Our Lord Jesus Christ Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord with my life. I will sing psalms to my God as long as I shall be. Do not trust in the leaders, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit will depart, and he will return to his earth. In that day, all their thoughts will perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob: his hope is in the Lord God himself, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all the things that are in them. He preserves the truth forever. He executes judgment for those who suffer injury. He provides food for the hungry. The Lord releases those who are bound. The Lord enlightens the blind. The Lord sets upright those who have been thrown down. The Lord loves the just. (Psalm 146:2-8) What is your image of God, is it different in the Old and New Testaments for you? Tissot presents Jesus dressed in white, hands over his heart, opened eyes starring right at the viewer and with his head cocked slightly. Unlike his other illustrations there is no background imagery. It seems to me Tissot s intentional focus was to visually have Jesus unmistakably as God, without words, say I love you. In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Apostle's Creed: I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. On the third day, he rose again, He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand God, the Father almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the Communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen at the hour of our death. Amen. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 36
First Mystery: Mutually of us loving God and God loving us Hark! my lover here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattices. My lover speaks; he says to me, Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come! O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the secret recesses of the cliff, Let me see you, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and you are lovely. (Song of Songs 2:8-10) Here he stands behind our wall, peering through the lattices. It it not Jesus Looking through a Lattice surprising Tissot opens his four volume Life of Christ with this illustration of a single verse from Songs. It is also my personal favorite of all of Tissot s work because it speaks volumes of thetimes when I need to see or hear Christ but he is hidden or silent. My faith assures me he is watching and listening, ready to fill me with love. Having Mary with us in prayer helps us locate Jesus. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 37
Second Mystery: Fidelity of God s Love My lover belongs to me and I to him. He says to me: Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; For stern as death is love, relentless as the nether world is devotion; its flames are a blazing fire. Deep waters cannot quench love, nor floods sweep it away. (Song of Songs 16a; 8:6-7a) At Confirmation the Bishop dips into fragrant Chrism oil and says Be Sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In washing Jesus s feet with fragrant oil and her hair, Mary Magdalene is sealing with all her heart her devotion to Jesus. Her blazing fire, her deep waters, her love even The Ointment of the Magdalene his death do not flood enough to sweep it away. Our Lord s fidelity to her was reinforced after she went to anoint his body with oil. The risen Christ speaks to her first. Is your own relationship with our Lord sealed with this same intense fidelity? Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 38
Third Mystery: Mingling of human and divine love Brothers and sisters: Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. (Corinthians 12:31) Saint Joseph St. Joseph is often pictured as a man at his workbench showing Jesus how to be a carpenter. Tissot captures a different moment, synonymous with the silence and humility of St. Joseph in the bible. We cannot forget that he also said Yes. From what is in scripture he was never a resounding gong, instead deferring his entire being to love. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 39
Fourth Mystery: Of how Love is patient, love is kind. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (Corinthians 13:8a) Angels appeared to the shepherds and they believed. They put aside what they were doing to seek out the new lamb. Finding Christ they could not help but adore. I know my sheep and they know me The Adoration of the Shepherds became I love my sheep and they love me. These shepherds, who lived the attributes Paul describes for their flock, became the sheep. In Jesus s first encounter with others, love flowed both ways. Tissot illustrates this with shepherds in various poses of awe and Jesus glowing in white with Mary. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 40
Fifth Mystery: Christ s blessings on those who love When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. (Matthew 5:1-12a) In addition to teaching what to do, I have no doubt Jesus looking out on the crowd must have also been blessing those gathering for already using these The Sermon of the Beatitudes gifts of lovet. We are still gathering as Tissot perfectly illustrates. We still have opportunities to be righteous, merciful, clean of heart, and make peace. When we use these gifts of love don t we already know the blessings in the here but not yet of heaven? Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 41
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us. And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen. The Magnificat Let us pray. O GOD, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that by meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. Jesus Appears to the Holy Women In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen 42