Sunday, February 7, 2016

The St. John's Bible- Loaves and Fishes

 Loaves and Fishes, 2002
Mark 6:30-44, 8:1-10
Donald Jackson
Scribe: Donald Jackson
Vellum, with ink paint and gold

"The apostle Mark narrates twice 
the story of Christ providing food 
for multitudes of people.
This illuminations accompanies the first one, 
in which Christ miraculously multiplied
 five loaves and two fishes to feed five thousand people, 
with twelve baskets of leftovers. 
Traditions locates this event at Tabgha,
 on the west side of the Sea of Galilee.
Photo- C. Denninger
This is the church in Tabgha 
that has an ancient mosaic of the 
fish and loaves from a 4th century church
 restored in the current church.

This illumination focuses on the abundant 
proliferation of food for the body, 
which foreshadows the Eucharistic gifts
 of food for the soul. 
The circular loaves, marked with a cross,
 prefigure the bread of the Eucharist (Communion). 
The stamped image of fish derive 
from a mosaic in Tabgha.
 The baskets (shown partially)
 have geometric designs based on
 ancient Native american Anasazi basketry."
 This connects to the American impact 
of images for this Bible.
"The baskets symbolize the multiplying effect
 of any act of love, such as sharing. 
Hence, the design spreads out
 toward all the margins, 
interrupted only by unkind acts (dark brown) 
and instances in which we could have acted 
with love and kindness but did not (white spaces).

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