Gospel in Art: Feast of the Dedication of Westminster Cathedral

Westminster Cathedral: the visit of the Italian Carabinieri, by Sir Henry Rushbury, 1918, © Imperial War Museum, London

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 1 July 2024
Matthew 8:18-22

The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

When Jesus saw the great crowds all about him he gave orders to leave for the other side. One of the scribes then came up and said to him, 'Master, I will follow you wherever you go.' Jesus replied, 'Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.'

Another man, one of his disciples, said to him, 'Sir, let me go and bury my father first.' But Jesus replied, 'Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their dead.'

Reflection on the Drawing

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of Westminster Cathedral. It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales and the largest Catholic Church in the UK. It is the 50th largest church in the world in terms of interior area (5,017m2). The site on which the cathedral stands in Westminster, just off Victoria Street, was purchased by the Diocese of Westminster in 1885 and construction was completed in 1903. Designed by John Francis Bentley (1839-1902) in Neo-Byzantine style, it is made almost entirely of brick, without steel reinforcements. The cost of the building was around £150,000. The cathedral opened in 1903, a year after the architect's death. One of the first public services in the cathedral was Cardinal Vaughan's requiem, who had laid the foundation stone for the Cathedral's construction in 1895.

The word "cathedral" derives from the Greek word kathedra, meaning "chair." The chair of the diocesan bishop is the seat from which he shepherds the life of his Diocese. This chair is a symbol of his authority to teach, sanctify and govern the people of Christ. The church in which this chair is housed is consequently known as a cathedral church, the bishop's own parish church. The celebration of the dedication of cathedrals in the various diocese across the world symbolises the universal Church, the Body of Christ. Their dedication is a reminder of the Church's mission to be a spiritual home for all believers.

The drawing by Henry Rushbury is an interior view of a service taking place in Westminster Cathedral, with men of the Italian Carabinieri present, making their way to the high altar. The congregation is standing and lining the upper side levels of the Cathedral. Sir Henry George Rushbury was an English painter and etcher. Born the son of a clerk in Harborne, then on the outskirts of Birmingham, Rushbury studied at the Birmingham School of Art from the age of thirteen. He was an official war artist during World War I, and appointed again in 1940, until 1945.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-16-13-19-2024-3/