CHRISTUS
First Mystery (The Nativity)
Augustus Caesar, Emperor.
The Spirit of Empire shows Caesar,
while sleeping, the might of Rome..
which reigns over Hellenic beauty,
which reigns over
the markets of Alexandria,
which dominates far off Judea.
The map of Estrabon.
Hail, Rome, capital of the world!
Caesar orders the "Nomenclatur"
to take a census.
The messengers of the Imperial Will
carry the decree through the provinces.
To Nazareth!
The humble abode of Joseph
and Mary of Nazareth.
Obeying the edict.
Towards Bethlehem, the city of David.
The weary Virgin falls down on
the threshhold of the manger.
Christmas!
A new dawn arises in the world.
A sign for the shepherds.
The appearance of the Star.
"And light shines in the darkness"
The Star leads the Magi into the desert.
The carovan of King Balthasar.
The shepherds at the manger.
The carovan of King Melchior.
The carovan of King Gaspar.
The carovans of the Kings of
the East in the Assyrian desert.
And the powerful of the earth
with their innumerable followers
follow the path of the bright star.
The House of the King of the Poor.
"The Nativity"
Towards Gerusalem.
On the banks of the Dead Sea.
The Wisemen before Herod.
"Where is this King of the Jews?"
King Herod dismisses the Wisemen
who are on their way to Bethlehem.
He tells them, "Go and
find out about this child."
From Gerusalem, the Kings proceed
towards the manger in Bethlehem.
The adoration of the Magi and shepherds.
The offering of treasure.
The ghosts of the Herod's victims,
decaptitated on account of his ambition;
they mock the tyrant.
Herod versus the Star of the East.
King Herod orders the deaths of all
first born males of the house of David.
The Wisemen return to their
countries through a different route.
"The Slaugter of the Innocents."
The Angel of the Lord appeared
to Jospeh in a dream and said to him,
"Wake up, take the child and his
mother and fly to Egypt."
"The Flight to Egypt"
Abbandoning their mare in Galilee,
they cross on camel
the craggy desert of Arabia.
The Holy Family among
the shepherds of the oasis.
The Pyramids of ancient kings
watch pass "the Baby Jesus".
And the mysterious Sphinxes of Karnak
watch over the repose of the Virgin.
The youth of Jesus.
Divine grace accompanies him on the
return from Egypt to Galilee and Nazareth.
Joseph and Mary bring
their child to Jerusalem.
The courtyard of tapestries
in the palace of Solomon.
Jesus among the Doctors.
The shadow of the cross.
He opened his arms and on the
curtain appeared the shadow of a cross.
Slowly, her face turned white.
THE MEDITATIONS: The Two Civilizations
Jesus approaches the great Sphynx.
The prayer at the granite temple
and the vestibules of Khephren.
A new idea among the ruins
of the ancient religions.
In the temple consacrated to
Amun, Mont and Kons.
Sewing everywhere the word of truth
among the nomads of the desert.
The alabaster Sphynx of Memphis.
In that lonely place,
the sick would visit "Him".
At the feet of the Sphynx, he cured
an Egyptian princess sick with fever.
THE TEMPTATIONS
Jesus is lead into the desert
to be tempted by the devil.
The demon shows Jesus all the kingdoms
of the Earth and its glories;
Jesus responds, "Get behind me, Satan".
The baptism of Jesus on
the banks of Jordan.
"He's my beloved son."
The guilty woman.
"Let he who is without sin,
cast the first stone."
Jesus raises the tablets
of the Old Testament.
Jesus chases the Pharisees
from the temple.
"Mary Magdalene"
At the fountain, amidst the flowers,
she heard a voice from afar.
Mary Magdalene by the Pharisees.
"You have been forgiven much,
because you have loved much."
Jesus walks on water.
On Mount Tabor
The Transfiguartion (after Raphael Sanzio)
The resurrection of Lazarus.
"Lazarus, rise and walk forth!"
The Good Shepherd.
"Suffer the children
to come unto me."
Jesus enters Jerusalem.
Hosanna, blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord, King of Israel!
The cruel hatred of Judas.
"And from that time on, they sought
any opportunity to betray him."
Passover. The Last Supper.
The table set by the angels.
The Last Supper
of Leonardo Da Vinci.
"Eat this, this is my body."
"This is my blood."
In the Sanhedrin,
the leaders and priests
ask the high priest, Ananais,
for Jesus' death.
Ananais, the blind high priest,
stumbles after the shadow of Jesus,
as he heads towards Gethsemane.
Judas Iscariot at the Sanhedrin.
Judas said, "He who I'll
kiss, will be Jesus.."
And they paid him out 30 pieces
of silver: a slave's price.
In a devilish hallucination, the pieces
of silver turn to drops of blood.
In the Garden of Gethsemane
"Be watchful and pray.."
A gang from the Sanhedrin,
led by Judas Iscariot.
"Sad is my soul unto death.."
"Good Father, take away
from me this cross.."
"Could you not watch one hour with me?"
His sweat became like drops of blood.
An angel appeared from heaven,
comforting him.
"Thy will be done."
He who betrayed him said,
"I greet you, Master."
And in the hands of the
Just One, the sword broke.
The Passion. Jesus is brought
before the High Priest, Caiphas.
The false testimony.
The high priest asked, "Are you
the Christ, the Son of God?"
And Jesus answered him,
"You said it."
Mocking hommage in the courtyard
of the House of Maccabees.
And they dressed him in a cloak
of scarlet and crowned him with thorns.
Peter denies Jesus for the first time.
Peter denies Jesus for the second time.
Peter denies Jesus for the third time.
"Hail, King of the Jews"
And Peter saw the pupils of
the Just One and wept bitterly.
Jesus before Herod Antipas,
Herodias and Salome.
The demand for miracles
from a patient God.
"Turn water into wine;
Have my sceptre grow flowers.."
Jesus is brought before
Marcus Pontius Pilate.
And Pilate's wife said to him, "Don't
do anything against this just man."
There was in prison,
a murderer named Barabbas.
"Whom shall I set free,
Jesus or Barabbas?"
The triumph of Barabbas
and the condemnation of Jesus.
The Flagellation.
Judas returns to the Sanhedrin,
the blood money.
Judas goes towards a death in despair.
"Here is a man.."
"Crucify him! Crucify him!"
In the eternal darkness, where there is
weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus falls under the cross.
And they compelled a certain Simon
of Cyrene to carry the cross for him.
The two Marys on
the Way of Sorrows.
The Martyrdom of the Just One
and the celebration for he who
was imprisoned for murder.
And it was the third hour,
and they crucified him.
"Lord, Lord, why hast
thou forsaken me.."
The tears of the Virgin.
"It is finished."
And there was darkness.
The Deposition.
The Sorrowful Mother
(after Michelangelo's Piet)
Towards the Holy Tomb.
The Sepulchre.
The body sprinkled with oils,
was wrapped in a shroud.
The Roman guards at the tomb.
The shadow over the tomb.
The night guard.
The Sorrowful Vigil.
He rises.
The light of Christ resurrected
to the eyes of his mother.
"Touch me not.. "
The new spring for all souls on earth.
The disbelief of Thomas the Apostle.
The house of Simon Peter.
The disciples said to Thomas,
"We've seen the Lord."
Jesus said, "Bring close your hand,
and touch my side.."
The Ascension.
THE SON ASCENDS TO THE FATHER.
In that cross, blazed Christ. (Dante)