE LAST SUPPER

WORLD

nd while they were still at table, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat, this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and offered thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink, all of you, of this; for this is my blood, of the new testament, shed for many, to the remission of sins. And I tell you this, I shall not drink of this fruit of the vine again, until I drink it with you, new wine, in the kingdom of my Father.” And so they sang a hymn, and went out to Mount Olivet.

After this, Jesus said to them, “Tonight you will all lose courage over me; for so it has been written, ‘I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of his flock will be scattered.’ But I will go on before you into Galilee, when I have risen from the dead.” Peter answered him, “Though all else should lose courage over thee, I will never lose mine.” Jesus said to him, “Believe me, this night, before the cock crows, thou wilt thrice disown me.”

(Matt 26: 26-34)

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Last supper,

by Italian painter Vincenzo Berrettini, Basilica di san Lorenzo in Damaso, rome (1818). the Last supper is the final meal that, in the Gospel accounts, Jesus shared with his apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion on Good Friday. pope Benedict XVI noted in his homily on Holy thursday, april 5, 2007: “according to John, Jesus died on the Cross at the very moment when the passover lambs were being sacrificed in the temple. the death of Jesus and the sacrifice of the lambs coincided... Consequently, Jesus celebrated the passover without a lamb [note: because the meal was before the sacrifice of the lambs] — no, not without a lamb: instead of the lamb he gave himself, his Body and his Blood. thus, he anticipated his death in a manner consistent with his words: ‘No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord’ (Jn 10: 18). at the time when he offered his Body and his Blood to the disciples, he was truly fulfilling this affirmation. He himself offered his own life. Only in this way did the ancient passover acquire its true meaning.”

DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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ART ESSAY

THE COMING OF THE LORD

T

JUDAS’

INTO THE

BETRAYAL

WORLD

hen one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you? (Matt. 26:14–15). These words seem to be clear and not to hint at anything more, but if you carefully examine each word, you will find deep meaning and a great deal to contemplate. First, the time. The Evangelist does not indicate it without cause. He does not simply say, “One of the twelve went,” but adds, Then one of the twelve … went. Then. Tell me, when? And why does he indicate the time? What does he want to teach me? He does not say Then for no reason: speaking by the Spirit, he does not say anything at random or to no end. Therefore, what does this “then” mean? Before that time, before that hour, a harlot came with an alabaster box of ointment and poured the oil onto the head of the Lord.

She displayed great service; she displayed great faith, great obedience, and great piety. She was turned from her former life and became better and wiser. And when the harlot had repented, when she had been drawn to the Master, then the disciple betrayed his Teacher. Thus the Evangelist said then, so that you not accuse the Teacher of weakness when you see the disciple betraying Him. For the power of the Teacher was such that He drew even harlots to proper obedience.

Why then, you say, was He Who won over harlots not able to win over His disciple? He had the power to win over His disciple, but He did not wish to make him good by force or to forcibly draw him to Himself. Then [he] went. In this “went” there is not a little matter for contemplation: for he was not summoned by the chief priests, he was not constrained or forced. Rather, of himself and of his own accord, he gave birth to his intention and brought forth his treachery, without any counselor in his wickedness.

(St. John Chrysostom, On the Betrayal of Judas)

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KISS OF JUDAS, Collegiata of San Gimignano, Italy, 14th Century (attributed to Lippo Memmi, c. 1340)

The kiss of Judas, also known (especially in art) as the Betrayal of Christ, is how Judas identified Jesus to the multitude with swords and clubs who had come from the chief priests and elders of the people to arrest him, according to the Synoptic Gospels. The kiss is given by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper and leads directly to the arrest of Jesus by the police force of the Sanhedrin DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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ART ESSAY

THE COMING OF THE LORD

T

RUNNING

TOWARD THE

INTO THE

WORLD

EMPTY TOMB...

he rush, the women ran, they went in a hurry to get to the tomb, to say “we found this!” The surprises of God put us on the path, on the journey right away, without waiting. So they run to see, and Peter and John, they run. The shepherds, the night of Christmas when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, ran... the Samaritan woman runs to tell her people, “this is new, I met a man who told me everything I have ever done!” These people run, they leave what they’re doing. The housewife leaves the potatoes in the pot, and they’ll be burned, but it’s important to run, to see that surprise that announcement. Today this also happens to us in our neighborhoods, when something happens and people go to see it. People go with great haste. Andrew did not waste time and he went to Peter to say: “We found the Messiah!” he surprises, the good news, are always given like this, with great haste...

What about me? Is my heart open to God’s surprises? Am I able to go with great haste, or do I stay back and say “I’ll go tomorrow”?

What is the surprise saying to me?

(Pope Francis, Easter Homily, 2018)

T

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PETER AND JOHN RUNNING TO THE TOMB,

by Eugene Burnand, 1898

“So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first...

“When Simon Peter arrived after him [John], he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.” –John 20:3-4 and 6-8 DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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ART ESSAY

THE COMING OF THE LORD

L

â&#x20AC;&#x153;YOUR HOLY FACE,

INTO THE

WORLD

WHICH SHINES FOREVER AND EVERâ&#x20AC;?

ord Jesus, Crucified and Risen; the image of the glory of the Father, Holy Face, which looks at us and searches for us, kind and merciful, You who call us to conversion and invite us to the fullness of love, we adore and bless you.

In your luminous Face, we learn to love and to be loved, to find freedom and reconciliation, to promote peace, which radiates from you and leads to you.

In your glorified Face we learn to overcome every form of egoism, to hope against every hope, to choose works of life against the actions of death.

Give us grace to place you at the center of our life, to remain faithful amidst dangers and the changes of the world, to our Christian vocation; to announce to all people the power of the Cross and the Word which saves; to be watchful and active, to attend to the needs of the little ones; to understand the need of true liberation which had its beginning in you and will have its end in you.

Lord, grant to your Church to stand like your Virgin Mother, at the glorious Cross, and at the crosses of all people to bring about consolation, hope and comfort.

May the Holy Spirit which you have granted, bring to maturation your work of salvation, through your Holy Face, which shines forever and ever. Amen.

(St. John Paul II, Prayer to the Holy Face)

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THE HOLY FACE OF MANOPPELLO, is preserved in the Shrine of the Holy Fsce in Manoppello, Italy.

Devotees believe that the almost transparent cloth, woven from the hair of Mediterranean mussels, was one of the burial shrouds that covered the face of Jesus in the tomb and that the image was formed miraculously at the moment of the resurrection (CNS photo/Paul Haring) DECEMBER 2019 INSIDE THE VATICAN

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