Today's Gospel in Art - The Son of Man is going to be handed over

Caravaggio Tableaux Vivants, Performed by Ludovica Rambelli Teatro Company in 2018 © Ludovica Rambelli Teatro

Gospel of 12th August 2019 - Matthew 17: 22-27

One day when they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to his disciples, 'The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men; they will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised to life again.' And a great sadness came over them.

When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel came to Peter and said, 'Does your master not pay the half-shekel?' 'Oh yes' he replied, and went into the house. But before he could speak, Jesus said, 'Simon, what is your opinion? From whom do the kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?' And when he replied, 'From foreigners', Jesus said, 'Well then, the sons are exempt. However, so as not to offend these people, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that bites, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for you.'

Reflection

Today we are looking at a video performance by an Italian theatre company (Ludovica Rambelli Teatro) who re-enact all the main paintings by Caravaggio. I invite you to click here to see the four minute video of the performance:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIeyulbiB0A

Jesus in today's reading is predicting what will happen to Him; the suffering and Passion that awaits him. Caravaggio has depicted various of these elements in his paintings, and we can see some of these Passion scenes in this video: the Flagellation, the Entombment etc… These 'tableaux Vivants' (live paintings) performed by the theatre company, transport the viewer into a world where pictorial art and theatre art overlap and merge.

To read on, visit: www.christianart.today/daily-gospel-reading/140