Statues Flashcards
What is the pieta statue?
-It is a piece of art depicting Mary holding Jesus’ body after he was taken down from the cross. -It can be found in Rome.
How does the fact that Mary shows acceptance and not anger in the Pieta statue have significance?
-Mary’s face shows acceptance - not anger. God chose Mary for her goodness, and we see here she shows no resentment or anger over Jesus’ death.
-this teaches Catholics that although Jesus suffered they can be happy knowing he died for their sins
-“I am the resurrection”
How does the grief down on the statue hold significance?
-The statue shows a scene of grief and suffering, but it also shows hope and salvation through the resurrection of Jesus
-“They crucified him”
What is the Crucifix statue?
-This is one of the most popular ways that Jesus is shown. There is a crucifix in a Church and in Catholic schools to help Catholics to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus.
-“they crucified him”
What is the statue of Mary?
-Statues of Mary the mother of Jesus are common in Catholic churches and schools. They remind Christians of the special relationship Mary and Jesus have.
-“pray for us sinners now”-Hail Mary prayer
Why are statues so widely accepted by Catholics?
-Catholic’s say that they do worship the statue itself but only use it as an aid in prayer so it is easier to concentrate and focus
-statues can also portray emotions and concepts that can be hard to comprehend or put in words. For example the pieta allows Catholics to reflect on the suffering of Christ
-in the Sacrosanctum concilium it says that stayed “achieved their purpouse…. of turning men’s minds devoutly towards God” meaning they act as a reminder of faith and make sure the mind is never to far from God
Why may Jews disagree with the idea of using statues?
-Jewish people would disagree with the use of statues as they would argue that they take away focus from God and instead lead people to worship the statue and not God
-they would say it goes against the 10 commandments to “you shall not make for yourself an idol” which is important as they try to keep as much mitzvot as possible for a good judgement
