Christ the King - on our tabernacle

[After our current construction] the new tabernacle will sit between the new chapel and the present church. It is being built of the same granite being used in the new altar and ambo. The tabernacle will have doors facing both the church and the chapel.

On the door facing the chapel we will be attempting something quite unique. We are planning on painting an image, taken from the Book of Kells, on a piece of brass. The image is that of Christ enthroned in heaven and may have been originally painted in the 6th or 7th century. The image is on our bulletin today. The interior of the door will have an image of an angel from Fra Angelico.

So, why the image from the Book of Kells you ask? The Book of Kells is Ireland’s greatest national art treasure. It is an illuminated manuscript that presents a Latin translation of the Four Gospels accompanied by a dazzling array of decorative ornamentation, iconography and illustration.

The book is named after the Abbey of Kells in County Meath, Ireland where it is believed that monks from the order of St. Columbkille created its pages. There is a good historical argument that St. Columbkille himself did some of the manuscript and illustration. Which pages and images were done by him is not clear, but it is within the realm of possibility the image of Christ we are painting on the door of the tabernacle was done by Columbkille himself, since similar images began to appear in the fourth century. Most scholars believe the majority of the Book of Kells was done to commemorate the anniversary of St. Columbkille’s death. Most believe, too, that the book was begun at the monastery in Iona and then finished at Kells.

The book has had an interesting history. In the Annals of Ulster from the year 1007, we read, “the great Gospel of Columbkille, the chief relic of the Western Word, was wickedly stolen during the night from the western sacristy of the great stone church at Kells on account of its wrought shrine.” The book was found two months later buried under sod with its gold cover missing. It was transferred to Trinity College in Dublin in the 17th century where it remains to this day.

This image of Christ from the Book of Kells contains peacocks which are a symbol of eternal life because of the ancient belief that dead peacocks did not rot. Plus, there is the dazzling display of color in a peacock’s feathers that speak of majesty. The chalice in the image is a symbol of the Eucharist, the vines are symbols of Christ’s lineage as the Son of Man going back to Adam and the “true Israel,” he seated on a throne to symbolize his role as judge, four angels surround the throne to attest to his divine majesty, he holds the Word of God, and the entire image is framed by coils with three levels to symbolize the Trinity.

- Fr Damian, From his bulletin letter