Author Archives: Friar Musings

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About Friar Musings

Franciscan friar and Catholic priest at St. Francis of Assisi in Triangle, VA

Descent from the Cross

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Museum of the Bible in Washington DC has a beautiful exhibition, Descent from the Cross. This exhibition explores how 21 artists across five centuries, multiple genres, and mixed media have visualized the scene in The Gospel of John, chapter 19, the moment Jesus is removed from the cross. This moment, traditionally called “Deposition” or “Descent from the Cross,” is not described in the Bible. There are no details explaining the process or who was present. Because of this, artists across the centuries have interpreted this emotional moment in unique and varying ways, each filling in the blanks with what they think might have happened. It has become a popular scene in art history, and thus a part of our shared visual language.

The earliest-known renderings of the scene appeared in the ninth century and soon became part of a cycle through the life of Christ and his passion, later known as the Stations of the Cross. But perhaps the most influential depiction was painted by Flemish master painter Rogier van der Weyden in 1435. The unique shape of the composition and the cramped “box” that the characters occupy create a theatrical look, like that of a stage play or a diorama. The sharp angles and rich details reflect the late Gothic, early Renaissance styles of northern Europe, and the crossbows seen in the corners honor the patron of this piece, the Leuven Guild of Archers.

Museum of the Bible

You can see the exhibit virtually at the Museum’s website by clicking the button below.

Descent from the Cross: Museum of the Bible

Image credit: Descent from the Cross | Rogier van der Weyden, ca. 1435 | Museo del Prado, Madrid | PD-US

In the darkness

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There have been many a Good Friday in the course of my life. I have heard the Passion narrative. I led the Passion narrative during Good Friday liturgies. Over the many years of Bible study I have covered the Passion narrative more than a few times. And now thru the gift of my friends Jerry and Maureen, I experienced Good Friday in a way not to ever be forgotten.

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The Presence of God

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It seems to me that over the last year in homilies, bible studies and our OCIA classes for the folks entering the Catholic Church on Saturday evening at the Easter Vigil – that I have returned to a consistent theme: the efforts and the extent to which God strives to be present to us. One overarching theme of the Old Testament is a story of God drawing near and the people, hesitant to draw close and even eventually stepping back, keeping God at a distance. “Return to God” – a constant cry of Moses, Joshua, the Judges and Prophets of Israel – the signs of God’s care and compassion are everywhere. God wants to be close to us.

Holy Thursday’s first reading is taken from the story of Exodus. In that book the signs of God’s presence are everywhere: in the miracles done attempting to persuade Pharaoh, the great sign of the Passover, the parting of the Red Sea, leading the people through the wilderness as a pillar of fire by night and a cloud during the day. While encamped at Sinai after the “Golden Calf” incident, God instructed Moses to build the Tent of Meeting – literally a place where God could meet the people. The Tent was with them during the 40 years in the wilderness, and came with them into the Promised Land. Did you know that later the Tent was replaced by the great Temple in Jerusalem.  There is a description in First Chronicles of the dedication of this new “Tent of Meeting.”  During the dedication the glory of God is seen filling the Temple – the presence of God among people. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, God continually showed his people signs pointing to his presence, revealing His desire to be close to them. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. All the while the people hesitated to draw close; they eventually drift away despite all the signs, the warnings of the prophets, and so much more.

All the while the compassion of God remained: the desire to be close to us.

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The Gospel for Holy Thursday

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The gospel reading for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening is always taken from the Gospel of John 13:1-15. This week I have been posting about the Passion, but here on Holy Thursday, rather than posting the biblical commentary over days, if you are interested to read short commentary on text, simply click the button below.

Image credit: Image credit: “The Last Supper,” by Ugolino da Siena, circa 1325-30, Italian. (Metropolitan Museum of Art) | Public Domain

Commentary on the Holy Thursday Gospel

Death on a Cross

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Luke adds a poignant detail to his description of Jesus’ journey to the cross; with him march two criminals. Jesus, who had been described by his opponents as a “friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Lk 7:34), would not only live with such friends but die with them. 

32 Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. 34 (Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”) They divided his garments by casting lots. 35 The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God.” 36 Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine 37 they called out, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 Above him there was an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.” 

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Triduum: a love story

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A reflection for the Readings on Spy Wednesday: Holy Week is a story told in three acts.

Act 1: Love Portrayed.  All Lent we have seen Love Portrayed:  Jesus transfigured on the mountain top. The glory of God revealed and yet what would seem to be the final scene of the play is but the beginning. We’ve more to hear, more to see. Especially in the daily gospels we have acts of love. A man born blind who now sees. Lessons on unlimited forgiveness. Teachings on the great commandments of loving God and neighbor. And so many more scenes of love portrayed.  The disciples believe because they have seen and heard the power of God in the world.

Love is portrayed by the people of the city of God, Jerusalem, who welcome Jesus with palm branches waved and laid upon the road as one who greets the arriving king. Cries of “Hosanna…. hosanna in the highest”  The cry reserved for the Messiah.  Their love is portrayed in the hopes they pray the Nazarene can fulfill.  All believe – in the enthusiasm of the moment it is easy to believe.

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Condemned to Death

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Up to this point in the narrative the chief priests, scribes, and leaders have been the ones who have been active throughout the arrest, hearing and trials of Jesus. While in the privacy of the Sanhedrin gathering, the charges brought against Jesus by this group were religious.  Once the assembly moved to the public forum involving Pilate, the charges became secular – “misleading our people; he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Messiah, a king.” (23:2)  In the start of this section, “the people” are now present. Previously the people have supported Jesus – what will they do now?

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Will you sing?

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The refrain from today’s psalm is “I will sing of your salvation.” Will you? If you are the average Catholic your answer might be “yes” but I wonder what you answer would be if the question was “Will you sing of your salvation outside of Mass or your shower?”  Granted we all sound great in the shower, but we are more reluctant to sing at all apart from the choir of the faithful or our personal Niagara Falls.

Are you willing to sing of your salvation, to give witness, in the public forum when all eyes are upon you? How about in the local WalMart or Wegmans? Your average Catholic only needs to stand next to a born-again, evangelical Christian to understand how private we are about our life in faith.  Of course, you’re thinking, “All that public praying and witnessing, that’s their thing. Our faith is more discrete, more private, more, well…… more sophisticated than asking someone in the local WalMart if they had been saved. Ours is a faith steeped in tradition, liturgy, sacraments. This is how we serve the Lord.” 

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Jesus on Trial

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Where in the scene of Peter’s Denial (Luke 22:54-65), the focus and center of the narrative was Peter, here the focus returns to Jesus. In this trial (hearing, meeting) by the religious authorities of Jerusalem, the role of Jesus as prophet and Messiah is at the forefront of the narrative. Jesus had foretold the primary events of this scene—both Peter’s threefold denial before the crowing of the cock (v. 34; vv. 56–61) and his own maltreatment (esp. 18:32; cf. 20:10–11 and 22:63–65).

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At what cost?

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“Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.” (John 12:3)

As Jesus draws nearer to His Passion, today’s gospel (John 12:1-11) presents a moment of striking intimacy and devotion. Six days before Passover, Jesus is at the home of Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead—a miracle that already pointed to His power over life and death, and foreshadowed His own resurrection. Amidst the gathering, Mary, a sister of Lazarus, performs a beautiful and extravagant act of love: she anoints Jesus’ feet with costly oil and dries them with her hair.

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