1136 Liturgy is an "action" of the whole Christ (Christus totus). Those who even now celebrate it without signs are already in the heavenly liturgy, where celebration is wholly communion and feast The celebrants of the heavenly liturgyIt reminded me of this.
1137 The book of Revelation of St. John, read in the Church's liturgy, first reveals to us, "A throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne": "the Lord God." It then shows the Lamb, "standing, as though it had been slain": Christ crucified and risen, the one high priest of the true sanctuary, the same one "who offers and is offered, who gives and is given." Finally it presents "the river of the water of life . . . flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb," one of most beautiful symbols of the Holy Spirit.1138 "Recapitulated in Christ," these are the ones who take part in the service of the praise of God and the fulfillment of his plan: the heavenly powers, all creation (the four living beings), the servants of the Old and New Covenants (the twenty-four elders), the new People of God (the one hundred and forty-four thousand), especially the martyrs "slain for the word of God," and the all-holy Mother of God (the Woman), the Bride of the Lamb, and finally "a great multitude which no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes, and peoples and tongues."1139 It is in this eternal liturgy that the Spirit and the Church enable us to participate whenever we celebrate the mystery of salvation in the sacraments.
.jpg "Jan van Eyck: Adoration of the Mystic Lamb")
Paul gave me the address of a website once where you can look at the entire Ghent Altarpiece magnified beautifully. Unfortunately, I've lost the address. Maybe if he looks in, he will tell us what it is.
UPDATE: Okay, my daughter gave me the link. Thanks, Lisa.
This is only the centerpiece of 5 panels, so more adorers are coming in from the right and left.
AMDG
Is that the text the painting is based on?
ReplyDeleteI notice now, for the first time, that none of the singing angels have canine teeth. I wonder if that's deliberate, or simply a result of not working from life.
I seem to remember that the image is drawn from the Golden Legend. I'll have to look it up when I get to the computer. I would never have noticed that about the teeth.
ReplyDeleteAMDG
Did you get a chance to look it up?
ReplyDeleteIt may be that the dramatis personae are drawn from the Golden Legend, but the focus fits so neatly with the words from Revelation that it's hard not to think it's an attempt to portray just that passage.
ReplyDeleteNo, it's on the computer that I don't use very much. You are right about that.
ReplyDeleteAMDG