Rublev's Famous Holy Trinity Icon

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"The great never occurs by accident, and never comes as a flash of fancy: it is the word that makes countless threads long pre-planned in history meet together. The great is a synthesis of the whole that, in its parts, had gleamed with a phosphoric light amongst the entire nation; it would have never become great unless it had met the creative yearning of the entire people."1.

Father Pavel Florensky

IN 1929, THE ZAGORSK HISTORY AND ART MUSEUM PASSED OVER THE MOST ACCLAIMED RUSSIAN ICON, THE "HOLY TRINITY" BY ANDREI RUBLEV, WHICH IS CONSIDERED THE ACME OF RUSSIAN NATIONAL ART, TO THE TRETYAKOV GALLERY; SINCE THEN THE ICON HAS BEEN KEPT UNDER THE CONSTANT ATTENTION OF ITS CURATORS AND RESTORERS. RUBLEV'S "HOLY TRINITY" HAS ATTRACTED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OF EVERY CREED, PROFESSION AND AGE WITH A COMMON DESIRE TO WORSHIP THIS IDEAL OF BEAUTY AND TRUE SPIRITUALITY, EXECUTED WITH PERFECT ARTISTIC MEANS.

Any discussion about any work of art, whether secular or religious - all the more so when the subject is the "Holy Trinity" of Rublev -starts with certain questions: Where? (the locus), when? (the tempus), who? (the persona), why? (the causa activa), and what for? (the causa finalis).

The question of where the icon was created has raised very little debate among art historians; all are unanimous that Andrei Rublev painted the icon in the Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery. Has there been any difference of opinion between art historians about the place the icon occupied inside the Lavra? In the past, the icon was thought to have been originally situated, as the principle icon of the Trinity Cathedral, in the first tier of the iconostasis to the right of the Holy Doors.2 But Valentina Antonova has raised quite reliable evidence that the icon was originally placed at the foot of the shrine of St. Sergius of Radonezh, viewed like the altarpiece behind the Holy Table.3 In the 16th century a copy of Rublev's "Trinity" was created.4 While the original, adorned with a gilt oklad (setting frame), richly enstudded with jewels on Boris Godunov's instruction in 1600,5 was moved to the place due to the principle icon of the cathedral (possibly following its glorification as miraculous) in 16266, the copy was placed to the left of the Holy Doors, next to the icon of the Mother of God (the Hodigitria). For about 500 years the original icon occupied its place in the Trinity Cathedral of the Monastery, and was restored more than once.

In 1904-05, the well-known painter, art-collector and Tretyakov Gallery trustee Ilya Ostroukhov suggested cleaning the original image from its later layers of paint, with the Moscow Archaeological Society supporting the proposal and offering its supervision of the project. That first uncovering was done, with the consent of the Lavra authorities, by Vasily Guryanov, an icon painter and restorer, assisted by Vladimir Tyulin and A. Izraztsov. As soon as the task was completed, a photograph of the original image was taken as it was revealed to the painters.7 The final restoration was completed by a joint team of the Central Restoration Workshops and the Zagorsk History and Art Museum in 1918-19.8 It was also recognized as unacceptable to hide with a frame what was an "exclusive, in its worldwide importance, work of art" from the palette of Andrei Rublev.9

Unlike the question as to where the icon was created, no answer to the issue as to when exactly the "Holy Trinity" was created has been found to date. Those inclined to think that the icon was originally meant for the wooden Trinity Cathedral erected in 1411 think that it was taken to the stone church later. Art historians who disagree insist that the "Holy Trinity" was painted at the same time as other icons from the iconostasis in the new cathedral that is known to have been decorated by the workshop of Rublev and Daniil Chyorny in 1425-27. At present, the problem of dating the "Holy Trinity" can be scientifically summed up as: "The dispute ... can only be resolved after complex research on all icons relating to the work of Andrei Rublev."10

There is complete unanimity in the answer to the question of who is the author of the "Holy Trinity" - undoubtedly, it is Andrei Rublev. Although there have been other suggestions questioning that attribution: in the second half of the 19th century Dmitry Ro-vinsky, who believed the icon had been created by an Italian master, would assert that is was probably nothing but the news about the Klintsov original, also mentioned in the "Life of St. Sergius of Radonezh", that "enabled Ivan Snegirev to attribute the icon of the Holy Trinity to Rublev."11 But St. Philaret (Drozdov), the Metropolitan of Moscow, felt it necessary to contest such an assumption, refering to the long-established legend in the monastery that the image had been painted by Andrei Rublev in the time of St. Nikon of Radonezh.12 After the initial cleaning of the icon Nikolai Likhachev wrote: "Observations made by Guryanov confirm the belief that the icon of the Holy Trinity belongs to the brush of Rublev."13

As for the motive in painting the "Holy Trinity" (the causa ac-tiva), it remains both direct and indirect. The direct impetus is clear: St. Nikon of Radonezh gave a commission for, according to the words of the Iconographic Original, "an image for the Holy Trinity to be painted in his time, to venerate His Holy Father, St. Sergius the Wonderworker..."14 The indirect motive was indicated by Pavel Flo-rensky: "Since the cathedral was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, there should have been an icon of the Holy Trinity in it as its principle one, that would convey the spiritual essence of the cathedral - its name embodied in colour. It is impossible to imagine, though, that the disciple of Reverend Sergius' disciple, almost his spiritual grandson, almost his contemporary, who was already painting icons when Reverend Sergius was alive, and probably knew him personally, should have dared to substitute the composition of the Holy Trinity icon that existed at the time of Reverend Sergius, and was approved by him, for a composition of his own copied from the same authentic image. The miniatures of the 'Life of St Sergius of Radonezh' performed by Epiphanius the Wise do not show the 'Holy Trinity' icon in St. Sergius' cell during the first half of his life, but only during the second; thus, the miniatures testify to its creation during the middle period of St. Sergius' life ... In the iconography of the 'Holy Trinity' Andrei Rublev was not an independent creator, but only an executor who followed the creative design and the original composition suggested by Sergius."15

Now we face the most complicated task of discovering the major reason - the causa finalis - for which the icon was painted, its goal, and its significance for the world in which we live. Any icon combines a dogmatic philosophy as well as an ethical and ideological exhortation and the artistic features of a painting.

Dogmatically, the sense of the icon is based on the postulate that "the existence of the image in the world is a matter of God's preordination, for in God's eternal and unchanging counsel, as if in the conception, there are depictions and samples of those things which are to exist because of Him."16 About the ethical and ideological exhortation St. John of Damascus spoke in his "Apologies against Those who Decry Holy Images", with which he addressed the Seventh Ecumenical Council calling on renowned painters for brave deeds, to set forth in their art the images of the Old and New Testaments, so that those who were not learned and could not read the Holy Scripture, would be able - by examining those stories - to enjoy the lives of holy men and their good deeds, for "what a book is to the literate, that an image is to the illiterate..."17 The artistic language of iconography reveals itself as a result of thorough analysis of the work of art and, in the case of religious painting, it should also be remembered that "speaking of the forms the image may take, the Church Fathers do not accentuate so much the importance of the character as that of the live, spontaneous conveyance of the original image achieved through a factual projection of the reality."18

Any interpretation of the dogmatic sense of the Holy Trinity as it is realized in the iconographic tradition of the Old Testament Trinity image should start with a glance at the original biblical story. The 18th book of Genesis narrates the story of how the Lord appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre when he was sitting at his tent door. As he looked up and saw three men standing at a distance, Abraham ran to meet them, bowed and said: "My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away ..." (Gen. 18.3) Further the Bible relates the meal Abraham and Sarah hastened to make and set before their guests. At the meal the Lord promised the couple, well stricken in age, the birth of a son, Isaac. At the end of the meal Abraham showed them the way to Sodom and Gomorrah. And on the way the Lord told Abraham the terrible fate that awaited the two towns, "because their sin is very grievous". As the men turned their faces away, Abraham approached the Lord with a plea to spare the inhabitants of the sinful cities on certain conditions. Then the Lord went away, and Abraham returned to his dwelling.

"If we follow that long and difficult route from the plains of Mamre and the catacombs of Rome, to Ravenna and the islands of Patmos and Sicily, through Capadoccia and Constantinople, then to the old Russian principalities of Kiev, Vladimir and Suzdal, Novgorod, and, finally, Moscow, to the shrine of Reverend Sergius, it enables us to find out why, when and where the scene of the 'Hospitality of Abraham' became understood as the Old Testament Trinity."19 None of the Apostolic Fathers had ever doubted that the episode narrated the story of one of the two known apparitions of God to Abraham. There has, however, been disagreement about the following: firstly, whether it was God accompanied by two Angels that appeared before Abraham; secondly, were they just three Angels whose images enabled the faithful to see the Godhead in them; and thirdly, perhaps the three Angels were to symbolize the three persons of the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.20

Summing up these three interpretations, the priest A. Lebedev wrote: "Comparing all these three points of view, we can come to the conclusion that, although the one who appeared before Abraham as Jehovah, is clearly different from the other angels who were later sent to Sodom, the very number 'three' evidently points to the triune of the persons in the Godhead."21 St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, expresses the same point of view. "The iconographic tradition of the Church," he says, "to portray the mystery of the Holy Trinity as three Angels who have come to Abraham's tent, reveals that the pious antiquity saw in the number of those Angels a symbol of the Holy Trinity."22

Nevertheless, it was the third of these interpretations that proved predominant in Russia, and its portrayal created the dogmatic Orthodox meaning of the "Holy Trinity" icon. Moreover, it was nothing else but that dogmatic dominant embodied, thanks to St. Sergius' deeds and St. Andrei Rublev's icons, in the Russian religious mentality and practice that saved Russia from the temptation of separating into a Uniate Church, and helped the Russian Orthodox Church to advocate its theological views in the debate about the doctrine of Filioque.

Finally, what are the iconographic and painterly skills and methods that enabled Andrei Rublev to convey such a high pitch of dogmatic meaning in his "Holy Trinity"? Let the homily of Father George Florovsky help us to understand it: "The right way of theologizing is only to be perceived through the perspective of years."23 It was back in the time of Eusebius Caesariensis (c. 330 AD) that at the foot of the Oak of Mamre there was a picture showing the three Angels who appeared to Abraham.24 According to Eusebius, the figures in the picture were accumbent, as was traditional in the Hellinistic world. Eusebius wrote: "Two, each at either side, with the mightier one, whose rank was higher, in the middle. The one shown in the middle is Our Lord, the Saviour ... He, who has taken unto Himself the appearance and shape of Man, revealed Himself as He was to the pious arch-father Abraham and He also confided to him the knowledge of His Father."25 A similar story about the picture at the foot of the Oak of Mamre was also related by Julius Africanus (c.160-240 AD). 26

There is a story of how Emperor Constantine the Great destroyed the pagan altar near the oak of Mamre in Palestine in 314 AD, the altar being placed in front of a picture of Abraham's hospitality.27 Following the Second Ecumenical Council, which approved the dogma of the Holy Trinity, the image of the Old Testament Trinity became quite common. The mosaic of the great Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome (dating from the mid-5th century) shows three figures seated next to one another, with triangular-shaped pieces of bread in front of them. The central figure is depicted with a cross-shaped nimbus over his head, which may mean that the ancient Church favoured the idea that Abraham received Jesus Christ accompanied by two Angels.28

The miniature image in the Oktoih (from the 11th-12th centuries) kept in the Vatican portrays the three Holy guests as wingless, with the figure in the centre wearing a cross-shaped nimbus. Moreover, the characters are not placed according to the principle of isocephalia, in other words, they are not presented in line, and have the same height, but make a half-circle. Such a depiction of characters became customary in the Eastern provinces, probably in Syria. The isocephalic composition is more likely to pertain to the earlier period of Christian art and to its Western branch, for it conveys the equality of the characters, which agreed with the teachings of St. Augustine and other Holy Fathers of the Western Church.29 The Eastern Church, especially in the provinces, interpreted the subject differently and Orthodox iconography tended to see it as the appearance of God accompanied by two Angels, which, consequently, led to the traditional composition of the "Holy Trinity" generally accepted in Russia - although there were rare exceptions, like the Pskov "Old Testament Trinity". The round compositions of later periods reveal some details which testify to the fact that the icon-painters tended to portray more often the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, than the appearance of Christ in the company of two Angels. Thus, the fresco in Karakilis (from the 11th century) shows each of the three figures with a cross-shaped nimbus over their heads. Such nimbi can be found on the icon "Otechestvo [Fatherland]" (from the 16th century, in the Tretyakov Gallery). Further evolution of the "Holy Trinity" composition displays the idea of the triune Godhead - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost -on a growing scale. The table, for instance, portrayed as semi-circular in the earlier icons, with the aim of focusing on the central figure of the Trinity, acquired, at the time of the Paleologues, a tendency to be depicted as rectangular, as there was a tendency to encircle the whole composition and to give the images of the Angels the same height.

Andrei Rublev achieves the same effect in his "Holy Trinity" by depicting the central Angel figure with a bowed head (in earlier images only the right and the left Angels were bowing their heads). This brings the impression of the circular movement, which is essential in presenting the Godhead as a triune without portraying each of the Holy Trinity individually. The Three are seen as a unity, not as three separate figures. The iconographer achieved his goal both dogmatically and as a painter. His palette, full of light with a pred- omi-nance of gold, the shining ochre, delicate shades of green, pink and violet, and his inimitable sky-blue, too, in combination with the fine rhythm of lines and perfect composition produces an image of unearthly beauty, heavenly harmony. The Orthodox Church accepted the "iconographic dogma" of Rublev's image of the Holy Trinity in the mid-16th century when the "Stoglavy Sobor" (the One-Hundred-Head Council, a meeting of 100 senior church figures) canonized it as the authorized model image obligatory for other icon-painters to copy and paint "like Andrei Rublev and the famous Greek artists of the preceeding time".30

The period of the 14th-15th centuries, the time of Andrei Rublev's life and work, was of paramount importance in the history of the Russian state: national culture was on a rise, echoing the Russian people's aspiration for unity that was a prerequisite for casting off the yoke of the Mongols.31 "The Russian Orthodox Church played the greatest role, at the time, in forging the Russian state and Russian national unity. The Metropolitan, head of the Church, moved from Vladimir to Moscow, thus stressing the importance of Moscow as not only the capital city, but as the centre of Russian Christianity as well."32

Such was the historical background in which Andrei Rublev created the icon of the "Holy Trinity". Florensky wrote: "We melt with reverence, we are amazed at and almost stung by neither the subject of Rublev's oeuvre, nor the epitome of the Three or the Cup on the table, nor the wings, but by the veil of the noumenal world suddenly switched off ... Among the rapidly changing circumstances of the time, among quarrels and feuding, general barbarism and Tartar depredations, among that profound non-peace . your mind's eye sees the indisturbable, inviolable peace, the 'Godly peace' of heaven. The antagonism and hatred which reign on earth are set against a mutual love flowing in perpetual agreement, in a perpetual silent conversation, in the perpetual unity of heaven."33 There comes the conclusion that the "Holy Trinity" was, on the one hand, the result of the spiritual and historic progress of the Russian people, and encouraged them on the way to a new spiritual and historic endeavour, such as national unity and mutual love; and a preference for heavenly values over earthly ones, on the other hand.

The developments of the 14th century made it obvious that the future Russian state would be multi-national, as was seen in the deeds of St. Stephan of Perm who worked to educate the Zyryan people. As peoples never come to live together unless they have some common interest, it forms the common memory and common tradition of the past without which a nation cannot exist. But memory is not all: a viable nation must have a general programme and general idea for its future. The ethical and ideological significance of Andrei Rublev's oeuvre is that the image of the "Holy Trinity" managed to blend the past and present spiritual experience of the people and its future which made up the fundamental idea of the nation-state.

When Rublev was canonized in 1988, the Russian Orthodox Church confirmed that great significance of the "Holy Trinity" for Russia as well as for the whole Orthodox world in the iconographic image of St. Andrei Rublev holding the "Holy Trinity" in his hands, and in the words of his Troparion (Saint's day anthem).

1. Florensky, Pavel. Collection of works, vol. 2. Moscow, 1996, p.360.
2. see: Golubinsky, Yevgeny. "Prepodobny sergei Radonezhsky and sozdannaya im Troitskaya Lavra" [Reverend Sergius of Radonezh and the Trinity Lavra that He Created], Moscow, 1909, p.185. This oeuvre features the Trinity Cathedral iconostasis.
3. See: Antonova, Valentina. "O pervonachalnom meste Troitsy' Andreya Rubleva [On the initial position of "The Holy Trinity" by Andrei Rublev]. The Tretyakov Gallery Materials and Research. Issue 1. Moscow, 1956. According to Antonova, it was, probably, indicated by the words: "в похвалу... Сергию чудотворцу" [to the praise... of Sergius the Wonderworker]. The extract the words have been taken from belongs to the Stroganov Iconographic Original (late 16th century). Its text can be translated as follows: "Reverend Father Andrei of Radonezh, the icon-painter named Rublev who painted many holy icons, all of them miraculous . had earlier lived in obedience with Reverend Father Nikon of Radonezh. He ordered an image for the Holy Trinity to be painted in his time, to venerate His Holy Father, St. Sergius the Wonderworker..." (See also: Buslayev, Fyodor. "Istoricheskiye ocherki russkoi narodnoi slovesnosti i iskusstva" [Historical Essays of the Russian Folk Literature and Art], vol. 2. Moscow, 1861, pp.379 -380). Some researchers refer to the town of Klintsov of the former Novgorod-Seversk vicariate where the ancient manuscript was found. It was much later that it became the property of Count Stroganov. The manuscript enabled writing "The life of St. Nikon of Radonezh" published in 1786. The manuscript also contained the Iconographic Original.
4. See: Guryanov, Vasily. "Dve mestnye ikony Svyatoi Troitsy v Troitskom sobore Svyato-Troit-skoi Sergiyevoi Lavry i ikh restavratsiya" [Two Local Icons of the Holy Trinity in the Trinity Cathedral of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra and their Restoration]. Moscow, 1906, p.5.
5. See: Kondakov, Nikodim. "Russkiye klady. Issledovaniye drevnostei velikoknyazheskogo peri-oda" [Russian Buried Treasures. Research of the Antiques of the Time of the Grand Principalities], vol. 1. Moscow, 1896, p. 175.
6. See: Golubinsky, op. cit., see note 2, pp. 185 -186. True, it was as early as 1641 that the icon was referred to as "miraculous".
7. See: Guryanov, op.cit., see note 4, table 1 and fig. 2.
8. The cleaning was made by Grigory Chirikov (of faces), Ivan Suslov, Yevgeny Bryagin and Vladimir Tyulin. In 1926, Bryagin made the final uncovering of later layers of paint and restoration colouring. See: Dictionary of Russian icon-painters of the 11th-17th centuries. Moscow: Indrik, 2003, p. 543.
9. Olsufiev, Yury. "Opis ikon Troitse-Sergiyevoi Lavry" [Inventory of the Icons of the Holy Trin-ity-St. Sergius Lavra]. Sergiyev, 1920, pp. 15, 25.
10. See: Dictionary, op. cit., see note 8, p. 544.
11. Quoted by Prof. Archpriest L.Voronov. "Andrei Rublev - veliky khudozhnik Drevnei Rusi" [Andrei Rublev: The Great Artist of the Ancient Russia] in: "Theological Oeuvres", No.14, 1975, p. 86. Reference to Dmitry Rovinsky. "Obozreniye ikon-opisaniya v Rossii do kontsa XVII veka" [Review of Icon-painting in Russia before the late 17th Century].St Petersburg, 1903, p.40.
12. See: "Sobraniye mnenii i otzyvov Filareta, mitropolita Moskovskogo i Kolomenskogo, po uchebnym i tserkovno-gosudarstvennym voprosam" [Collection of Accounts and Reviews by Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, on the Matters of Education, Church and the State]. St Petersburg, 1887, accessory vol., p. 331-342.
13. Likhachev, Nikolai. "Manyera pisma Andreya Rubleva" [Andrei Rublev's Manner of Painting]. St Petersburg, 1907, p. 104
14. See: op. cit., note 2, pp. 185 - 186
15. Florensky, Pavel. op. cit., note 1, pp. 362 - 364.
16. St. John of Damascus. "Tri zashchititelnykh slova protiv poritsayushchikh svyatyie ikony ili izobrazheniya" [Three Apologies against Those who Decry Holy Images]. St Petersburg, 1893, p. 8.
17. Ibid.
18. Archbishop Sergius. "Bogoslovskiye idyei v tvorchestve Andreya Rubleva" [Theological Ideas in Andrei Rublev's Oeuvres] in "Theological Oeuvres", No. 22, Moscow, 1981, p. 5.
19. Such research was made in "Troitsa' ili 'Pyatidesyat-nitsa'?" by Nikolai Ozolin in: "Philosophy of Russian Religious Art", issue 1, Moscow, 1993, pp. 375-384.
20. Procopius of Gaza (6th century), for example, alleges the existence of the following three parallel accounts: "As for the three men who appeared to Abraham," he writes, "there are some who assert that they were three Angels; others think that one of them was God while the others were His Angels; and other ones see the prototype of the Holy and Co-essential Trinity" in: Procopius of Gaza, vol. 87, p. 363 (PG, t. 87, 363).
21. Priest A. Lebedev. "Vetkho-zavetnoiye veroucheniye vo vremena patriarkhov" [The Old Testament Beliefs at the Time of the Patriarchs], issue 2. St Petersburg, 1886, p. 122.
22. Ibid., p. 128.
23. Florovsky, George. "Puti russkogo bogosloviya" [Ways of Russian Theology]. Paris, 1937, p. 508.
24. St. John of Damascus, op. cit., note 16, p. 127.
25. John of Damascus, op cit., see note 16, p. 127.
26. "Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra" [The Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra]. Collection of articles. Sergiyev Posad, 1919, p. 127.
27. See: Ainalov, Dmitry. "Mozaiki IV i V vekov" [Mosaics of the 4th and 5th Centuries]. St Petersburg, 1895, p. 112.
28. Ibid., p. 111.
29. See: Malitsky, Nikolai. "K istorii kompozitsii vetkhozavetnoi Troitsy" [On the History of the Old Testament "Trinity" Composition]. Prague, 1928, pp. 34-36.
30. The Life of Saint Reverend Andrei Rublev. In: "Canonization of the Saints". Troitse-Sergeiyeva Lavra, 1988, p. 58.
31. See: Likhachev, Dmitry. "Kultura Rusi epokhi obrazovaniya Russkogo natsionalnogo gosu-darstva" [The Culture of Russia of the Time of the Russian National State Formation]. OGIZ, 1946, pp. 15, 33.
32. Archbishop Sergius, op. cit., see note 18, p.9.
33. Ibid., p. 363.

https://d2y1pz2y630308.cloudfront.net/17509/documents/2017/8/Trinityicon.pdf

https://catholic-link.org/andrei-rublevs-icon-of-the-holy-trinity-explained/

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE A LARGE IMAGE OF THE HOLY TRINITY ICON

 

Is The Eucharist just a symbol?

Dear ABS. As a Catholic I have to be mighty careful about what I say and do in Fussels Corner because Catholics in Fussels Corner are as rare as common sense is in a speech on the floor of The United States Senate.

Because you know pretty much everything you prolly know that we have snake handlers and holy rollers up here in this neck of the woods and so when my friends ask me if I agree that Communion is just symbolic I am afraid to answer truthfully.

The worst thing about these types of questions is that I get them when I am just sitting down to enjoy a dozen or so boilermakers at Babel's Bullet, Bait, Bar and Bistro on a Saturday night and so when these types of questions are asked I just excuse myself and say I gotta go take a squirt but what I really do is to sneak out to my pick-up truck and lay low until last call but as I am leaving Babel's I hear nasty comments about how I prolly had children with the Whore of Babylon, who'ever'n'hell she is.

So, tell me ABS why don't Catholics just agree with the snake handlers and holy rollers and say that Communion is just symbolic and then we can all live in peace and not have to sneak out of Babel's during Saturday's Happy Hour which runs from 2:00 pm to 2:00 am.

Your admirer, Flummoxed in Fussels Corner, Florida.

Dear Flummoxed Catholic in Fussels Corner. The reason Catholics do not agree with the snake handlers and holy rollers that Communion is symbolic because in the Old Testament the expression - To eat somebody's body or to eat somebody's blood - is old Jewish rhetoric (An Hebraism) that means to assault and persecute.

You can check our your bible to verify this 

Psalm 26:2

Isaias 9:18-20

Isaias 49:26

Micheas 3;2,3

2 Kings 23:15-17

Apocalypse  17:6

as it is clear those verses are not referring to the actual eating of another's Body and Blood. It is symbolic language.

Now, read; 

all of The gospel of John 6

Mark 14:22-24

1 Cor 10:14-17

1 Cor 11: 23-29

Matt 26:26-28

Luke 22: 17-20

Luke 24:30-35.

Jesus is not speaking symbolically for if He was speaking symbolically He would be telling the crowd  that the way to eternal life is to assault and persecute Him.

Hang tough, baby. Never give an inch when it comes to the truth.

Rock on, Brother.

Next World Youth Day at Stonehenge

Pope Francis today announced that the next World Youth Day will be held at Stonehenge in England.

It has come to my attention that a lot of attention has been paid recently to Stonehenge and it comes as no surprise to those of us whose ears and spiritual spidey senses are attuned to The Holy Spirit and how it chooses to surprise us that even more attention could be brought to bear on this historic site of worship by those who, not seeking attention for themselves but, rather, are  attentive to, or if you will, the new spiritual movements must, I think, be attended to.

Amen.

This historic site was likely begun by Celtic Priests from Ireland who magically brought these heavy stones to the attention of the Brits who stood in rapt attention once they were alerted to pay attention to these suddenly attention-grasping monoliths arrayed as they were in attentive positions.

As the Bishop of Rome I too have been called a rock upon which the Church has been built and I can say, without seeking the attention of others, that God wills all forms of religion and so we must attend to the fact that God is behind this sudden appearance of heavy stoneage that is arrayed as though it has a message to those who come and stand at attention before it.

I call on all Catholics, Magicians, Myth-Makers, Greta Thunberg, Jeffrey Sachs, and Bono, and Druids of all races and nationalities, especially our  friends at The United Nations, to come to World Youth Day and  make speeches about our mutual, although completely different, brands of beliefs and cook native specialities as we turn our attention to the laser rainbow spotlight which will be cast upon these huge stone things every day at midnight as the very stones themselves cry out for us to direct our attention to climate change and the refusal of some xenophobic members of the political class who are opposed to mass migrations of peoples in direct contradiction to the history of this great monument to mass migration or something and that is not even to mention the disappearance of some species of spiders.

Amen.

Please memorise this chant as all Catholics will be constrained to solemnly sing this as I descend upon the crowds from a hot air ballon;

https://www.johnderbyshire.com/Opinions/RadioDerb/Extras/Ringtone.mp3 

Friday Fun

 

A lot of readers ask, ABS, why should we believe you?"

That's an irksome query seeing as how ABS has already established his Bona Fides simply by being the first man in America to be prepared for a sneak nuclear bomb attack from North Korea. 

Now, obviously, if there is to be a sneak nuclear bomb attack from Korea, it is beyond question that there would be brilliant flashes of light, and prolly even loud scary noises.  Well, is there anyone else you know who has a welding mask ready to put on as his wife drives him to safety at Area 51 in the event of a sneak nuclear bomb attack so he won't be blinded by the brilliant flashes of light?

ABS was also the first man to photograph the mother of Casper when he spotted her at a train station in Cinque Terre, Italy.

                
ABS, famously, was the first scientist to prove conclusively that the woman known as Ann Coulter was actually Eb Dawson, the feeble-minded flake who worked as a handyman for The Douglas Family, on Green Acres.

Once that show was cancelled, Eb fell into a deep depression and he became so despondent that he paid a doctor to mutilate his reproductive organs and he began to take massive amounts of estrogen and grow out his hair and the drugs were so powerful that he began to sorta look like a really skinny woman with an Adam's apple who liked having photos taken of her wearing short shorts while firing a rifle at a bird; I said, drop that worm, Turdus migratorius, that's my property !!!

It was also ABS, in a lengthy and carefully reasoned letter, who proved to the FDA that since the cancellation of Green Acres, the quality of farm produce has suffered a severe and drastic decline in quality.

Below, the scientific evidence that Coulter is a man, baby.


                                                

And yet, apparently, that has not been enough to convince the public that every single one of his opinions are worthy of trust and respect, if not proving to be an  occasion of sin - a dangerous flirtation with idolatry.

You want more?  OK!!!

So, read and it weep, dear reader, this is the proof that will convince you that ABS is who he says he is and can be entirely relied upon and trusted.

Sure, ABS knows that proof of a Doctorate obviates his Amateur Status and the only proper response to that accurate observation is that he does not use PABS as a handle because that is not as solemn and dignified as ABS.

Jesus uniting His divinity with our humanity

A beautiful prayer from the Divine liturgy of The Maronites that us congregants sing as a hymn:

Sam Francis was right.

There two parties in Washington — the stupid party (Republicans)  and the evil party (Democrats). Every once in a while the stupid party and the evil party get together and do something that is both stupid and evil. 

In Washington, that is called bipartisanship.

Ron DeSantis. Florida's Shabbos Goy.

 https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Shabbos%20goy

What does a good Catholic Boy do once elected Governor of Florida?  Head to Israel...

https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20190529/desantis-in-israel-first-florida-cabinet-meeting-held-overseas-is-in-books/2

White Sport. White Fans. White Winner.

ABS understands that liberals demand America operate on a racial identify basis and he will be fine with that but he will not accept the evil racist lie that whites are bad.

White Pride, baby.

Golf is a white sport, it was invented by a white man in a white country and the vast majority of players are white and this past weekend the PGA  - which  is comprised of mostly white male golf professionals - had its major tournament and it was won by a white man, Phil Mickelson.

There were huge crowds of white spectators who had a blast at the tournament played on Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

There was no violence because there were almost no black people there. (There is safety in numbers Whitey. Remember that) There was no demonstration by BLM and not one professional golfer "took a knee."

Yay White People. Yay Phil Mickelson.

The Holy Negro

The more troublesome, unassimilable, or dangerous a designated minority or non-Western group actually is, the more favorably it is treated. This undeserved favorable treatment of a troublesome or misbehaving group can take numerous forms, including celebrating the group, giving the group greater rights and privileges, covering up the group’s crimes and dysfunctions, attacking the group’s critics as racists, and blaming the group’s bad behavior on white racism.

http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/009226.html

Y'all have oppressed and opposed the Holy Negro and you and your children will pay.

https://www.takimag.com/article/new-religion/

Schumer takes early lead

 

Friday Fun

 The Nuclear Family in Nevada

Is there anything more romantically and quintessentially American than a Mother and her Son in Nevada watching a mushroom cloud rise just before the sun goes down ?

Someday, Junior, our President will be able to kill millions of his enemies with just the push of a button. Now, would my little warrior like some mac and cheese?

Mommy?

Yes, Junior...

Since we have been living here we have seen a lot of these mushroom clouds and Binky, my lucky bunny, now has three eyes and five ears and he growls like a mad dog.

Is there any chance that will happen to Dad?

(Mom Giggles)

O, prolly not, Junior. Your Dad is a traveling salesman and he is rarely ever home but if he does come down with something I know it will have nothing to do with these tests our Big Daddy government is  doing to keep us safe and happy.

Now, about that mac and cheese (She giggles as she messes his hair...)

Dear ABS

Dear ABS.  I got up pretty early this morning because I was gonna go shoot some skeet or sheep but I noticed I'd done run out bullets and bourbon so I hitch-hiked over to Babel's Bullets, Bait, Bar and Bistro and as soon as I ducked inside I ordered some B & B, Bacon and Budweiser, when suddenly the dang TV started blaring this total lie that Mr. Joe Biden, our so-called President, had reschindlered (or  something or other) Trump's rule that the illegal southern invaders must prove they have their own insurance before they are allowed to sneak into America.

I 'bout choked on my own bacon. Please tell me that ain't true.

An open admirer, Flummoxed in Fussels  Corner, Florida.

Dear Flummoxed.

Like the life real life account of how Dwarf Tossing in Florida was outlawed, this seems shocking but it is a fact.

As a dimwitted Dufus, Biden can only feel big and powerful if he makes decisions that cost workers ( he hasn't worked since the 1960s) money and status.

He has decided that invaders from the south are "entitled" to Health Care just like native Americans (if you were born in America you are a native American and don't let some Commie Lib tell you differently) who have worked, paid taxes, and built and funded the health care system.

Biden loves to feel big but he is a moral midget.

Rock on, Brother

Dear ABS

Dear ABS. The other day I was over to Babel's Bullets, Bait, Bar and Bistro putting the moves on Babel - she looks like one of the few women in Fussels Corner who bathes on a semi regular basis -when she stopped me dead in my tracks with this question:

"OK, Hot Shot. If'n'ya can answer this question I will go Wild Hog Hunting with ya. You prolly remember The British Invasion Era - when all of them damn Rock'n'Roll bands from England came over to America with their long hair and bad teeth and they done stole the hearts of all the young girls - buncha sluts if'n'a ask Ol' Babel - and became famous and made scads of dough in the song game.

How's come there was no French invasion Buster?"

Please ABS help me to understand this cultural thingy so I can get Babel alone with me deep in the woods on a four wheeler.

A huge fan of yours who is Flummoxed in Fussels Corner, Florida.

Dear Flummoxed in Fussels Corner.

Well, you came to the right place. ABS is a rarity in that he is a specialist in the area of cross-cultural stuff and such.

ABS could really bend your ears and exhaust your eyes with a haughty and highly technical explanation of why there was a British Invasion and not a French Invasion in the 1960s but this video is enough to make the point and definitively answer Ol' Babel's question.

Rock on, Brother

Dear ABS

Dear ABS. The other day I was dubbing around on Facebook waiting for the Missus to make us some Whiskey Shrimp Ceviche for supper when I come across this Crazy Ass  Retarded  B.S. (Excuse my French).

I took one look at it and my blood began to boil.

What in tarnation is going on with the U.S. Army installing Gold Courses in the middle of a dang desert?

Shitteth me thou? was my first thought and my second one was Honey, ya better add another ...hold on, check that..that was my second thought and the "Honey,..." would be my third thought I reckon.

DANG!! This whole thing is messing with my mind.

Look at this....LOOK!!

I ain't shitting ABS click on the link below and tell me this ain't an example of wasting so many tax dollars that the number of dollars wasted on a great green golf course in the middle of some sandy shit hole in Saudi Arabia will add up to the same number as "the stars in the sky that are more numerous than the grains of sand in one sand trap only itchier and stinkier than an Alien is," I think that is what Carl Sagan used to say and he is prolly right; well he used to be right but now he is dead. 

https://www.facebook.com/ArizonaGolfRiyadh/

ABS tell me what'n'hell is going on here?

Yours truly, Flummoxed in Fussels Corner, Florida.

Dear Flummoxed in Fussels Corner.

ABS can not only sense your frustration, it practically reaches out from your letter and Moe Howard Eye-Pokes him.

Calm down.

ABE Ministry makes the assessment that this Army Base Golf Course prolly is safe for there is no known tradition of Mahomet playing golf and so ISIS is not bloody well likely to invade it and start to decapitate the caddies and blow-up the Pro Shop.

The first thing to know is Russia and China doesn't waste money like this on their military. If they had a nine iron they wouldn't waste time using it to hit golf balls, they'd brain us with it.

The current head of The Army is prolly some man who says he is a woman or simply hates America and so he hires some Madison Avenue propagandist to develop a slogan to be repeated to the American Tax Payers that will be a thought stopping emotion-lifting bit of brain-trifle that will putatively justify the waste of their tax money; The Army, lowering handicaps and raising morale.

Rock on, Brother