“The Leisure Corner” through our social media continues throughout Lent as we take a closer look at different icons with David Clayton from Pontifex University.
Below are the 7 weeks of reflections and meditations inspired by David Clayton’s knowledge of iconography. If you missed our interview with David, watch it here.
If you would like to share the fruit of your prayer with us, please message us! We love hearing from you.
The final reflection for Lent – prior to the Easter celebration, is Caravaggio’s painting, painted 1609, of the raising of Lazarus. The painting is in Messina in Sicily. I might have used a painting of Palm Sunday for this one, but wanted to reflect on the reason that the crowds gathered and cheered and laid down palm leaves on that day. It was because they had seen Our Lord raised up Lazarus from the dead and thought this was the messiah who would bring political power to them. This was the fulfillment of scripture and the old covenant, and so characterizes the old sabbath, Saturday, but in a Christian light. In fact, we can see that what happened subsequently eclipsed this. The crucifixion and death of Our Lord, which was a disappointment to many of those who were cheering that day led to the Resurrection. So Saturday, as well as Sunday, has a new meaning. Saturday is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant and an anticipation of the New Covenant, by which we are all raised up, but unlike Lazarus at this point not just to life, but to eternal life because of the events celebrated on Easter Sunday. This is the ‘8th day’ Christ whose resurrection is celebrated every Sunday, characterizing the New Covenant.
We undergo a spiritual death, rebirth, and union with God in the triple sacrament of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist, achieved through the one who is God. God willing, this will lead to our bodily resurrections on the last day.