To My Boys: September 29, 2020
Good morning!
It’s tomorrow and, just as I promised, we are going to cover the last two pieces of work in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, sculpted by Manuel Carbonell ‘36. The first of these two pieces is actually my favorite one, so don’t be surprised if I go a little deeper into its significance. The second one is particularly unique.
Piece number three (remember, my favorite one) is the tabernacle. This important item is where we repose the Eucharist for adoration and after mass. Also made of bronze, the tabernacle has various features that highlight its beauty. The door has the symbol of the fish. For Christians, the fish is one of the oldest, most important symbols. The Greek word for fish is “Ichthus” which curiously is also an acronym in Latin for the name of Jesus, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.”
During the time of intense persecution under Roman rule, Christians would use the symbol of the fish to identify themselves, oftentimes drawing one half of it on the ground. If another Christian was present, he would complete the design, thus, identifying himself also as a Christian. The fish also refers to the profession of most of the apostles of Christ and, hence, the famous line of Jesus when he called his disciples to be, “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17).
In the center of the fish is a purple stone. This stone highlights the importance and sacredness of the tabernacle. The Jewish tradition, as described in the Book of Exodus, calls for the High Priest of Israel to wear a breastplate adorned with twelve stones, each one representing the twelve tribes of Israel. In the Catholic tradition, many of the sacred vessels used during the mass, such as the chalice and ciborium, are adorned with stones in order to accentuate their importance.
The true beauty of the tabernacle, though, lies where most people can’t see: on the inside. The inside back wall is decorated with the images of Jesus Christ, the high priest, in the center, flanked by the twelve apostles. Each figure is painted on the back wall with a halo and a carved stone that makes up their faces. In addition, under the brass stand where the ciborium is placed, is a rock. This rock was brought from the grounds of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the church originally built by St. Helen in Jerusalem that contains the site of both Calvary and the tomb of Christ.
To the side of the tabernacle, Carbonell also designed a bronze candle holder for the sanctuary lamp. This lamp is always lit, indicating the sacramental presence of Jesus in the tabernacle. I strongly encourage you to get one of the Jesuits to show you the inside of it next time you are in the chapel.
The fourth and final piece is the crucifix hanging over the altar. When you first look at it you are immediately drawn to the body of Jesus that seems to be in constant movement. The bronze figure of the Christ clearly expresses his suffering and passion in the brass crown of thorns and brass nails in his hands and feet. But, you will also notice the figure is not set flat against the cross. It’s head, arms, and feet are moving off it. This is a clear reference to the resurrection. Carbonell was expressing in this one sculpture two of the most important realities of Jesus: he suffered and died, but he also resurrected.
Carbonell’s story with this chapel does not actually end here. There is one more element I need to point out, but I will leave that for tomorrow. I hope the suspense doesn’t kill you.
Auspice Maria
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.