The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs, Fra Angelico © National Gallery, London
Source: Christian Art
Gospel of 31st October 2021 – Matthew 5:1-12
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
‘How happy are the poor in spirit;
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’
Reflection on the Painted Panel
Wishing you all a happy feast of All Saints! Many of us will be celebrating the solemnity today in our parishes rather than tomorrow. This is a day of particular joy as we reflect on the way that God’s grace works in every human life. It is a day that can ignite in each one of us the desire to believe in and strive towards personal holiness, inspired by the saints who lived before us. Actually, we believe that the saints in Heaven are even more alive than when they lived on earth. That is why their lives still inspire us today. Pope Benedict described this beautifully: ‘The life of saints is like plunging into the ocean of infinite love… life in the full sense, a plunging ever anew into the vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed with joy.’
Ok, so how can this be applicable to our own lives? Do we believe in personal holiness? I think it would be fair to say that secular culture around us doesn’t believe in sanctity anymore, let alone personal sanctity. It is just un-cool, or even weird to be thinking that way, right? But as Christians we believe that we can strive towards becoming the very best versions of ourselves, in preparation for heaven. The more we can love here on earth, the more we can forgive and be forgiven, the more we can help others, the more we can grow in love for God, the more we can prepare ourselves to hopefully be received into God’s glory when we die. And that tension, between the joy of life and awareness of death, is what can make us grow spiritually, each day.
I have often stood in front of this painted panel by (probably) Fra Angelico at the National Gallery in London. Its beauty seduces me each time. Titled ‘The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs’, it comes from the predella (the lowest part of an altarpiece) commissioned for the church of San Domenico, Fiesole, near Florence, and executed circa 1424. The saints and martyrs are all looking at the middle panel which depicted Christ resurrected from the dead. Note in the top row the figure of Saint John the Baptist, holding a cross and wearing a camel skin cloak. He looks directly at us and points towards Christ. That is what his life was about: announcing and paving the way for Christ. In this painting he does the same, pointing the viewer to Christ. At the front of the middle row we see Saint Stephen. He is dressed in a green cloak and has a stone on his shoulder, a reference to his martyrdom by stoning. Below him, in red, is Saint Thecla, the first female martyr.
LINKS
Today’s story – https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/976
Christian Art – www.christian.art/
Tags: Christian Art, Patrick van der Vorst, Fra Angelico
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