Today's Gospel in Art - All Saints Day

The Adoration of the Trinity, by Albrect Dürer 1511 © Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 1st November 2020 - Matthew 5:1-12a

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

'How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

'Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.'

Reflection on the Painting

In our Gospel reading for All Saints' Day Jesus gives us the beatitudes. The BE-ATTITUDES… the attitudes of being… the ways we should act. They are much more than laws: they serve as a guide for our journey through life. They are much more than just a set of regulations: they set out Jesus' vision of where true happiness lies.

Today on All Saints' Day we are grateful for the lives of so many people of every age and throughout the ages who have lived their lives as best they could within the vision and spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and after taking inspiration from the saints. When the Feast of All Saints was instituted in 840AD, its purpose was two-fold. Firstly the Church wanted to venerate all of the saints and martyrs on this special feast. There were simply not enough days in the liturgical year to honour all of the women and men who had been canonised saints by the Catholic Church. Then the Church also recognised that throughout the centuries, right up to this very day, there also were many other holy women and men who had not formally been named a saint. Therefore All Saints is the feast day of all the saints, named and unnamed.

Our painting, the Landauer Altarpiece by Albrecht Dürer, depicts the Trinity: God is shown as emperor, holding Christ on the Cross and surmounted by the dove of the Holy Ghost. Around the figure of God are rings of angels. Below them on the left we see a crowd of martyrs, led by Mary. On the right we have a group of Old Testament prophets, kings and saints, led by St John the Baptist... just a few saints depicted in our painting, but all saints being celebrated today...

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/592

Christian Art - www.christian.art