Biblical art in Catholic churches
Category: Gothic Revival
The story of Christ blessing the children is found in three of the gospels (Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17). It reveals Christ’s positive attitude towards children, encourages adults to trust in God and is one of the reasons that the Church baptises newborns. Given his popularity, one day some people brought their children to … Continue reading Christ blesses the children (Mark 10:13-16)
The miraculous story of bread descending from heaven is described in the book of Exodus. Its themes include dependence on God, a test of faith and fair treatment for all. For Christians, this heavenly food, known as ‘manna’, came to be seen as a symbol of the Eucharist. After their escape from Egypt, the Israelites … Continue reading The Miracle of the Manna (Exodus 16:1-36)
The taking down of Christ’s dead body from the cross is traditionally known in art as the ‘Deposition of Christ’. Sometimes the episode is also known as the ‘Descent from the Cross’ or the ‘Lamentation of Christ’. The act is described very briefly in all four gospels (Matthew 27:55-57; Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-53; John 19:38-39). … Continue reading The Deposition of Christ (Mark 15:42-47)
Most people probably know of the angel Gabriel because of his role in the Nativity. He was the one who told the Virgin Mary that she was to give birth to Christ (Luke 1:26-38). The New Testament says that he also informed St Zechariah about the birth of St John the Baptist (Luke 1:11-20). However, … Continue reading St Gabriel the Archangel (Daniel 9:20-27)
The Twelve Prophets were a dozen of the most famous prophets from Jewish history. In the name of God, they called the people to repentance, spoke out against injustice and made spiritual observations about the politics of the day. The Twelve were Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. … Continue reading The Twelve Prophets (Sirach 49:10)
St Matthew’s gospel tells us that Christ once gave a long talk to the people, while seated on a mountain (Matthew 5:1-7:29). This great speech became known as ‘the Sermon on the Mount’. During this sermon, Christ covered many topics, including how to do good works, keep the Law of God and develop real faith. … Continue reading The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12)
Christ’s personal invitation to four fishermen to become his disciples started a new chapter in all of their lives. As Pope Benedict XVI explained: “The Gospels agree in mentioning that the call of the Apostles marked the first steps of Jesus' ministry, after the baptism he received from John the Baptist in the waters of … Continue reading Christ calls his First Disciples (Matthew 4:18-22)
