Tag: Easter

All Hail the Lamb

detail from : Adoration of the mystic lamb, from the altar-piece of Ghent Cathedral
Belgium. [photographed by Mr G.

The Ghent Altarpiece

In the early 15 century two Flemish brothers, Hubert and Jan van Eyck produced one of the great masterpieces of western art: the Ghent altarpiece known as The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.  It is a multi-panel painting that can be displayed both open and closed, revealing different scenes and levels of detail. When closed, the altarpiece primarily displays the Annunciation, while opening it reveals the intricate and vibrant “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” scene. 

Although of outstanding artistic and religious significance it is surrounded by controversy and speculation, not only from art historians but theologians as well.  It is currently undergoing a time of restoration and research which is scheduled to be completed in 2026.

In total the altar piece is constructed from 18 separate panels.  Its main panel depicts the Lamb of God on an altar set in an expansive landscape surrounded by figures in various groups. These include  Old Testament  judges, Knights of Christ, holy pilgrims and holy hermits; saints of both the Old and New Testaments. Above this lower central panel there is a depiction of God, with Mary to the left and John the Baptist to the right.  In turn, they are flanked by the figures of Adam and Eve.
The Altarpiece was completed in 1432 and it is a truly great work of art; one of the most influential paintings ever painted.
The panels depict biblical scenes as well as a portrait of Joos Vijd who commissioned it and his wife Elisabeth Borluut.

At the heart of the painting is the Mystic Lamb, seen on the central altar.  It symbolizes  Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he made for humanity.  From a wound on its chest, blood pours into a chalice which represents Christ’s sacrifice and its commemoration in the Eucharist.
Around the altar, in various groups are gathered those who gaze on the Lamb in  adoration. The Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist are contrasted with the figures of Adam and Eve with a depiction of God in the panel above that of the Lamb.

The painting has had quite a difficult life and has been described as the most stolen piece of art in history. It has also been hidden when iconoclasts and others would have preferred to destroy it.
On the morning of 11 April 1934, Ghent woke up to news of a disaster. Two panels of the Altarpiece, ‘The Just Judges’ and ‘John the Baptist’ had been stolen from St Bavo’s Cathedral! This daring theft has grown to become one of the most fascinating art robberies of the 20th century. It remains unsolved. The panel of John the Baptist was returned later anonymously but that of the ‘Just Judges’ remains at large! There is a hope that it will be found in due course, meanwhile a copy takes its place.
As if that wasn’t enough the painting was stolen by the Nazi’s in 1940. Hitler wanted to establish a museum of culture in his home town of Linz. Whilst plans for the building were completed, the painting, along with many others, was kept safely in a salt mine in Austria, which also guaranteed its preservation.
When the Allied troops were getting near, there was a plan to dynamite the salt mine but such a disaster for the art heritage of the world was averted by the residents who lived near the mine.

Today, the Altarpiece has its own chapel in the Cathedral where it can be viewed freely. It is an amazing work of art but it is much more.
For the believer, there is a strong sense of being led into adoration not just of the painting itself but of the resurrection it signifies.~The Lamb is one of the powerful symbols of Easter not only because lambs are themselves signs of new life at this time of year, but also because in Christian art, the Lamb depicts Christ Jesus, risen from the dead and glorified.
As I sat before the painting, in contemplation, the only response I could make was to be still and pray, giving thanks for all that God in the Risen Jesus has given to me – and the unstoppable and unconditional love through which He saves and redeems me and you.

In Christian symbolism, the lamb represents Jesus, “the lamb of God” (agnus Dei). (Jn 1:29, Rev 5:12) Standing with a banner, the lamb represents the risen Christ triumphant over death. Standing with a cross and a gash in its side, it symbolizes the passion of Christ. Seated on a throne or a book, the lamb represents the judgment of Christ. Because the lamb is humble, gentle, and innocent, lambs are often engraved on the tombstones of children.

Paschal triumph, Easter joy,
Only sin can this destroy;
From sin’s death do thou set free,
Souls re-born, dear Lord, in thee.
Hymns of glory, songs of praise,
Father, unto thee we raise.
Risen Lord, all praise to thee,
Ever with the Spirit be.

{final verse of the hymn : At the Lamb’s High Feast we sing}

[Mr G] Easter Friday 2025

Dancing with daffodils

Wild daffodils in the Lake District photographed by my friend Gill Henwood

In this coming week, we who live in the earth’s Northern Hemisphere, move from the season of Winter to that of Spring.
The Spring equinox is often known as the ‘Astronomical’ Spring to differentiate it from the ‘Meteorological’ Spring which is used by weather forecasters and is always on March 1st. The season of Spring generally falls on either March 20th or 21st (19th in a Leap Year) This year it is on March 20th.
Nature, however, prefers to set its own time and has already begun showing growth from the earth; songs from the birds and a gentle ‘greening’ of the leaves as trees create a dusting of new life.

One of the most important signs is the arrival of spring flowers, especially the Daffodil which symbolises re-birth and hope. The poet, Cecil Day-Lewis, calls the ‘full-throated’ daffodil, “our trumpeters of gold” which “call resurrection from the ground.” 
This association with Easter has also led to daffodils being called ‘Lenten Lilies’ because they tend to flower in the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.
(Sometimes they naughtily come too early for church flower displays when Easter Day is late!)

The most famous poem about the Daffodil begins with the words, “I wandered lonely as a cloud” which begins the Daffodil poem by William Wordsworth.
It drew its inspiration from his sister, Dorothy, with whom he took a walk around the Lake District on the 15th April, 1802. We know the exact date and the detail of the journey from  Dorothy’s diary, published later as her ‘Grasmere Journal’.
Intrepid walkers, Dorothy wrote that the weather was threatening, misty but mild’, though the wind was ‘furious’. She described the walk in great detail including avoiding some cows! She noted the flowers they saw along the way – wood sorrel, anemone, scentless violets and a starry yellow flower known locally as pile wort. When they got to woods beyond Gowbarrow they saw a few wild daffodils close to the water-side and Dorothy then wrote in her journal:

“as we went along there were more and yet more; and at last, under the boughs of the trees, we saw that there was a long belt of them along the shore, about the breadth of a country turnpike road.
I never saw daffodils so beautiful. They grew among the mossy stones about and above them; some rested their heads upon these stones, as on a pillow, for weariness; and the rest tossed and reeled and danced, and seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind, that blew upon them over the lake; they looked so gay, ever glancing, ever changing.

It has been suggested that it was these words which inspired her brother, William, to write his own poem in praise of daffodils. The sentiments and imagery expressed by Dorothy are certainly traceable in his poem.
William became famous and eventually Poet Laureate whilst Dorothy was all but forgotten at the time but there are some who would suggest that his daffodil poem might constitute plagiarism!
What can be certainly said is that between them they helped to make the Daffodil become a joyful sign of Spring and of Resurrection. [Mr G]

photo GH

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

[William Wordsworth]

The Greening of the earth

Photo by Gill Henwood : fresh soft beech leaves in sheltered vales. Little Langdale, towards Fairsnape in the Lake District.

Earth Day is kept each year on 22nd April. This is a month after Spring officially begins.In the Church Calendar it often comes somewhere between Easter Day and the Festival of Rogation.
Rogation is a time set apart for prayer for the farming community and in thanksgiving for the crops, animals and all the gifts of Creation. Away from the countryside it isn’t regarded as so important in urban areas though giving thanks for all that sustains our life on earth and praying for those who work the land ought to be the business of us all.

In this season the lambs are born and this is a symbol of the new life we associate with Easter. Other signs of New life are all around us right now as, in the Northern Hemisphere, we celebrate Spring. My garden was all but dead and unkempt a month ago but now it is teeming with new life and is a source of great joy. Trees are coming alive with the fresh green of new growth as buds unfurl in a dusting of leaves. This is beautifully expressed in my friend Gill’s photo above. I call this the Greening of the earth again after the dormant days of Winter.
I’m convinced that God’s favourite colour is Green! It’s splashed liberally across the earth from the Divine palette!
Green is a particular colour of new growth.

Nature follows a cycle of creation and re-creation which is mirrored too in our human lives.  On one level we move from birth to death—from Spring to Winter but on another level we are constantly being re-created and made new.  This second level is, of course, the spiritual level and for us Christians, Easter is the crown of that renewed creation and creativity in our lives.  One of the Easter Carols we sing celebrates this. It begins:

Now the green blade riseth from the buried grain.

The carol makes the connection between the new birth of Spring and the Resurrection of Jesus. Wheat that has lain in the dark earth suddenly bursts forth and is alive again.  Jesus, laid in the grave comes forth at Easter. 
Love that was thought to be slain lives again as the refrain to each verse reminds us:

Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

Love is come again– such beautiful words to describe the Resurrection and for Christians, it is a reminder of the essence of Resurrection. Love cannot be defeated.  The love of God can never be killed off. Jesus embodies that Love on earth and as our Christ he is its dispenser eternally.  Love triumphs.  Jesus Christ conquers all that is not love—in the world; in us.  For us it is a reminder—as Spring is a reminder—that God makes and re-makes all things –makes them new again—Re-news. Easter faith is renewed faith with a real spring in its step.

But maybe you don’t feel like that. For so many at the moment Joy is the last thing they feel.
In a world filled with turmoil we can’t just manufacture Joy. There is nothing worse than being at a party when everyone is enjoying themselves and you’re feeling miserable. So here’s the final verse of the Carol:

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Thy touch can call us back to life again,
Fields of hearts, that dead and bare have been—Love is come again…

Jesus went to the depths of the tomb and he knows the dark places of our lives and our world.  He is the Love who comes to us there and his touch can help us—if we let Him.

That love in our hearts should also help us to love the Planet where we live.
This Earth day we have a responsibility to cherish our Planet and not pollute it. We are being asked this year to stop choking it with plastic and take responsibility for actions that we can change to stop the over use and disposal of plastic.
We can celebrate the joys of Spring and enjoy all that it offers us in renewal of our lives and hopes but a deeper celebration can be found in something so simple as carrying a canvas bag to the shops and, where possible, being careful about the packaging of goods! It really is as simple as that. It is something we can all do.

[Mr G]
with thanks to Gill for her photograph.

PS. one way to make a comment is by email – geoffrey_connor@priest.com