The prophet Isaiah describes, in today’s readings, a holy mountain. On this mountain, God will provide juicy rich food and choice wine. On this mountain, God will destroy death and remove the reproach against his people. As Christians we can see this prophecy readily fulfilled in Jesus, who has given us the best of food and drink in the Eucharist, and who by his death has destroyed death.
At the very core of our faith is our belief that God became human to deliver us from sin and death. Everywhere in our church we see signs and symbols of this central message. The crucifix over the altar reminds us of Jesus’ death. The stained-glass windows tell us stories of the life of Jesus. The Stations of the Cross tell the story of Jesus’ passion. It is easy for us to become so accustomed to the presence of these images that we don’t really see them anymore. But what if they weren’t there?
In the 8th Century there was a movement in the Church against the use of images. The Iconoclasts saw the use of images as a violation of the Ten Commandments which forbids graven images. However, St. John Damascene argued against the Iconoclasts by pointing out that God had become human in the Person of Jesus Christ, and so depictions of Jesus were not graven images but images of a real human being. St. John also promoted the importance of beauty as a way of coming to know God.
Today, as we celebrate the memorial of St. John Damascene let’s take a moment and reflect on all the beautiful artwork that depicts the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Let us thank God for the image of the invisible God, Jesus.
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