Day 48 - Easter Monday - St Peter in Chains

This week, known as the Octave of Easter, was of critical importance in the lives of the ancient catechemens who had been baptized at the Great Vigil of Easter.  For this entire week, they wore their white baptismal garments, and received extensive catechesis regarding the Faith.  In those ancient times, remember that the catechumenate lasted 2-3 years, during which time, the catechumens were not allowed to participate in the "Mysteries" or Sacraments.  Finally at the Easter Vigil, they received Baptism, Confirmation, and their first Eucharist.  During this week after Easter, all the other Sacraments were explained, as well as an intense summary of the teachings of the Church.  Keep this awareness foremost in your minds as we travel this last week of our pilgrimage, and imagine what it would have been like in the old days to be a catechumen, learning fully the truths of the Catholic Faith for the first time, when embracing the Faith could sometimes result in martyrdom.  You might also pause now and then, and pray for those who face potential martyrdom today because they profess those same truths as the catechumens of ancient times.

Now, here we are on Easter Monday, back at St Peter in Chains (San Pietro in Vincoli)   Below we see Peter, being released from his chains by the angel, and holding the keys of the Kingdom, given him by his Lord.

Description of Michelangelo's Moses

Julius II, who has gone down in history as the Warrior Pope, because he was the last pope to ride into battle fully armed at the head of the troops of the Papal States, was not buried at this magnificent tomb.  As originally conceived, this monument was meant to be a freestanding structure for Julius II's magnificent tomb in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.  Through a series of events, however, this masterpiece was eventually reduced to a wall tomb, becoming one of the greatest disappointments of Michelangelo's life, and was never installed at San Pietro in Vaticano, but rather, it was placed here at San Pietro in Vincoli.   Only the Moses was executed by Michelangelo himself, the other figures were carved by several of his students.  And perhaps most telling of all, Pope Julius II is not even buried here.  

This Renaissance pope, who we remember as the pope who commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and Bramante to begin the construction of the New St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, was buried in St Peter's in the Vatican, but his tomb was desecrated during the Sack of Rome in 1527, and he now lies under the floor of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, his resting place marked only by an inscription on the simple marble slab that covers his tomb.  "Oh, how the mighty have fallen…"  " Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!"  This scriptural commentary seems apropos for a man who bribed his way into the papacy and was reduced in death to a mere step on the footpath for other men to trod upon.  His mighty works in life have not benefited him in death, while our Lord who was lowly in death, now reigns triumphant.  How appropriate it is that this stational church, with its great statuary monument, was chosen as the station for this Easter Monday, in the shadow of the great Easter feast we have just celebrated.  

What was meant to be the monument to the Warrior Pope now stands just to the right of the reliquary containing the chains of St Peter.  The contrast between the lowly fisherman pope and the mighty warrior pope could not be more stark and revealing . . . . .

 PASCHALCAzT 2017 48 EASTER MONDAY "Pasquetta" [ 4:59 ]