Today's Gospel in Art - Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest

The Isenheim Altar (Detail), by Grünewald © Unterlinden Museum, Colmar

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 27th May 2021 - Mark 14:22-25

As they were eating he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. 'Take it,' he said 'this is my body.' Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, 'This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many. I tell you solemnly, I shall not drink any more wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.'

Reflection on the Painting

Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest, celebrated annually on the first Thursday after Pentecost. The feast focuses on Jesus' priestly office, and therefore this is a day where we pray especially for all priests. With priests acting 'in persona Christi' ('in the person of Christ'), today we pray that God may continue to bless their ministry and that Mary may keep a special place for them in her heart.

We are all called to be more Christ-like. This can only happen when we realise that this life is just temporary and a preparation for the next life. The eternal life is what we aim for, and in that we join in Christ's vision and plans for us. Only when we are more Christ-like, more compassionate, more caring, more understanding, more generous… only then can we begin already to live our eternal life here on earth. We celebrate this feast following Pentecost, as we can't become more Christ-like unless we have the Holy Spirit to guide us. The Holy Spirit directly inspires us to nurture the character of Christ deep within all of us.

Therefore I share with you a detail of a painting by Matthias Grünewald depicting Christ on the cross. That was the moment when Jesus showed the kind of priest he was. He was not dressed in rich clothes, but was naked on the cross; people were not singing hymns around Him, but were shouting abuse and blasphemy at Him; He was not protected by church walls and ceilings, but He was outside on Golgotha, the 'place of the skull'; He was covered in his own blood, suffering and dying for us. That is what He did for us, as a priest. It is powerful that now we can honour and celebrate this sacrifice during every Eucharist, in the beautiful way that we do, through the uplifting music, the beautiful liturgy and within the community walls of our church buildings.

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/818
Christian Art - www.christian.art