A Rare Find: The Painting and the Theme

[Originally published on 3/7/07]

I came across a beautiful early 15th century Epiphany painting on my recent trip to the Getty Museum. It was not until I started reading my notes and researching at home that I realized this was a recent, precious acquisition.

According to the press release of May 21, 2004:

The Getty has acquired The Adoration of the Magi with Saint Anthony Abbot (about 1390–1410), a rare and masterful example of the International Gothic style that dominated taste across Europe around 1400. The work is one of very few northern European panel paintings of this period in any American museum.

This elegant piece was probably commissioned for a church institution honoring St. Anthony.

Densely covered with a silver (originally gold) floral motif, The Adoration of the Magi's vibrant red background serves as a magnificent foil for the animated procession of figures. At the center, enthroned in his mother's lap, the new King stands to receive the offerings of the Magi. Caspar, kneeling bareheaded in reverence, offers his gift of gold, with Balthasar and Melchior standing behind him. The three wise men are all resplendently dressed. Their clothing mirrors contemporary court sensibility while alluding to their far-flung kingdoms, suggested in part by the white "turban" worn by Melchior. At the far left stands Saint Anthony Abbot, identified by the T-shaped staff, a bell with which he repelled Satan, and a pig traditionally associated with his treatment of skin conditions.

The eyes of the characters are so striking for their liveliness. They have an aspect of seeking and reverence. And the Child seems almost surprised to see these subjects. The Virgin gazes directly on her Son. The starry background is prominent with its regal warmth. The site also offers pre-restoration pictures which show how much work it took to bring out the beauty of this extraordinary painting.

The Meeting of the Three Kings

[Originally posted on 3/6/07.]

At the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, there is a very striking painting just adjacent to The Coronation of the Virgin by Gentile de Fabriano. The picture of The Meeting of the Three Kings with David and Isaiah is attributed to the Master of the St. Bartholomew Altarpiece, a Netherlandish artist from before 1480. This artist from Cologne was known for his independent style.

I spent some time looking at the three kings from foreign lands and their servants who meet suddenly at a desolate mountain pass. We think of them traveling together to worship the Child Jesus, but they start from distant countries of origin. The star has brought them to this meeting point and they will continue their journey together. David and Isaiah are depicted with their scrolls because the artist identifies this place as where the entire message of salvation comes together like pieces of a puzzle. The tableau suggests that here these three wise men share their knowledge and the journey to find the One all humanity has been waiting for.

Joseph the Father

From Sister Edith's beautiful Advent reflection. I'm tempted to quote the whole thing. Don't miss it!

After the Annunciation, after Mary's fiat, God could have arranged for the birth and care of his Son in so many ways. Surely Zaccariah and Elizabeth, who welcomed Mary into their home for three months early in her pregnancy, would have given her shelter and care. Joachim and Anne — who had dedicated this daughter to God before her birth — would have welcomed her home again. The Magi, the shepherds, the people of the town — there is no limit to the ways in which God could have provided for Mary and for her child to be born. God chose none of those alternatives: he chose Joseph....

When God's angel comes to Joseph as he sleeps, he bears a message so startling and profound that scripture scholar Raymond Brown referred to this passage as "the other annunciation." Joseph is attentive to God's word, even in his dreams. He hears that this child will be called Emmanuel, will be God's presence among us. And that he is the Messiah, come to save us.

Like the first annunciation, this angel's message requires a response. Joseph's fiat is not spoken. Rather, his actions echo Mary's words: I am the servant of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word. Mary's assent gave flesh to the Word; with Joseph's assent, a family and home has been provided. All is now ready for the great mystery of God's entrance into the fabric of human history.

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Incarnation Fills History with Meaning

The coming of the Messiah, foretold by the Prophets, is qualitatively the most important event of all history, on which it confers its ultimate and full meaning. It is not historical and political coordinates that condition God's choice, but on the contrary, the event of the Incarnation that "fills" history with value and meaning.

We, who come 2,000 years after that event, can affirm this, so to speak, also a posteriori, after having known the whole life of Jesus, until his death and Resurrection. We are witnesses at the same time of his glory and his humility, of the immense value of his coming and of God's infinite respect for us human beings and for our history.

He did not fill time by pouring himself into it from on high, but "from within", making himself a tiny seed to lead humanity to its full maturation.

Pope's New Year's Eve Homily

Contemplating the Christ Child

Be at one with her while she contemplates the newborn Child, wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in the manger. Like Mary, the Church also remains in silence, to receive and keep the interior resonances of the word made flesh and not waste the divine-human warmth that radiates in his presence. He is God's blessing! The Church, like the Virgin, does but show Jesus, the Savior, to all and reflects on each one the light of his face, splendor of goodness and truth.

Pope's Angelus Address, 1/1/07

God Is Absolute Love

Saint Irenaeus tells us that the Word became flesh in order to give us a
share in God’s glory: "The glory of God is the living man, and the life of man
consists in the vision of God" (Adv. Haer., 20,5,7). Ultimately, the Incarnation
is the fruit of God’s infinite love for humanity; it reveals, in von Balthasar’s
insightful phrase, that God is not primarily absolute power, but absolute love,
a love revealed in the complete gift of himself. May the song of the angels
inspire us to give "glory to God" and to build "peace on earth", by humbly
receiving the gift that God gives us at Christmas: the gift of his love, the
gift of his Son.

Benedict XVI, 12/27/06

Filipino Belen

Filipino Belen
An antique Filipino "Belen" from the colonial times. Provenance: Ilocos Sur
Uploaded on December 31, 2006 by bleak!

"Christmas is a hope for everyone"

The heart remains like a bulwark against nihilism. Heeding the heart, the desire
to return home, is the beginning of recovery. It seems like nothing, but it is
what we need for recognizing the truth, if by chance it comes our way.

from "Let's not close our eyes" by Julián Carrón, President of CL

Snow Nativity Scene

Snow Nativity Scene, originally uploaded by *clairity*.

Outdoor nativity scene at the College of St. Scholastica, Duluth. Taken last year.

God himself has passed this way!

Alex at Vitus Speaks shares a beautiful Christmas meditation from Hans Urs von Balthasar. Here's just the start:

"Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you Good News of a great joy... This day is born the Savior", that is, he who, as Son of God and Son of the Father, has traveled (in obedience to the Father) the path that leads away from the Father and into the darkness of the world. Behind him omnipotence and freedom; before, powerlessness, bonds and obedience. Behind him the comprehensive divine vision; before him the prospect of the meaninglessness of death on the Cross between two criminals, Behind him the bliss of life with the Father; before him, grievous solidarity with all who do not know the Father, do not want to know him and deny his existence. Rejoice then, for God himself has passed this way!

The Pope's Urbi et Orbi Message for Christmas

Today "our Saviour is born to the world", for he knows that even today we need him. Despite humanity’s many advances, man has always been the same: a freedom poised between good and evil, between life and death. It is there, in the very depths of his being, in what the Bible calls his "heart", that man always needs to be "saved". And, in this post-modern age, perhaps he needs a Saviour all the more, since the society in which he lives has become more complex and the threats to his personal and moral integrity have become more insidious. Who can defend him, if not the One who loves him to the point of sacrificing on the Cross his only-begotten Son as the Saviour of the world?

Urbi et Orbi Message of Pope Benedict XVI, Christmas 2006

Christmas Card from the Vatican

The Abbreviated Word

God made himself small so that we could understand him, welcome him, and love him. The Fathers of the Church, in their Greek translation of the Old Testament, found a passage from the prophet Isaiah that Paul also quotes in order to show how God’s new ways had already been foretold in the Old Testament. There we read: "God made his Word short, he abbreviated it" (Is 10:23; Rom 9:28). The Fathers interpreted this in two ways. The Son himself is the Word, the Logos; the eternal Word became small – small enough to fit into a manger. He became a child, so that the Word could be grasped by us.

Pope Benedict XVI's Midnight Mass Homily 2006

The Gift of Christmas

A gift is an interjection of something gratuitous and uncalled-for into the fabric of ordinary life. It is by definition undeserved (else it would be a payment) and by implication unexpected. The world is full of gifts.

From a lovely Christmas meditation: The Perfect Gift

Her Amazement at her Only Child

Light piercing, gradually, everyday events;
a woman's eyes, hands
used to them since childhood.

Then brightness flared, too huge for simple days,
and hands clasped when the words lost their space.

In that little town, my son, where they knew us together,
you called me mother; but no one had eyes to see
the astounding events as they took place day by day.
Your life became the life of the poor
in your wish to be with them through the work of your hands.

I knew: the light that lingered in ordinary things,
like a spark sheltered under the skin of our days --
the light was you;
it did not come from me.

And I had more of you in that luminous silence
than I had of you as the fruit of my body, my blood.

Karol Wojtyla
JOHN PAUL II'S CHRISTMAS POETRY
Poem from his 1950 Collection, "The Mother"
(ZENIT - Taken from "Easter Vigil and Other Poems," translated by Jerzy Peterkiewicz.)

See more Christmas reflections

Christmas Mass Obligations

When Christmas, a Holy Day of Obligation, falls on a Monday, many people wonder whether they can go to a Sunday evening Mass to fulfill the obligation for both Sunday and Christmas.

The answer, in a nutshell, is no. Both obligations should be fulfilled separately, though the details are more flexible than you might think.

You've therefore got several options for how to fulfill your Sunday and Christmas obligations this year:

1) Go to a Saturday evening Mass (Sunday obligation) and a Sunday evening Mass (Christmas obligation)
2) Go to a Saturday evening Mass (Sunday obligation) and a Monday Mass (Christmas obligation)
3) Go to a Sunday Mass (Sunday obligation) and a Sunday evening Mass (Christmas obligation)
4) Go to a Sunday Mass (Sunday obligation) and a Monday Mass (Christmas obligation)
5) Go to one Sunday evening Mass (Sunday obligation) and a second Sunday evening Mass (Christmas obligation)

Catch all the details on Jimmy Akin's blog

How La Befana Missed Out

Bishop Dennis Schnurr gave a homily (2004) explaining the witch figure in the nativity scene visiting the Christ Child.

The Italian tradition from the 13th century relates that the three Wise Men visited the home of La Befana on their way to see the Child Jesus. La Befana extended to them every hospitality, and they stayed in her home for the night. The next morning, they invited her to come along with them on their journey. She politely turned them down since she had so much housework to do. (I say: anything before housework!)

Later she regretted her decision, realizing she had missed seeing the baby Jesus. She started her endless journeying from house to house, seeking Him, and bringing presents to the children in case one might be Him.

The central lesson, as the bishop pointed out, was that La Befana missed the opportunity that came with the invitation. We could miss Christmas, for all the attendant activities we get involved in, like shopping and decorating.

I thought of the way various invitations which seem small can be so much more and how readily I turn them down. It happened a week ago that after about the 12th email invitation for volunteers for a student pancake feed I finally decided to go. It was a great time and little trouble, I met some new people, and we showed the students our support as they prepared for finals.

There are so many Gospel texts warning us to be ready for the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13) and to not be like the guests who don't show up for the wedding (Mt 22:1-14). They are newly married or just bought a field (Luke 14:15-24). They are the ones who decide how they will spend their time; they know best how to manage their lives.

These parables are all about an invitation (Mt 21:23-25) that comes from Another. They are about being ready for that final moment, death. But that large invitation comes after thousands of tiny ones. It might be that we hate to pick up the phone and there's someone waiting to talk, or maybe we can think of other people who need that prayer service more than ourselves.

There is a necessary discernment we have to make with all the invitations that come our way. However, I find that our first impulse is to treat nearly every proposal, including retreats and other faith-building events, like just one more extra-curricular activity. Like La Befana, we risk to miss the big event.

The original invitation, like the one offered to La Befana, is to "come and see", as Fr. Giussani describes it in "Generating Traces in the History of the World".

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them,"Come, and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. (John 1:35-39)

La Befana - An Italian Christmas Tradition

Finding the Substance beneath the Commercialism

Over at CERC, Fr. Robert Siroco has some interesting thoughts on finding what is good in modern Christmas celebrations. It's a worthwhile angle to consider (and includes some fine thoughts from the Holy Father) especially since it is often through the truth and goodness we recognize and appreciate in others that we can help lead them along the next step toward Christ.

“The hectic commercialism is repugnant to us,” wrote Cardinal Ratzinger, “for it is indeed utterly out of place as a commemoration of the hushed mystery of Bethlehem, of the mystery of the God who for us made himself a beggar (2 Corinthians 8:9). And yet, underneath it all, does it not originate in the notion of giving and thus the inner urgency of love, with its compulsion to share, to give of oneself to the other? And does not the notion of giving transport us directly into the core of the mystery that is Christmas?”

Read the entire article, "Christmas Sacred and Secular"

Christmas turned the World upside down

The great British Catholic convert and writer, G.K. Chesterton, wrote a book, called The Everlasting Man, which attempts to look at Christianity and the person of Jesus Christ "from the outside" - as if it was a brand new concept that one had never heard about before. It's a book well-worth reading (and re-reading), but I'd like to share a few thoughts about the wonder of Christmas from his chapter on the topic called "The God in the Cave."

All this indescribable thing that we call the Christmas atmosphere only hangs in the air as something like a lingering fragrance or fading vapour from the exultant explosion of that one hour in the Judean hills nearly two thousand years ago. But the savour is still unmistakable, and it is something too subtle or too solitary to be covered by our use of the word peace. By the very nature of the story the rejoicings in the cavern were rejoicings in a fortress or an outlaw's den; properly understood it is not unduly flippant to say they were rejoicings in a dug-out. It is not only true that such a subterranean chamber was a hiding-place from enemies; and that the enemies were already scouring the stony plain that lay above it like a sky. It is not only that the very horse-hoofs of Herod might in that sense have passed like thunder over the sunken head of Christ. It is also that there is in that image a true idea of an outpost, of a piercing through the rock and an entrance into an enemy territory. There is in this buried divinity an idea of undermining the world; of shaking the towers and palaces from below; even as Herod the great king felt that earthquake under him and swayed with his swaying palace.

"...the more the artists learned of realism and perspective, the less they could depict at once the angels in the heavens and the shepherds on the hills, and the glory in the darkness that was under the hills. Perhaas it could have been best conveyed by the characteristic expedient of some of the medieval guilds, when they wheeled about the streets a theatre with three stages one above the other, with heaven above the earth and hell under the earth. But in the riddle of Bethlehem it was heaven that was under the earth.

There is in that alone the touch of a revolution, as of the world turned upside down. It would be vain to attempt to say anything adequate, or anything new, about the change which this conception of a deity born like an outcast or even an outlaw had upon the whole conception of law and its duties to the poor and outcast."

Let Us Go to Bethlehem

Christmas brings joy to humanity. It announces salvation to everyone, especially to those who live in Bethlehem and its surrounding area, Palestinians and Israelis alike. "Let us go to Bethlehem" and see what has taken place and what continues to take place there (cf. Lk 2, 15). What is the Wall telling us today? What are the inhabitants of Bethlehem telling us today? Let us go to Bethlehem so that we too can hear the angels announce peace on earth, peace to all people of good will, peace to all who long for a sincere brotherhood that rejects all hatred and hostility, and find, in the coming together of the two peoples, both security and an end to the occupation which will bring freedom.

Christmas Message of Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem