Biblical art in Catholic churches
Tag: Gothic Revival
The episode of Christ restoring a twelve year old girl to life is retold in three of the gospels (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56). It’s one of the three resurrection miracles mentioned by the evangelists. The scene took place alongside another of Christ’s miracles, the cure of a sick woman who touched his cloak. … Continue reading Christ raises the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43)
Jeremiah was one of the Four Major Prophets of Israel and he lived in the Kingdom of Judah. God called him to be a prophet during the reign of King Josiah and his ministry lasted around 40 years. He was from a priestly family but he never married. At the royal court in Jerusalem, he campaigned … Continue reading The Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:1-40)
The book of Deuteronomy contains an account of the last year that the Israelites spent in the desert. It also explains the Law of Moses in further detail. Within its pages, there is also a reference to the future coming of a great prophet, who would follow in Moses’ footsteps. Moses himself told the Israelites: … Continue reading The Arrival of a Great Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:13-22)
In the Church’s early days, in the city of Antioch, there was a disagreement over the subject of circumcision. Some Jewish Christians insisted that new converts to the faith should be circumcised, in keeping with the Law of Moses. However, St Paul and St Barnabas, who were visiting the city, argued for the opposite view. … Continue reading The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-29)
The famous story of the Temptation of Adam and Eve touches on several themes. This includes the nature of temptation, the power of free will and what later became known as the teaching of ‘Original Sin’. While describing a real event, the story contains a number of symbols. While living in the Garden of Eden, … Continue reading The Temptation & Fall (Genesis 3:1-24)
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)
