Biblical art in Catholic churches
Tag: Hardmans
According to the Church, the death of Christ is revealed throughout the whole Bible. As Pope St John Paul II explained: “There were many messianic texts in the Old Testament which foreshadowed the sufferings of the future Anointed One of God. Among all these, particularly touching is the one which is commonly called the Fourth Song … Continue reading The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)
In his gospel, one of St John’s favourite themes was the contrast between light and darkness. He included a number of sayings on this subject. One of these was the following statement, made by Christ both to his disciples and to the people: “I am the light of the world” (8:12; 9:5; 12:46). Referring to … Continue reading I am the Light of the World (John 8:12)
This short episode in the life of Christ is only mentioned within St Luke’s gospel. Two miles to the east of Jerusalem lay a town called Bethany, where two sisters – St Martha and St Mary – lived with their brother Lazarus. There was always a welcome for Christ in this home. We know from St … Continue reading St Martha and St Mary (Luke 10:38-42)
Judas Iscariot needs little introduction. He is infamous, in both art and popular culture, as the villain who betrayed Christ with a kiss. He was one of the Twelve Apostles called by Christ to work closely with him in his mission. Yet this raises a key question; if he was once close to Christ, why … Continue reading Judas betrays Christ (Matthew 27:3-10)
The Song of Judith is a thanksgiving hymn that tells the story of one woman’s courage in the face of the enemy. It forms most of the last chapter of the Old Testament book of Judith. The book is named after Judith, a brave and beautiful woman who saved Israel from destruction by assassinating Holofernes, … Continue reading The Song of Judith (Judith 15:14-16:17)
After the death of Joseph, the descendants of Jacob – the Hebrews – grew in number in the land of Egypt. But the time came when a new Pharaoh began to rule Egypt, one who had not known Joseph. Fearing that the Hebrews had grown too powerful, he sentenced them to slavery. They were forced to do hard labour, working … Continue reading The Early Life of Moses (Exodus 1:1-2:25)
The book of Esther tells the story of how Esther, the queen of Persia, bravely saved her fellow-Jews from certain death. It’s a tense political drama with a young woman as its central character. The book begins by explaining how the king of Persia, Ahasuerus, divorced his first wife. Afterwards, he ordered that a search … Continue reading Queen Esther protects the Jews (Esther 8:1-8)
