St. Mary Major Apse Mosaic
One of the first things you may notice is that this apse mosaic, like all other apse mosaics, has the golden background signifying heaven. In the heavens, there are the plant and animals of the heavenly Eden as well as the saints. The garden pattern in this mosaic is reminiscent of the dome fresco in […]
Shroud of Turin: Blood
On the Shroud of Turin are many blood stains. These stains make visible the wounds of Christ. On the left side of the photo above, on the left hand is blood from one of the nails. Still on the left half of the shroud, there is a blood stain from the spear which pierced his […]
Shroud of Turin: Image
When talking about the image on the Shroud of Turin, one must recognize its superficiality. Even the darkest part of the image (the nose) is only on a microscopic surface layer. To this day, there is no known process which can make such a superficial image. So how was the image on the shroud formed? […]
Miracle Behind St. Mary’s Major Basilica
The Basilica of St. Mary Major is also known as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows. This Basilica is one of the major basilicas in Rome. It does not snow much in Rome, so why Our Lady of the Snows? The answer to this question goes back to the time of Pope Celestine […]
Vatican Museum: Pinecone Courtyard
The Pinecone Courtyard, or the Cortile della Pigna, was the center of the museums when Raphael lived there. During Raphael’s time, around 15th or 16th century, many artists lodged with the Pope as long as they were patronized by the Pope. At this time, the courtyard itself was part of the Papal Palace, which Pope […]
Conversion, Vocation, Penitence
As a contemporary of Raphael, Caravaggio uses the three objectives: catechesis, meditation, and participation in his paintings. In his The Calling of St. Matthew (photo above), for example, Caravaggio is informing the viewers how Jesus calls us by showing how Jesus called St. Matthew. This painting causes us to reflect and meditate on how we […]
St. Teresa of Avila
St. Teresa of Avila started life as one with great desires. She desired to proclaim the Gospels and become a martyr so much that she ran away with her brother. The pair of children did not get far before they were caught by their uncle and brought back to Avila. As she grew older, Teresa’s […]
All Saints
We are all called to sainthood. A French writer, Leon Bloy, says, “The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint.” With God’s help, we are all capable of becoming saints. However, the serpent always lurks, waiting for us to let him in. We […]
From Iconography to Renaissance Art
From the 12th to the 15th and 16th centuries, religious art developed from being solely for teaching purposes to being a participation in its subject matter. In the 12th century, most religious art were icons meant to teach the illiterate what is written in the Gospels. Into the 13th and 14th centuries, art grew to […]
History of the Lateran Basilica
The history of the Lateran Basilica begins with Emperor Constantine. In 313, the emperor passed the Edict of Milan, which allowed Christians to practice their own faith. Constantine also gave some of his own land to the Christians so that they could build their own church; the site of the Lateran Basilica. The plot of […]