Peterborough Cathedral.
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Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.
Friday after Ash Wednesday.
Station at The Basilica of The Holy Martyrs, John and Paul.
Indulgence of 10 Years and 10 Quarantines.
Violet Vestments.
English: Basilica of The Holy Martyrs, John and Paul,
Mount Cœlius, Rome.
Français: Basilique Santi Giovanni e Paolo
de Rome sur le Celio.
Photo: May 2009.
Source: Own work.
Author: LPLT
(Wikimedia Commons)
English: Church of The Holy Martyrs, John and Paul, Rome.
Italiano: SS. Giovanni e Paolo - Roma.
Photo: July 2006.
Source: Flickr
Author: Patrick Denker
Reviewer: Mac9
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Epistle and the Gospel declare that the external works of Penance, such as Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving, which should be practised during Lent, have no value in the sight of God unless they are accompanied by the spirit of internal sacrifice. This spirit shows itself in works of mercy, done out of consideration for our neighbour, without distinction of friend or enemy and with the sole intention of pleasing God. Let us ask for the spirit of sacrifice and mercy.
Mass: Audivit Dominus.
Preface: For Lent.
This ancient stational church, “S. Giovanni e Paulo in Celio,” which and Zephyrinus notes, dates back to the 4th century (398 AD is often given as the completion of the first basilica), was built over the tombs of the two soldiers, John and Paul (of course mentioned in the “first list” of saints in the Roman Canon), very soon after their martyrdom, in 361AD under Julian the Apostate (d. 363, of a wound suffered during his campaign against Persia). It is a sad historic irony that Julian tried to reform much of the corruption in the Roman Empire bureaucracies, and yet was perfectly hostile to the Christian religion, which caused profound division during his short reign.
ReplyDeleteAs the liturgical notes by Dom Lefebvre OSB observe, the purpose of this stational church for the first Lenten Friday is to encourage the early catechumens and also professed Christians to imitate the sacrifice of these two martyrs, John and Paul, and also of their early patron, Pammachius, who donated his house on the imperial Ceolian Hill for the very early church and shrine over their tomb.
This church is easy to miss by the visitor to Rome, and this writer did miss it, given it’s proximity to so many other important historic sites: it was redecorated in the Baroque style in the late 1500s, including having a majestic fresco over the apse of the high altar, “Christ in Glory,” by Cristoforo Roncalli (1588); and the art historians say that in the sacristy is a magnificent canvas painting of “Madonna with Child and S John the Evangelist, John the Baptist, and other Saints,” by Antoniazzo Romano (1485), who was an extremely prolific, though not generally well-known artist with over 85 highly regarded artworks, during his lifetime (1430 ca.-1510): see wiki art: https://www.wikiart.org/en/antoniazzo-romano
Note by Dante P
A stunning and detailed presentation on a Lenten Stational Church by our Roman Correspondent, Dante P.
DeleteWhat a crying shame that none of the above is nowadays made accessible to the Modern-Church's congregations.
One wonders why.
Many thanks, indeed, Dante P, for another majestic contribution.