ANGELICO, Fra - "Resurrection of Christ and Women at the Tomb" (Cell 8) - 1440-42 - Fresco
Convento di San Marco, Florence
Luke 23:55 - 24:10
The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.
On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.
When I visited the Convent of St Mark in Florence, Italy, the monastery which housed both the saintly Fra Angelico and Savanarola, I was enchanted to find that, in addition to his many other paintings throughout the monastery, Fra Angelico painted a fresco on the wall of each cell for the purpose of meditation for the monk who stayed there. What a joy to walk from cell to cell to see the wall paintings.
To be in San Marco, surrounded by the lovely frescoes of Jesus, Mary, the angels, and the saints, is to have a foretaste of heaven. The artist was named Guido di Pietro, but he was not called Fra Angelico for nothing. Angels, angels, everywhere!
Collect for Easter Day
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
A Blessed and Happy Easter to all!
Image from the Web Gallery of Art.
