Public life of JesusPublic life of Jesus1313LANFRANCO, Giovanni

Miracle of the Bread and Fish1620-23

Oil on canvas, 229 x 426 cmNational Gallery of Ireland, Dublin

Compendium of the Catechism 108. Why did Jesus manifest

the Kingdom by means of signs and miracles?

547-550567

Jesus accompanied his words with signs and miracles to bear witness to the fact that the Kingdom is present in him, the Messiah. Although he healed some people, he did not come to abolish all evils here below but rather to free us especially from the slavery of sin. The driving out of demons proclaimed that his cross would be victorious over “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31).

Introduction

We christians "have to meditate on the life of Jesus, from His birth in a stable right up to His death and resurrection (...). For we do need to know it well, to have it in our heart and mind, so that at any time, without any book, we can close our eyes and contemplate His life, watching it like a movie (...).

If we do this without holding back, Christ's words will enter deep into our soul and will really change us." (Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, Christ is passing by, n. 107).

GIORDANO, LucaRaising of Lazarusc. 1675Oil on canvas, 256 x 362 cmPrivate collection

Main ideasMain ideas

1. The mysteries of the public life of Jesus

From the many events of the three years of the public life of Jesus, we can highlight: the baptism of Jesus in the

Jordan, the temptations in the desert, the preaching of the Kingdom

of God, the transfiguration on Mount

Tabor, the journey from Galilee to

Jerusalem, His messianic entry into

Jerusalem, and the mysteries of His

Passion, Death and Resurrection so as to redeem mankind.

CRANACH, Lucas the ElderChrist and the Adulteress1532Oil on panel, 82,5 x 121 cmMuseum of Fine Arts, Budapest

2. Jesus' Baptism in the River Jordan

The public life of Jesus begins with His Baptism.

The Baptism of Jesus was the public manifestation of Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God, equal to the Father, before the people of Israel.

Jesus' Baptism recalls our own baptism.

CARRACCI, AnnibaleThe Baptism of Christ

1584S. Gregorio, Bolonia

3. The temptation of Christ in the wilderness

After being baptized, Jesus went to the desert to pray and fast, allowing himself to be tempted by the devil.

Jesus' replies to the tempter showed His filial identification with the salvific plan of God, His Father.

Every year the Church celebrates these forty days of Jesus in the wilderness, where, to set us example, with His fasting, He overcame the devil's temptations.DUCCIO di Buoninsegna

Temptation on the Mount1308-11Tempera on wood, 43 x 46 cmFrick Collection, New York

4. The preaching about the Kingdom of God

Jesus came to the world to preach the Kingdom of God and to found His Church.

The Sermon on the Mount and the parables are a specially significant part of His preaching. He confirmed His mission with His holiness and His miracles.

From the beginning of His public life, Jesus chose twelve apostles to be with Him and to share closely in His mission. DOMENICO DI MICHELINO

Dante and the Three Kingdoms1465Oil on canvasMuseo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence

5. The transfiguration of Christ on the Mount Tabor

Jesus was transfigured before three of His disciples -Peter, James and John- in order to strengthen their faith because His Passion was close at hand.

Following tradition, this transfiguration occurred on Mount Tabor.

ANGELICO, FraTransfiguration1440-41Fresco, 193 x 164 cmConvento di San Marco, Florence

6. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem

Jesus went up to Jerusalem willingly, ready to die.

The messianic entry into Jerusalem, which we celebrate on Palm Sunday, shows the coming of the Kingdom that the Messiah-King -greeted in His town by the children and the humble of heart- would carry out with His death and resurrection.

GIOTTO di BondoneNo. 26 Scenes from the Life of Christ: 10. Entry into Jerusalem1304-06Fresco, 200 x 185 cmCappella Scrovegni (Arena Chapel), Padua

7. From the Cenacle to Calvary

"When Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end." (John 13:1).

Then Jesus opened His Heart in a long speech framed around: the washing of feet, in which he gives

His disciples example in humility and service;

the new commandment of love, that He entrusts to them;

the institution of the Eucharist and the Priesthood: "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke, 22:19);

the promise of the Holy Spirit; the priestly prayer of Jesus, that

opens the prospect of the glory of the Cross.

BASSANO, JacopoThe Last Supper1542Oil on canvas

8. Knowing the life of Jesus

Every Christian should know the life of Jesus, and reproduce Christ's life in his or her own life.

Reading and meditating on Sacred Scripture will help us, because from Scripture we will learn how to follow Jesus; He, then, will show us the way to holiness in our ordinary life, in our family and in our work.

BOSCH, HieronymusChrist Carrying the CrossOil on panel, 150 x 94 cm

Palacio Real, Madrid

Resolutions for Christian lifeResolutions for Christian life

Resolutions to move forward

Read and meditate every day some passage from the Gospel about the life of Jesus

Jesus is our model in everything; let us imitate the life of Christ in our dealings with other people.