Biblical art in Catholic churches
Category: Arts and Crafts
Isaiah was one of Israel’s greatest prophets. As a later biblical writer described him: “By his dauntless spirit he saw the future, and comforted the mourners in Zion. He revealed what was to occur to the end of time, and the hidden things before they happened.” (Sirach 48:22-25) Isaiah’s ministry (740-701 BC) spanned the reigns of … Continue reading The Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 60:1-22)
Following the death of King Saul, David mourned for the man who had been his arch-enemy. After consulting God, he then settled in the town of Hebron. Forces loyal to King Saul continued to resist David’s claim to the throne, but eventually he overcame them. The Second Book of Samuel goes on to say: “All … Continue reading David becomes king (2 Samuel 5:1-3)
After describing the creation of the world, the book of Genesis then turns its attention to the arrival of the first humans. In doing so, it reveals important truths about how God wanted the world to be. It speaks to issues of human identity, of our role in creation and of our relationship with God. … Continue reading The Creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:1-25)
The Prophet Zechariah served God at a critical time, when the Jews had just returned from exile in Babylon (around 520 BC). He was from a priestly family and lived at the same time as the prophet Haggai (Nehemiah 12:1,12,16). The two of them supported the high priest Joshua and the governor Zerubbabel in the … Continue reading The Piercing of the Messiah (Zechariah 12:10-14)
‘The Visitation’ is the formal name for the visit of the Virgin Mary to her elderly relative, St Elizabeth. The episode is described only in St Luke’s gospel. It took place straight after the angel Gabriel told Mary that she was pregnant. Mary’s first thought on receiving this news was for her elderly relative Elizabeth, … Continue reading The Visitation (Luke 1:39-45)
The Benedictus is the name of a poetic speech given by St Zechariah, the father of St John the Baptist. It’s named after the first word of the poem – ‘Benedictus’ - which is the Latin word for ‘Blessed’. He uttered these words after regaining his faith and the power of speech. Pope St John … Continue reading The Benedictus (Luke 1:67-80)
St Luke was the writer of two of the books included in the New Testament – the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. As such, he is known as St Luke the ‘Evangelist’, which means ‘gospel-writer’. According to the start of his gospel, he had not known Christ personally – he was … Continue reading St Luke the Evangelist (Colossians 4:14)
Three months after they left Egypt, the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai. This was because God had previously told Moses to return to this holy mountain, accompanied by the people (Exodus 3:1-12). There they set up camp and prepared to meet God. After three days, Moses got them all to gather around the mountain. A dark … Continue reading Moses receives the Law (Exodus 19:1–20:21)
St Luke’s gospel is the only one to include any details of the childhood of Christ. This is probably because he spoke to the Virgin Mary, who shared her memories of the Child Jesus with him. The main story he tells is of Christ’s disappearance during a family trip to Jerusalem – and of being … Continue reading Christ among the Doctors (Luke 2:41-52)
The imprisonment and brutal death of St John the Baptist is recorded in three of the gospels, although St Mark’s account is the most detailed (Matthew 14:3-12; Mark 6:17-29; Luke 3:19-20; 9:7-9). As background, King Herod of Galilee had married Herodias, his brother's wife. Not one to hold back, St John the Baptist told him … Continue reading The Beheading of St John the Baptist (Mark 6:17-29)
