Last week we looked at the former baptismal font and some artwork in the church in Amenia.  This week we travel to Pine Plains to look at some more artwork--what it and its placement tell us about our communal prayer.

   When you take a close look at the altar in St. Anthony’s you’ll see a bas relief sculpture on the frontispiece.  It depicts a lamb seated on a closed book with seven seals on it.  Why it is there? What is it trying to tell us?

   To begin to answer these questions, we need to turn to the Book of Revelation. Chapters 4 and 5 shed light some light.  The fourth chapter begins with the author, John, being taken up in spirit into the heavens.  The room he enters is the heavenly throne room.  Seated on the throne is the Ancient One (God) who is described by using precious gems (jasper, carnelian, emeralds).  These jewels convey the beauty, awesomeness and otherness of God.   John sees flashes of lightning coming from the throne—a biblical way of speaking of the presence of God.  The chapters continue, describing the worship of God by the assembled throng.  As John looks around, he notices, next to the throne, a scroll with seven seals.  As the vision continues a question is heard, “who is worthy to open the book?”  Looking around, John sees a lamb who looks as if it has been slaughtered.  The “slaughtered” lamb is acknowledged as the worthy one-- his blood has been shed to ransom the saints.   Then all in the heavenly throne room fall down and worship the Ancient One.  This worship is never ending; it is the eternal worship of the Father.

   The Lamb seated on the book is Jesus Christ.  (You may recall at Easter, the church gives out large yellow cards with the image of a “victorious slaughtered” lamb on it.  We’re encouraged to place it on our front door or window during the Easter Season--as a way of professing our belief in Jesus’ resurrection.)  We believe Jesus is the one who offered the perfect sacrifice to the Father by his life and death.  The Father received his sacrifice and raised him to new life.  We have named this mystery the Paschal Mystery.

   When we are gathered for Mass, the Paschal Mystery, this perfect sacrifice, is made present and we, because of our baptism, are able to join with Jesus Christ in offering it to the Father.  What we do on our earthly altar is intimately connected with the worship taking place in the heavenly throne room.  We are caught up in the eternal worship of the Father.  The bas relief is placed there to remind us of this.  If we use our imaginations we can see that our church is filled with the saints caught up in praising and thanking God for all that God has done and is doing for us.