Speak to Me Sunday: Cristo Velato (Veiled Christ)

During a recent homily, Fr. Solomon said that we are all called to be the flesh and bone of the Word of God. 

Flesh. And. Bone. His words took the more common expression of our calling--to be the hands and feet of Christ--and elevated it. Yes, we are called to do God's work, to use our hands and go where he calls us, but flesh and bone conveys more than our works; they are the vessels carrying our thoughts, emotions, dreams. Our very existence. Our souls. All of us.

We are called to be the flesh and bone of the Word of God. 

Last night, with Fr. Solomon's words swirling in my mind, I thought about Cristo Velato (Veiled Christ) by the 18th century artist Giuseppe Sanmartino. (Learn more about this magnificent sculpture below.)

And today, as I prepare to go on a long hike in the woods with my husband, I will recall this image reminding us of Christ who was man incarnate--flesh and bone--but also divine. He calls us, but he also shows the way. 

Because we are, by our very existence, called to be the Word of God. 

Cristo Velato

Located in the center of the nave in the Sansevero Chapel in Naples (Italy), this work of art is both haunting and breathtakingly beautiful. It's almost unthinkable that one would be able to sculpt—out of stone!—a transparent fabric, and yet Sanmartino, a humble stone cutter who was actually the second choice for this project, created such a masterpiece it prompted Neoclassical artist Anotonio Canova to proclaim that he wished it had been his creation.

Why a veiled Christ? Throughout history, the use of a veil in art is often used to convey hidden meanings and deep metaphors—a barrier between the viewer and the subject, a transition between life and death, or a boundary between the human and the divine.

Also note:

1/ The veil is so close to Christ's body that you can see every detail of his face and body, with the wounds in his hands and feet emphasized by the concave depression of the veil.

2/ Christ is depicted in the period between his Crucifixion and his Resurrection, a transition that is frozen in this one moment. But see the next point ...

3/ Much like Mary's robes in Michelangelo's Pieta' which cascade downward like a waterfall, the veil over Christ's body is almost water-like and seems to suggest movement rather than death.

4/ The observer is separated from Christ by a veil so thin that it's as if we are within touching distance of the divine.

5/ The devices of Christ's torture (crown of thorns, nails) are at his feet because he has triumphed over pain and death.

6/ Watch the video below which uses dramatic, high precision lighting in the Sansevero Chapel.