Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Church of the Beatitudes (1938)



The Church of the Beatitudes is a Roman Catholic church maintained and overseen by the Franciscan Order, located by the Sea of Galilee near Tabgha and Capernaum in Israel. 

The word ‘beatitudes’ originates from the Latin words “beati”, which means ‘blessed’, which is the prefix of each verse.

Location
The traditional location for the Mount of Beatitudes is on the north western shore of the Sea of Galilee, between Capernaum and Gennesaret (Ginosar). The actual location of the Sermon on the Mount is not certain, but the present site (also known as Mount Eremos) has been commemorated for more than 1600 years. The site is very near Tabgha. Other suggested locations have included the nearby Mount Arbel, or even the Horns of Hattin.



History
Located on a small hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee, and built on the traditional site of Jesus delivery of the Sermon on the Mount.  Pilgrims are known to have commemorated this site since at least the 4th century.

The current church sits near the ruins of a small Byzantine era church dating to the late 4th century, which contains a rock-cut cistern beneath it and the remains of a small monastery to its southeast. Part of the original mosaic floor has also been recovered and is now on display in Capernaum. 












Design and Construction
The modern church was built between 1936 and 1938 near the site of the fourth century Byzantine ruins. The floor plan is octagonal, the eight sides representing the eight Beatitudes.  The church is Byzantine in style with a marble veneer casing the lower walls and gold mosaic in the dome. In front of the church are mosaic symbols on the pavement representing Justice, Prudence, Fortitude, Temperance, Faith, Hope, and Charity.

The ceiling walls have a shape of an octagon, and on each side there is a window with one of the eight verses in Latin.

The church was commissioned by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and designed by the architect Antonio Barluzzi.




Biblical Account Matthew 51:12 (NIV)
1Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.  
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.





Source :
1. Wikipedia
2. Sacred Destinations.com

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish (1982)


The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, shortened to (The Church of the Multiplication), is a Roman Catholic church located at Tabgha, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The modern church rests on the site of two earlier churches.







History

The earliest recording of a church commemorating Jesus' feeding of the five thousand is by the Spanish pilgrim Egeria circa AD 380.

"Not far away from there (Capernaum) are some stone steps where the Lord stood. And in the same place by the sea is a grassy field with plenty of hay and many palm trees. By them are seven springs, each flowing strongly. And this is the field where the Lord fed the people with the five loaves and two fishes. In fact the stone on which the Lord placed the bread has now been made into an altar. Past the walls of this church goes the public highway on which the Apostle Matthew had his place of custom. Near there on a mountain is a cave to which the Savior climbed and spoke the Beatitudes."

The church was significantly enlarged around the year 480 with floor mosaics also added at this time. These renovations are attributed to the patriarch Matryrios.

In AD 614 Persians destroyed the original Byzantine church, and the exact site of the shrine was lost for some 1,300 years.

In 1888 the site was acquired by the German Catholic society (Deutsche Katholische Palaestinamission) which was associated with the Archdiocese of Cologne.

An initial archeological survey was conducted in 1892, with full excavations beginning in 1932. These excavations resulted in the discovery of mosaic floors from the 5th-century church, which was also found to be built on the foundations of a much smaller 4th-century chapel.

The current church was built in 1982 to the same floor plan as the 5th-century Byzantine church.  Since 1939 it has been administered by the Benedictine order as a daughter-house of the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem.

On 17 June 2015, the church was significantly damaged by an arson attack committed by Jewish extremists. Hebrew graffiti, with the words “the false gods will be eliminated” (quoted from the Aleinu prayer), was sprayed on the church walls and follows a history of right-wing Jewish extremist arson and graffiti attacks against Christian sites.  Four Israeli Jews age 18 to 24 (plus an unnamed minor) were arrested by the Israel police and indicted for the arson. The suspects are reportedly associated with the Jewish extremist, ultra-nationalist "Hilltop Youth".


Interior
Layout
The interior of the church has a central nave and two aisles. The sanctuary is backed by an apse with transepts on either side. Under the altar is a block of limestone found during excavation,  that is venerated as the stone on which the miraculous meal was laid.

Mosaics
One of the main highlights of the church are its restored 5th century mosaics. These mosaics are the earliest known examples of figured pavement in Christian art in the Holy Land. The mosaics in the two transepts depict various wetland birds and plants, with a prominent place given to the lotus flower. This flower, which is not indigenous to the area, suggests the artist's use of a Nilotic landscape popular in Roman and early-Byzantine art. All the other motifs depict plants and animals from the Galilee. The mosaics found in front of the altar depict two fish flanking a basket containing loaves of bread.







Fifth century remains 
Also preserved in the modern church are the sill of the left entrance to the atrium, basalt paving stones, and part of the apse frieze. The foundations of the original 4th-century church can also be seen under a glass panel to the right of the altar. Basalt presses and a font are also displayed in the courtyard.




Biblical Accounts
Matthew 14:13-21
Mark 6:30-44
Luke 9:10-17
John 6:1-15







source : Wikipedia

Sunday, November 22, 2015

耶稣喂饱五千人 Jesus Feeds the Multitudes - an OmgziVersion


这事以後,耶稣渡过加利利海,就是提比哩亚海。( 约翰61 ) ( 马太1413 )
那时犹太人的逾越节近了 ( 约翰 64 )

使徒聚集到耶稣那里,将一切所做的事、所传的道全告诉他 ( 马可 630 )  
他就说:你们来,同我暗暗的到旷野地方去歇一歇。这是因为来往的人多,他们连吃饭也没有工夫。( 马可 631 )
耶稣就带他们暗暗的离开那里,( 马可 632 )  往一座城去;那城名叫伯赛大。( 路加 910b )

耶稣上了山,和门徒一同坐在那里( 约翰63 )
众人看见他们去,有许多认识他们的,就从各城步行,一同跑到那里,比他们先赶到了。( 马可 633 ) ( 约翰62 )
耶稣出来,见有许多的人,就怜悯他们,治好了他们的病人。(马太1414 ) 因为他们如同羊没有牧人一般,於是开口教训他们许多道理( 马可 634 ) ( 路加 911 )

天将晚的时候,门徒进前来,说:这是野地,时候已经过了,( 马可 635 )  请叫众人散开,他们好往村子里去,自己买吃的。(马太1415 ) ( 马可 636 ) ( 路加 912 )
耶稣说:不用他们去,你们给他们吃罢!(马太1416 ) ( 路加 913a )

耶稣对腓力说:我们从那里买饼叫这些人吃呢?( 约翰 65 )
他说这话是要试验腓力;他自己原知道要怎样行。( 约翰 66 )
腓力回答说:就是二十两银子的饼,叫他们各人吃一点也是不够的。( 约翰 67 ) ( 马可 637 ) ( 路加 913b )

耶稣说:你们有多少饼,可以去看看。 ( 马可 638a ) (马太1417a )
有一个门徒,就是西门彼得的兄弟安得烈,对耶稣说:( 约翰 68 )
在这里有一个孩童,带着五个大麦饼、两条鱼,只是分给这许多人还算甚麽呢?( 约翰 69 )
耶稣说:拿过来给我。(马太1418 )

耶稣吩咐他们,叫众人一帮一帮的坐在青草地上。( 马可 639 ) (马太1419a ) ( 约翰610a )
众人就一排一排的坐下,有一百一排的,有五十一排的。( 马可 640 ) ( 路加 914b-15)
耶稣拿着这五个饼,两条鱼,望着天祝福,擘开饼,递给门徒,摆在众人面前( 路加 916 ) 也把那两条鱼分给众人。( 马可641 ) (马太1419b )  都随着他们所要的。( 约翰611 )  

他们吃饱了,耶稣对门徒说:把剩下的零碎收拾起来,免得有糟蹋的。( 约翰612 )
他们便将那五个大麦饼的零碎,就是众人吃了剩下的,收拾起来,装满了十二个篮子。 (马太1420 ) ( 马可 642-43 ) ( 路加 917 ) ( 约翰613 )
吃的人,除了妇女孩子,约有五千。(马太1421 ) ( 马可644 ) ( 路加 914a ) ( 约翰610b )


The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, 1624, Giovanni Lanfranco.



众人看见耶稣所行的神迹,就说:这真是那要到世间来的先知!约翰614 )
耶稣既知道众人要来强逼他作王,就独自又退到山上去了。约翰615 )

然而,有几只小船从提比哩亚来,靠近主祝谢後分饼给人吃的地方。众人见耶稣和门徒都不在那里,就上了船,往迦百农去找耶稣。既在海那边找着了,就对他说:拉比,是几时到这里来的?( 约翰623-25 )

耶稣回答说:我实实在在的告诉你们,你们找我,并不是因见了神迹,乃是因吃饼得饱。不要为那必坏的食物劳力,要为那存到永生的食物劳力,就是人子要赐给你们的,因为人子是父神所印证的。( 约翰626-27 )

众人问他说:我们当行甚麽,才算做神的工呢?( 约翰628 )
耶稣回答说:信神所差来的,这就是做神的工。( 约翰629 )

他们又说:你行甚麽神迹,叫我们看见就信你;你到底做甚麽事呢?我们的祖宗在旷野吃过吗哪,如经上写着说:他从天上赐下粮来给他们吃。( 约翰630-31 )
耶稣说:我实实在在的告诉你们,那从天上来的粮不是摩西赐给你们的,乃是我父将天上来的真粮赐给你们。因为神的粮就是那从天上降下来、赐生命给世界的。( 约翰632-33 )

他们说:主阿,常将这粮赐给我们!( 约翰634 )

耶稣说:我就是生命的粮。到我这里来的,必定不饿;信我的,永远不渴。( 约翰635 )