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Monday, June 12, 2017 (Week 6)
Michelangelo the Artist
St. Joseph Church
6:45 pm to 8:00 pm
Fr. Richard Jones, Presenter
St. Thomas Aquinas St. Francis of Assisi G. K. Chesterton St. Catherine of Siena Michelangelo Bl. John Henry Newman
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This Evening’s Schedule
— Bishop Robert Barron
Subject
Page Number(s)
Opening Song – How Beautiful by Twila Paris 3
Opening Prayer by Blessed John Henry Newman – The Pietà
4
Video Outline – Part I and II 5 – 6
Questions for Understanding – Part I 7 – 18
Questions for Understanding – Part II 18 – 28
Closing Prayer by Michelangelo – A Prayer for Aid
29
Closing Song – The Summons written by John L. Bell
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Opening Song
How Beautiful by Twila Paris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVu5VZsCNOI
The Pietà
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Opening Prayer
THE PIETÀ
Eternal Lord, eased of a cumbrous load,
And loosened from the world, I turn to thee;
Shun, like a shattered bark, the storm, and flee
To thy protection for a safe abode.
The crown of thorns, hands pierced upon the tree,
The meek, benign, and lacerated face,
To a sincere repentance promised grace,
To the sad soul give hope of pardon free.
With justice marks not thou, O Light divine,
My fault, nor hear it with thy sacred ear;
Neither put forth that way thy arm severe;
Wash with thy blood my sins; thereto incline
More readily the more my years require
Help, and forgiveness speedy and entire.
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Michelangelo, the Artist
Video Outline Part 1
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Eighth-century dispute over the use of icons/spiritual depictions
B. St. John of Damascus made Catholic tradition of visual art possible
C. Draw through the physical image to the transcendent reality it represents
II. LIFE AND TIMES
A. Born in Caprese in 1475 and raised in Florence (family of stonecutters)
B. Apprentice to Ghirlandaio; learned the fresco technique
C. Lived in palace of Lorenzo de’ Medici among intellectuals and worked in sculpture
garden
D. Lorenzo dies and Medici family loses power; influence of Dominican Fra
Savanarola rises
E. Went to Rome in 1496, completes the Pietà
F. Returned to Florence in 1501, completes David
G. Back to Rome in 1505, commissioned to sculpt Julius II’s tomb (never completed)
H. Completed Sistine Chapel ceiling, 1508-1512
I. Completed The Last Judgment, 1535
J. Chief architect of the new St. Peter’s Basilica, 1546
K. Died in 1564
III. THE PIETÀ
A. Mary
1. Serene and youthful although 45 – 50
2. “Virgin Mother, the daughter of your Son”
3. New Eve: forever young Mother of the Church
4. Ark of the Covenant
B. Pietà
1. Designed as an altar piece; connected to the sacrifice of the Mass
2. Mary offers her crucified Son as a gift of life (Eucharist)
IV. THE DAVID
A. Renaissance humanism: beauty and glory of the human being
B. Foreshadowing of Christ
1. Son of David and the new Adam
2. Archetype of the human according to God’s intention
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Part 2
I. THE SISTENE CHAPEL
A. History
1. Completed in 1481, papal chapel and site of conclave to elect pope
2. Built to mirror Solomon’s Temple
3. Team of artists commissioned to paint walls
B. Ceiling
1. Nine scenes from opening of Genesis with prophets, sibyls, and Christ’s
ancestors also depicted
2. First triad: The Creation of the World
a. Separation of light from darkness
b. Creation of sun and moon, often representing Jesus and Mary
c. Creation of sea creatures
3. Second triad: The Creation and Fall of Human Beings
a. Creation of Adam: energy of God flowing from finger to finger
b. Creation of Eve: material and spiritual coming together
c. Fall and expulsion from the Garden of Eden
4. Third triad: The Story of Noah and the Effects of Sin
a. Fleeing the great flood; ark in background as a church
b. Sacrifice of Noah as priest
c. Drunken and naked Noah being discovered by his sons
C. The Last Judgement
1. Jesus centered as the sun with humanity revolving around him
2. Judging all: the saved above and damned below
II. WHY IS MICHELANGELO A “PIVOTAL PLAYER”?
A. Proves that the artistic and beautiful can be a vehicle to the spiritual
B. Confirms the key principle of the Incarnation: “God became human so human could
become God.” The divinization of humanity is the greatest humanism possible.
An Artist’s Prayer by Michelangelo
Lord,
make me see your glory in every place.
Amen.
Conversion of St. Paul
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Michelangelo, the Artist
Questions for Understanding
Part I
Explain the ban on making images of God that started with the
Hebrews. How has the Incarnation affected this perspective? How do
holy images, Michelangelo’s and others, propagate the faith?
Answer: A “carved image,” as outlawed in the Old Testament, was an idol, often in
the form of one of God’s creatures (e.g., the golden calf). God forbad worship of
anything or anyone other than him, the one true God. Since no one had ever seen
God, images of him were impossible to accurately create.
With the Incarnation, God became man and, as Saint Paul said, was a living image of
the invisible God. Worshipping Jesus in his full divinity and humanity is worshipping
God. Representations of Christ are not in conflict with the ban on images of idols, as
he is the one true God and not a false idol.
Christian portrayals of Christ are a continuation of the life on earth, in the flesh, of the
Word of God. Many people are moved to a deeper faith by sacred art. Also, the truths
of the faith can be demonstrated more realistically by paintings, stained glass, and
sculpture. However, we need to be careful not to ascribe any supernatural power to
those images, or we might end up worshipping the image and not what it represents.
For additional reading:
Exodus 20:4-5 4You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the
heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; 5you
shall not bow down before them or serve them. For I, the LORD, your God, am
a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their ancestors’ wickedness on the
children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation;
Fall of Man
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Deuteronomy 4:15-19 15Because you saw no form at all on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb
from the midst of the fire, be strictly on your guard 16not to act corruptly by
fashioning an idol for yourselves to represent any figure, whether it be the form
of a man or of a woman, 17the form of any animal on the earth, the form of any
bird that flies in the sky,18the form of anything that crawls on the ground, or the
form of any fish in the waters under the earth. 19And when you look up to the
heavens and behold the sun or the moon or the stars, the whole heavenly
host, do not be led astray into bowing down to them and serving them. These
the LORD, your God, has apportioned to all the other nations under the
heavens;
Colossians 1:15 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2129-2132
2129 The divine injunction included the prohibition of every representation of
God by the hand of man. Deuteronomy explains: "Since you saw no form on
the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware
lest you act corruptly by making a graven image for yourselves, in the form of
any figure. . . . " It is the absolutely transcendent God who revealed himself to
Israel. "He is the all," but at the same time "he is greater than all his works." He
is "the author of beauty."
2130 Nevertheless, already in the Old Testament, God ordained or permitted
the making of images that pointed symbolically toward salvation by the
incarnate Word: so it was with the bronze serpent, the ark of the covenant, and
the cherubim.
2131 Basing itself on the mystery of the incarnate Word, the seventh ecumenical council at Nicaea (787) justified against the iconoclasts the veneration of icons - of Christ, but also of the Mother of God, the angels, and all the saints. By becoming incarnate, the Son of God introduced a new "economy" of images. 2132 The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it."
The honor paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone:
Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is.
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What is the Catholic view of the body? How does Michelangelo’s
David showcase this view?
Answer: The human person is a unity of body and soul, material and spiritual. Both
body and soul should be honored and respected, as they both come from God. We
are to love the body, as it is a “temple of the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus forever blessed the body by joining it to his divinity. At the Incarnation, Jesus
took on a human body, and then he was raised bodily from the dead as the “first fruits
of those who have fallen asleep.” He did not leave his body behind on earth, but
ascended bodily to heaven. Because of Jesus’ resurrection and his promise that his
disciples would follow him to heaven, Christians profess belief in bodily resurrection
for all humankind. At the end of time and before the final judgement, God will raise all
from the dead and give them glorified bodies, which we will take into eternal joy or
eternal punishment.
Michelangelo’s David celebrates the beauty and goodness of the body, which is a
“temple of the Holy Spirit,” as David and all the faithful are. It gives glory to God as
the Creator of such a magnificent creature.
For additional reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church 364, 369
364 The human body shares in the dignity of "the image of God": it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit:
Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason man may not despise his bodily life. Rather he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.
369 Man and woman have been created, which is to say, willed by God: on the
one hand, in perfect equality as human persons; on the other, in their
respective beings as man and woman. "Being man" or "being woman" is a
reality which is good and willed by God: man and woman possess an
inalienable dignity which comes to them immediately from God their Creator.
Man and woman are both with one and the same dignity "in the image of God".
In their "being-man" and "being-woman", they reflect the Creator's wisdom and
goodness.
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1 Corinthians 15:42-49 42So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown corruptible; it is raised
incorruptible. 43It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious. It is sown weak; it is
raised powerful. 44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is
a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
45So, too, it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being,” the last
Adam a life-giving spirit. 46But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and
then the spiritual. 47The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man,
from heaven. 48As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the
heavenly one, so also are the heavenly. 49Just as we have borne the image of
the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
Romans 8:22-23 22We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; 23and not
only that, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, we also groan
within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 991, 997-999
991 Belief in the resurrection of the dead has been an essential element of the Christian faith from its beginnings. "The confidence of Christians is the resurrection of the dead; believing this we live."
How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. . . . But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
997 What is "rising"? In death, the separation of the soul from the body, the human body decays and the soul goes to meet God, while awaiting its reunion with its glorified body. God, in his almighty power, will definitively grant incorruptible life to our bodies by reuniting them with our souls, through the power of Jesus' Resurrection. 998 Who will rise? All the dead will rise, "those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment." 999 How? Christ is raised with his own body: "See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself"; but he did not return to an earthly life. So, in him, "all of them will rise again with their own bodies which they now bear," but Christ "will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body," into a "spiritual body":
But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?" You foolish man! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body which is to be, but a bare kernel. . . . What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. . . . The dead will be raised imperishable. . . . For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality.
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Matthew 25:31-46 31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will
sit upon his glorious throne, 32and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the
sheep from the goats. 33He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on
his left. 34Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are
blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, 36naked and you
clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then the
righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and
feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and
welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39When did we see you ill or in prison,
and visit you?’ 40And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you,
whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you
gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43a stranger and you
gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison,
and you did not care for me.’ 44Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did
we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not
minister to your needs?’ 45He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you
did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ 46And these will
go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Explain how David relates to and foreshadows Jesus in Scripture. How does
Michelangelo’s David represent this foreshadowing??
Answer: David was a faithful Israelite, putting God before all others. He conquered
the enemy Goliath, as Christ conquered the enemies of Israel (sin and death). David
fought for the Lord God, and Jesus came in the name of the Lord as God. David
loved the Lord and desired to worship him properly, se he wanted to build a “house”
for God where the Ark of the Covenant could reside. Jesus came as the living house,
or temple, of God.
The promise God gave to David in Second Samuel through the prophet Nathan is the
basis of the Judeo-Christian expectation of a Messiah. God reiterates this covenant
with David’s son, Solomon, in First Chronicles, promising to establish the royal throne
of David in Israel forever. God’s promises were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, son of David
and Son of God, and the everlasting Kingdom of God was inaugurated with the
Incarnation.
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Michelangelo captured the purity, piety, and determination of David in the face and
posture of his sculpture. He is not depicted as a vacant, mythological figure, like the
Apollo Belvedere, but as a man made in the image and likeness of God. Bishop
Barron says that Christ is the “realization of what God has always intended for
humanity,” and this is portrayed by the perfect form of the David.
For additional reading:
1 Samuel 17:41-51 41With his shield-bearer marching before him, the Philistine advanced closer and
closer to David. 42When he sized David up and saw that he was youthful, ruddy,
and handsome in appearance, he began to deride him. 43He said to David, “Am I
a dog that you come against me with a staff?” Then the Philistine cursed David
by his gods 44and said to him, “Come here to me, and I will feed your flesh to the
birds of the air and the beasts of the field.” 45David answered him: “You come
against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the
name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have
insulted. 46Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand; I will strike you down
and cut off your head. This very day I will feed your dead body and the dead
bodies of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field;
thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God. 47All this multitude, too,
shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the LORDsaves. For the battle
belongs to the LORD, who shall deliver you into our hands.” 48The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters, while David ran
quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49David put his hand into the
bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the
forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell on his face to the
ground. 50Thus David triumphed over the Philistine with sling and stone; he
struck the Philistine dead, and did it without a sword in his hand. 51Then David
ran and stood over him; with the Philistine’s own sword which he drew from its
sheath he killed him, and cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their
hero was dead, they fled.
St. John the Baptist
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2 Samuel 7:1-16 1So the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and brought
it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, appointing his son Eleazar as guardian
of the ark of the LORD. 2From the day the ark came to rest in Kiriath-jearim, a long time, twenty years,
elapsed, and the whole house of Israel turned to the LORD. 3Then Samuel
addressed the whole house of Israel: “If you would return to the LORDwith your
whole heart, remove your foreign gods and your Astartes, fix your hearts on the
LORD, and serve him alone, then the LORD will deliver you from the hand of the
Philistines.” 4So the Israelites removed their Baals and Astartes, and served the
LORD alone. 5Samuel then gave orders, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, that I may
pray to the LORD for you.” 6When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water
and poured it out on the ground before the LORD, and they fasted that day,
saying, “We have sinned against the LORD.” It was at Mizpah that Samuel
began to judge the Israelites. 7When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their
leaders went up against Israel. Hearing this, the Israelites became afraid of the
Philistines 8and appealed to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our
God for us, to save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9Samuel therefore took
an unweaned lamb and offered it whole as a burnt offering to the LORD. He
cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. 10While Samuel
was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near for battle with Israel.
That day, however, the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines, and threw
them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel. 11Thereupon the
Israelites rushed out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them
down even beyond Beth-car. 12Samuel then took a stone and placed it between
Mizpah and Jeshanah; he named it Ebenezer, explaining, “As far as this place
the LORD has been our help.” 13Thus were the Philistines subdued, never again
to enter the territory of Israel, for the hand of the LORD was against them as long
as Samuel lived. 14The cities from Ekron to Gath which the Philistines had taken
from Israel were restored to them. Israel also freed the territory of these cities
from Philistine domination. There was also peace between Israel and the
Amorites. 15Samuel judged Israel as long as he lived. 16He made a yearly circuit, passing
through Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah and judging Israel at each of these places.
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1 Chronicles 22:6-10 6Then he summoned his son Solomon and commanded him to build a house for
the LORD, the God of Israel. 7David said to Solomon: “My son, it was my
purpose to build a house myself for the name of the LORD, my God. 8But this
word of the LORD came to me: You have shed much blood, and you have
waged great wars. You may not build a house for my name, because you have
shed too much blood upon the earth in my sight. 9However, a son will be born to
you. He will be a peaceful man, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on
every side. For Solomon shall be his name, and in his time I will bestow
peace and tranquility on Israel. 10It is he who shall build a house for my name; he
shall be a son to me, and I will be a father to him, and I will establish the throne
of his kingship over Israel forever.
Matthew 1:1 1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of
Abraham.
Hebrews 1:5-9 5For to which of the angels did God ever say:
“You are my son; this day I have begotten you”?
Or again:
“I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me”? 6And again, when he leads the first-born into the world, he says:
“Let all the angels of God worship him.” 7Of the angels he says:
“He makes his angels winds
and his ministers a fiery flame”; 8but of the Son:
“Your throne, O God, stands forever and ever;
and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. 9You loved justice and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, anointed you
with the oil of gladness above your companions”;
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What does the Pieta communicate about Mary and Jesus in terms
of their relationship? What is communicated about the Eucharist?
Answer: The Pietà shows a strong family relationship between Jesus and Mary, as
their facial features are almost identical. Mary is depicted as forever young in her
eternal, mystical role as spouse, mother, and daughter of God. She is humanly and
supernaturally connected to Christ and suffers with him, in him, and through him.
Mary, our Mother, gave Christ to us by her “Yes” to God at the Annunciation, and the
Pietà shows her continuing to give Christ to us after his death. Her left hand is
extended, giving Jesus to the world; her right hand is pressing him close, but through
the veil of her garment, just as the priest shows Christ to us when he lifts the
monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament. In the Pietà, Mary also represents the
Church, as she offers us the body and blood, soul and divinity of her Son in the
Eucharist.
For additional reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church 964, 1391
964 Mary's role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. "This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to his death"; it is made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion:
Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, joining herself with his sacrifice in her mother's heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim, born of her: to be given, by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross, as a mother to his disciple, with these words: "Woman, behold your son."
1391 Holy Communion augments our union with Christ. The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Lord said: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." Life in Christ has its foundation in the Eucharistic banquet: "As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me."
On the feasts of the Lord, when the faithful receive the Body of the Son, they proclaim to one another the Good News that the first fruits of life have been given, as when the angel said to Mary Magdalene, "Christ is risen!" Now too are life and resurrection conferred on whoever receives Christ.
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How is the Church our Mater et Magistra (Mother and Teacher)?
Answer: The Church is our mother for many reasons. First of all, she is the “bride of
Christ,” whom he loves and calls his own body. She produces children through
preaching and the sacrament of baptism. Our mother, the Church, feeds us with the
word of God and with the Body and Blood of her Son. She grants the mercy of God,
especially in the sacrament of reconciliation. Christian life finds its nourishment in the
liturgy and the celebration of the sacraments (CCC 2047).
Right before he ascended to heaven, Jesus commanded his disciples, the brand new
Church, to teach all the nations “to observe all that I have commanded you.” Thus,
the Church has been entrusted with the law of God. Through the inspiration and gifts
of the Holy Spirit, she preserves and preaches the law of God. The principle teaching
offices of the church is the Magisterium, which consists of the pope and all the
bishops. Others in the Church teach the faith as well: theologians, spiritual authors,
priests, teachers, and catechists. In fact, according to the Catechism, each practicing
Christian is called to teach the commandments of Christ: “Faith and the practice of
the Gospel provide each person with an experience of ‘life in Christ,’ who enlightens
him and makes him able to evaluate the divine and human realities according to the
Spirit of God” (CCC 2038).
For additional reading:
Ephesians 5:25-28, 32 25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her 26to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, 27that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 32This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.
Revelations 21:9-11
9One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. 11It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal.
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 507, 2040, 2047 507 At once virgin and mother, Mary is the symbol and the most perfect
realization of the Church: "the Church indeed. . . by receiving the word of God
in faith becomes herself a mother. By preaching and Baptism she brings forth
sons, who are conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of God, to a new and
immortal life. She herself is a virgin, who keeps in its entirety and purity the
faith she pledged to her spouse."
2040 Thus a true filial spirit toward the Church can develop among Christians.
It is the normal flowering of the baptismal grace which has begotten us in the
womb of the Church and made us members of the Body of Christ. In her
motherly care, the Church grants us the mercy of God which prevails over all
our sins and is especially at work in the sacrament of reconciliation. With a
mother's foresight, she also lavishes on us day after day in her liturgy the
nourishment of the Word and Eucharist of the Lord.
2047 The moral life is a spiritual worship. Christian activity finds its
nourishment in the liturgy and the celebration of the sacraments.
Matthew 28:18-20 18Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 19Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I
have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
1 Timothy 3:15 15But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of
God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.
1 Corinthians 2:12-13 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that
we may understand the things freely given us by God.13And we speak about them
not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit,
describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.
The Last Judgment
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 2032-34 2032 The Church, the "pillar and bulwark of the truth," "has received this solemn command of Christ from the apostles to announce the saving truth." "To the Church belongs the right always and everywhere to announce moral principles, including those pertaining to the social order, and to make judgments on any human affairs to the extent that they are required by the fundamental rights of the human person or the salvation of souls." 2033 The Magisterium of the Pastors of the Church in moral matters is ordinarily exercised in catechesis and preaching, with the help of the works of theologians and spiritual authors. Thus from generation to generation, under the aegis and vigilance of the pastors, the "deposit" of Christian moral teaching has been handed on, a deposit composed of a characteristic body of rules, commandments, and virtues proceeding from faith in Christ and animated by charity. Alongside the Creed and the Our Father, the basis for this catechesis has traditionally been the Decalogue which sets out the principles of moral life valid for all men. 2034 The Roman Pontiff and the bishops are "authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach the faith to the people entrusted to them, the faith to be believed and put into practice." The ordinary and universal Magisterium of the Pope and the bishops in communion with him teach the faithful the truth to believe, the charity to practice, the beatitude to hope for.
Part II
Not much is known about Michelangelo’s interior life. What can we
learn about his faith based on his works?
Answer: You can evaluate a tree by the fruit it bears and a prophet by the life he
or she leads and the works he or she produces. With this advice from Jesus, we
can look at Michelangelo’s artistic output and see visible signs of his interior faith.
While only the Lord can judge our hearts, the genius, magnificence, and truth of
Michelangelo’s works attest to the Holy Spirit working through him.
For additional reading:
Matthew 7:15-20 15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
underneath are ravenous wolves. 16By their fruits you will know them. Do
people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Just so, every
good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree
cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that
does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 20So by their
fruits you will know them.
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 901, 1704
901 "Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy
Spirit, are marvelously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit
maybe produced in them. For all their works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings,
family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are
accomplished in the Spirit - indeed even the hardships of life if patiently born - all
these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the
celebration of the Eucharist these may most fittingly be offered to the Father along
with the body of the Lord. And so, worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the
laity consecrate the world itself to God, everywhere offering worship by the holiness
of their lives."
1704 The human person participates in the light and power of the divine Spirit. By
his reason, he is capable of understanding the order of things established by the
Creator. By free will, he is capable of directing himself toward his true good. He
finds his perfection "in seeking and loving what is true and good."
Explain what Bishop Barron means when he says that creation was
an “act of division and God continues to separate”?
Answer: In the beginning, God created the world and even a companion for the
first man through successive acts of separation: darkness from light, earth from
sky, land from sea, woman from man’s rib. Then God set Israel apart from other
nations to be his own, to be the nation that would produce our Messiah and
Savior.
Like those of many prophets before him, Jesus’ words and actions necessitate a
choice to align with God or go our own way. Prophetic action always disturbs the
peace of our self-complacency. Jesus continues his Father’s acts of separation
and division by his very existence, as each person must choose to follow him or
not.
At the end of time, Jesus will come to judge all people, separating the saved from
the damned, thus completing what was begun at creation.
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For additional reading:
Genesis 1:1-10, 2:21-23 1In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth —2and the
earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty
wind sweeping over the waters— 3Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light. 4God saw that the light
was good. God then separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light
“day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Evening came, and morning followed—
the first day. 6Then God said: Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate
one body of water from the other. 7God made the dome, and it separated the
water below the dome from the water above the dome. And so it happened. 8God called the dome “sky.” Evening came, and morning followed—the second
day. 9Then God said: Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so
that the dry land may appear. And so it happened: the water under the sky was
gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared. 10God called the dry land
“earth,” and the basin of water he called “sea.” God saw that it was good. 21So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he
took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22The LORD God then
built the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman. When he brought her
to the man, 23the man said:
“This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
This one shall be called ‘woman,’
for out of man this one has been taken.”
Leviticus 20:26 26To me, therefore, you shall be holy; for I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from other peoples to be my own.
Luke 11:23, 12:51-53
23Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
12:51Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
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Matthew 25:31-43 31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit
upon his glorious throne, 32and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he
will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the
goats. 33He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34Then the
king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35For I was hungry
and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you
welcomed me, 36naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and
you visited me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we
see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38When did we see you
a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39When did we see you ill or
in prison, and visit you?’ 40And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to
you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave
me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43a stranger and you gave me
no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not
care for me.’
In the center panel of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, what truth about
the creation of man is represented by God’s pointing finger?
Answer: According to Genesis, God created man’s physical form out of the “clay
of the ground” and then breathed life into him. Michelangelo represents this breath
of divine energy or life as God’s pointing finger. More specifically, the action of
God’s pointing finger represents the creation of man’s eternal soul in the image
and likeness of God. Bishop Barron comments that this detail depicts the
transmission of the eternal logos, or “mind” (reason), of God to man.
For additional reading:
Genesis 2:7 7then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his
nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Creation of Adam
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 33, 362, 366
33 The human person: with his openness to truth and beauty, his sense of moral
goodness, his freedom and the voice of his conscience, with his longings for the
infinite and for happiness, man questions himself about God's existence. In all this
he discerns signs of his spiritual soul. The soul, the "seed of eternity we bear in
ourselves, irreducible to the merely material", can have its origin only in God.
362 The human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal
and spiritual. The biblical account expresses this reality in symbolic language when
it affirms that "then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Man,
whole and entire, is therefore willed by God.
366 The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God - it
is not "produced" by the parents - and also that it is immortal: it does not perish
when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the
final Resurrection.
Explain how Noah’s ark represents the Church?
Answer: God was displeased with humanity and planned to send a flood to
destroy everyone, except Noah and his family, whom he judged as righteous. God
instructed Noah to build an ark to save them from death during the flood. St. Peter
says that Noah’s ark saved eight persons “through water,” which prefigured
baptism. Through the sacrament of baptism, given by the Church, we are
cleansed of all sin and united with Christ, thereby saving us from eternal death.
Church Fathers, such as Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose, were fond of using
a boat as a metaphor for the Church, the place where humanity is called together
to become the “world reconciled” to God. They also spoke of the Church as being
prefigured by “Noah’s ark, which alone saves from the flood.”
For additional reading:
Genesis 6:11-14, 7:1 6:11But the earth was corrupt in the view of God and full of lawlessness. 12When
God saw how corrupt the earth had become, since all mortals had corrupted their
ways on earth, 13God said to Noah: I see that the end of all mortals has come, for
the earth is full of lawlessness because of them. So I am going to destroy them
with the earth. 14Make yourself an ark of gopherwood, equip the ark with various compartments,
and cover it inside and out with pitch.
7:1Then the LORD said to Noah: Go into the ark, you and all your household,
for you alone in this generation have I found to be righteous before me.
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1 Peter 3:18-22 18For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the
unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was
brought to life in the spirit. 19In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, 20who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of
Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were
saved through water. 21This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not
a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at
the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 845, 1180
845 To reunite all his children, scattered and led astray by sin, the Father willed
to call the whole of humanity together into his Son's Church. The Church is the
place where humanity must rediscover its unity and salvation. The Church is "the
world reconciled." She is that bark which "in the full sail of the Lord's cross, by
the breath of the Holy Spirit, navigates safely in this world." According to another
image dear to the Church Fathers, she is prefigured by Noah's ark, which alone
saves from the flood.
1180 When the exercise of religious liberty is not thwarted, Christians construct
buildings for divine worship. These visible churches are not simply gathering
places but signify and make visible the Church living in this place, the dwelling of
God with men reconciled and united in Christ.
Explain how Mary represents the Ark of the New Covenant. How does
Jesus embody the three things that were carried in the original Ark of the
Covenant?
Answer: Mary held Jesus Christ, the New Covenant, in her womb. So she is the
tabernacle, or the ark, of the New Covenant. The original Ark of the Covenant was the
dwelling place of God in the Holy of Holies for the Israelites as they wandered forty years in
the desert. It held three things central to the Old Covenant: the tablets of the Ten
Commandments; manna that fed the wandering Israelites; and the staff of the high priest,
Aaron. All three things are given to us in the person of Jesus Christ through the New
Covenant: the law has come to fulfillment in Christ; we are fed with his own body and blood
and receive everlasting life; and Jesus is the eternal high priest.
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For additional reading:
Exodus 25:8-16 8They are to make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst. 9According to all that I show you regarding the pattern of the tabernacle and the
pattern of its furnishings, so you are to make it.
Plan of the Ark.10You shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits
long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. 11Plate it inside
and outside with pure gold, and put a molding of gold around the top of it. 12Cast
four gold rings and put them on the four supports of the ark, two rings on one
side and two on the opposite side. 13Then make poles of acacia wood and plate
them with gold. 14These poles you are to put through the rings on the sides of the
ark, for carrying it; 15they must remain in the rings of the ark and never be
withdrawn. 16In the ark you are to put the covenant which I will give you.
Revelations 11:19; 12:1-2 19Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could
be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of
thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm.
12:1A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the
moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2She was with
child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Madonna of Bruges
(Mary with the Child Jesus)
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 2676
2676 This twofold movement of prayer to Mary has found a privileged expression in
the Ave Maria:
Hail Mary [or Rejoice, Mary]: the greeting of the angel Gabriel opens this prayer. It is God himself who, through his angel as intermediary, greets Mary. Our prayer dares to take up this greeting to Mary with the regard God had for the lowliness of his humble servant and to exult in the joy he finds in her. Full of grace, the Lord is with thee: These two phrases of the angel's greeting shed light on one another. Mary is full of grace because the Lord is with her. The grace with which she is filled is the presence of him who is the source of all grace. "Rejoice . . . O Daughter of Jerusalem . . . the Lord your God is in your midst." Mary, in whom the Lord himself has just made his dwelling, is the daughter of Zion in person, the ark of the covenant, the place where the glory of the Lord dwells. She is "the dwelling of God . . . with men." Full of grace, Mary is wholly given over to him who has come to dwell in her and whom she is about to give to the world. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. After the angel's greeting, we make Elizabeth's greeting our own. "Filled with the Holy Spirit," Elizabeth is the first in the long succession of generations who have called Mary "blessed." "Blessed is she who believed. . . . " Mary is "blessed among women" because she believed in the fulfillment of the Lord's word. Abraham. because of his faith, became a blessing for all the nations of the earth. Mary, because of her faith, became the mother of believers, through whom all nations of the earth receive him who is God's own blessing: Jesus, the "fruit of thy womb."
Hebrews 9:3-4 3Behind the second veil was the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies, 4in which
were the gold altar of incense and the ark of the covenant entirely covered with
gold. In it were the gold jar containing the manna, the staff of Aaron that had
sprouted, and the tablets of the covenant.
Matthew 5:17-19 17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not
to abolish but to fulfill. 18Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not
the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all
things have taken place. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these
commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of
heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called
greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
John 6:48-51 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they
died; 50this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it
and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever
eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the
life of the world.”
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1 Chronicles 23:13 13The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to be
consecrated as most holy, he and his sons forever, to offer sacrifice before the
LORD, to minister to him, and to bless in his name forever.
Hebrews 5:1-6 1Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative
before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal patiently
with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness 3and so, for
this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. 4No
one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron
was. 5In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high
priest, but rather the one who said to him:
“You are my son; this day I have begotten you”; 6just as he says in
another place:
“You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Michelangelo placed his Jonah depiction in the Sistine Chapel right
above The Last Judgment. Why could Jonah be so closely associated with
the resurrection of the dead?
Answer: When the Pharisees asked for a miraculous sign of Jesus’ power, he
responded that no sign would be given except for the sign of Jonah. Jonah was in the
belly of the whale for three days, where he should have died, just as Jesus was in the
tomb for three days after his death. Both were “resurrected” by God’s power to fulfill a
divine plan. Jonah finally obeyed God and went to Nineveh to preach repentance,
and Jesus was “obedient unto death,” and so eternal life is possible for all who repent
and follow him.
The Sistene Chapel
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For additional reading:
Jonah 2:1, 11; 3:1-5 1But the LORD sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he remained in the
belly of the fish three days and three nights.
11Then the LORD commanded the fish to vomit Jonah upon dry land.
3:1The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2Set out for the great
city of Nineveh, and announce to it the message that I will tell you. 3So Jonah
set out for Nineveh, in accord with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an
awesomely great city; it took three days to walk through it. 4Jonah began his
journey through the city, and when he had gone only a single day’s walk
announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown,” 5the people of
Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small,
put on sackcloth.
Matthew 12:38-42 38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to
see a sign from you.” 39He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful
generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah
the prophet. 40Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three
nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three
nights. 41At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there
is something greater than Jonah here. 42At the judgment the queen of the
south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from
the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something
greater than Solomon here.
How is Christianity the “greatest humanism possible,” as Bishop
Barron states?
Answer: Christianity is the only religion that claims that the one true God became
man and dwelt among us. There is no greater love expressed for humanity than the
love that would propel the eternal God and Creator of the universe to join a human
nature to his own. The act of the Incarnation elevates humanity to a godly status,
unparalleled in any other version of man’s history and destiny. Through Christ, in him,
and with him we all become participants in the divine life.
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For additional reading:
Catechism of the Catholic Church 460-463
460 The Word became flesh to make us "partakers of the divine nature": "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God." "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God." "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods." 461 Taking up St. John's expression, "The Word became flesh", the Church calls "Incarnation" the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. In a hymn cited by St. Paul, the Church sings the mystery of the Incarnation:
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
462 The Letter to the Hebrews refers to the same mystery: Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Lo, I have come to do your will, O God."
463 Belief in the true Incarnation of the Son of God is the distinctive sign of Christian faith: "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God." Such is the joyous conviction of the Church from her beginning whenever she sings "the mystery of our religion": "He was manifested in the flesh."
Crucifixion with Mary and John
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Closing Prayer Prayer for the Universal Call to Holiness
Lord Jesus Christ, you desire that all people be holy,
as you are holy with the Father and the Spirit,
and have given us your Church so that all might
participate in the fullness of the Christian life and be
sustained by faith, enlivened by hope, and perfected in charity.
Conform us to your image so that the world may,
in meeting us, experience an encounter with you.
Help us to seek, as you did, the will of the Father.
Grant us lives worthy of our relationship with you.
Inspire us to take heroic risks and make courageous sacrifices so that
your Kingdom may come and your will be accomplished.
May the promises of our Baptism be fulfilled and may we,
having received your saving grace, share this gift with others.
May we devote ourselves to the glory of God in worship,
reverence you in the Sacraments, attend to your teaching in your Word,
seek communion with you in prayer, be inspired through the
study of your sacred truths, imitate the saints, and honor your
commandments in our loving service to God and to neighbor.
May the evangelization and sanctification of all people
be accomplished through our bold and creative witness
to the Gospel and through our lively works of mercy.
Permit us to be worthy of the name Christian
and to truly be your disciples in Spirit and in truth.
And help us to appreciate and understand that holiness is a mission,
a unique way of life, through which we are conformed to you, so that
we may share your life and presence with the world
and become the saints that you have created us to be.
We ask this in your name, you who live and reign with
the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
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Closing Song
The Summons written by John L. Bell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJh2dUucjtE
Based on the Study Program – Catholicism: The Pivotal Players by Bishop Robert E. Barron
