Matthew 16:15-19: “He [Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
St Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica has a rich heritage. The history dates back almost 2,000 years. The basilica is named after Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. According to tradition, he was the first Bishop of Rome, therefore, the first in the line of the papal succession.
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| We are making our way to go into St.Peter's Basilica after touring the Sistine Chapel. |
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| Baroque vault of the portico of St. Peter's Basilica,
with a partial view of some of the entrance doors.
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This door is only open during the Holy Year (Jubilee) which occurs every 25 years. On the first day of a holy year, the Pope strikes the brick wall with a silver hammer and opens it.
(From the inside the door is walled up.) This door is also called the "Door of the Great Pardon". Its panels portray scenes of man's sin and his redemption through God's mercy. (www.stpetersbasilica.org)
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| Massive columns on the exterior to the entrances. |
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| Our tour guide, Stefano, is leading us into the basilica. |
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| Door of the Sacraments by Venanzio Crochetti, the regular entrance to St. Peter's.(www.pbase.com) |
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| One of the many smaller domes inside St. Peter's Basilica. |
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| Michelangelo's Pieta is in the first chapel. Pieta means, "Pity".
It is shielded by thick glass. This masterpiece dates from 1499, when the artist was only 24 years old. In 1972 the Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica was attacked by the hammer-wielding Hungarian geologist, Laszlo Toth. After hopping over the altar railing, he struck the marble sculpture of the Madonna holding Jesus Christ 12 times, knocking off the Madonna's hand, arm, and parts of her nose, eyelids, hood and other areas amounting to roughly 100 tiny fragments. It took 10 months to restore the sculpture, and since it has been kept behind a bulletproof glass. For more information, and pictures of the damage, go to:
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The Madonna's youthful sweet face expresses her submission to destiny as she cradles the dead Christ's limp body in her lap; yet the rich drapery of her dress and veil suggest an extraordinary physical and moral strength, which contrasts with the delicate, 15th century features. A band across the drapery bears Michelangelo's signature. (from Edizioni Musei Vaticani pg. 21).
I liked this description I found (at www.inkling.com/read/rick-steves-pocket-rome).
"The statue is a solid pyramid of maternal tenderness. Yet within this, Christ's body tilts diagonally down to the right and Mary's hem flows with it. Subconsciously, we feel the weight of this dead God sliding from her lap to the ground.
"Michelangelo didn't think of sculpting as creating a figure, but as simply freeing the God-made figure from the prison of marble around it. He'd attack a project like this with an inspired passion, chipping away to find what God put inside.
"The bunched-up shoulder and rigor-mortis legs show that Michelangelo learned well from his studies of cadavers. But realistic as this work is, its true power lies in the subtle 'unreal' features. Life-size Christ looks childlike compared with the larger-than-life Mary. Unnoticed at first, this accentuates the subconscious impression of Mary enfolding Jesus in her maternal love. Mary- the mother of a 33-year-old man- looks like a teenager, emphasizing how Mary was the eternally youthful "handmaiden" of the Lord, always serving God's will, even if it meant giving up her son."
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| Walking up the center of the nave toward the altar. |
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| A view of the main altar. |
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| This picture captures the impressive size. The basilica is appropriately huge. The golden window at the far end is two football fields away. The bronze canopy over the main altar is the size of a seven-story building. The lettering in the gold band along the top of the pillars is seven feet high. The church covers six acres and can accommodate 60,000 standing worshippers. (from www.inkling.com/read/rick-steves) |
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| The interior includes 45 altars. |
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| Colorful marble floor. There are plaques on the floor that show where other, small churches of the world would end if they were placed inside St. Peter's. |
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| Michelangelo's Dome.
The dome soars higher than a football field on end, 448 feet from the floor of the cathedral to the top of the lantern. It glows with light from its windows, the blue and gold mosaics creating a cool, solemn atmosphere. Michelangelo became the chief architect in 1546. At the time of Michelangelo's death, the dome was finished as far as the drum. The dome was vaulted by Giacomo della Porta with the assistance of Domenico Fontana after Michelangelo died.
The base of the dome is ringed with a gold banner with massive blue letters. The banner in Latin quotes Jesus' words to Peter, including,
"You are Peter (Tu es Petrus) and upon this rock I will build my church, and to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 16:18). (from www.inkling.com/read/eick-steves) |
In the Bible, peter was a fisherman who was chosen by Jesus to catch sinners instead. This "fisher of men" had human weaknesses that have endeared him to Christians. He was the disciple who tried to walk on water- but failed. In another incident, he impetuously cut off a man's ear when soldiers came to arrest Jesus. And he even denied knowing Christ, to save his own skin. But, Jesus chose him anyway, and gave him his nickname- Rock (in Latin: Petrus). (www.inkling.com/read/rick-steves)
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| Statue of St. Peter Enthroned attributed to Gothic sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio (1245-1302). |
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| In one hand St. Peter holds the keys, the symbol of the authority given him by Christ, while with the other hand he blesses. He's wearing the toga of a Roman senator. His big right toe has been worn smooth by the lips of pilgrims who kiss it or touch it to show their devotion. |
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| Baldacchino The Basilica centers around the Papal Altar where only the Pope celebrates Mass. Rising above the altar is the Baldacchino (95 ft. canopy), Bernini's masterpiece. The tomb of St. Peter lies directly below the altar. (www.saintpetersbasilica.org.) |
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| Michelangelo's dome. |
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| Altar of Transfiguration One of the most beautiful mosaics in St. Peter's, this altarpiece is a reproduction of Raphael's "deathbed" painting now in the Vatican Museum. A team of six artists took nine years to execute the mosaic. (www.saintpetersbasilica.org) |
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| Monument to Pope Leo XI by Algardi (1644) |
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| Presentation Chapel The mosaic altarpiece is the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple by her parents.
(www.saintpetersbasilica.org)
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| Monument to Benedict XV. |
St. Peter's Square
There are 140 statues depicting saints, martyrs, popes, and founders of religious orders within the Catholic Church. (www.goitaly.about.com)
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| Security for the Vatican is provided by the Swiss Guards, a corps founded in 1506. Its men wear a uniform supposedly designed by Michelangelo. They are all Swiss and offer their services to the Vatican for brief periods of time. They number less than 100 at this time. (from Edizioni Musei Vaticani pg. 5) |
 The facade of St. Peter's showing the balustrade and 13 statues representing Christ the Redeemer (19 ft. high) in the middle, with John the Baptist and 11 apostles. St. Mathias is included because he is associated with the other "Eleven" in bearing witness to Christ's Resurrection. (www.saintpetersbasilica.org) The Apostle Peter's statue is in the foreground. |
 Pius IX decided to replace the older statues of St. Peter and St. Paul with larger ones on Easter 1847. Giuseppe De Fabris was commissioned for the work. |
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| St. Peter's Square is an elliptical esplanade crated in the mid seventeenth century by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The square is bordered by massive colonnades that symbolize outstretched arms. Bernini and his assistants sculpted the 140 statutes of saints that grace the balustrades on the colonnades. The square is decorated with fountains and an Egyptian obelisk that was transported to Rome in 37 AD. (www.aviewoncities.com) |
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| The obelisk in the center of the square also functions as a sundial. It used to be in Nero's circus and Pope Sixtus V had it moved to St. Peter's in 1585.(from Edizioni Musei Vaticani pg. ) |
Recipe for the Day.
Pasta
Chicken with Olives & Linguine
1/2 box Dreamfields Linguine
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarsely ground black pepper
8 large cloves garlic
1 medium bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
1/4 cup pitted olives (Kalamata, green or other favorite)
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (see note below)
3/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Additional fresh herbs for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Trim any excess fat from chicken; set aside.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in skillet; cook 2 to 3 minutes until browned. Turn chicken; sprinkle with black pepper, as desired. Scatter garlic cloves around chicken; cook 2 to 3 minutes until browned, stirring garlic as needed.
Add bell pepper and olives to skillet; sprinkle herbs over chicken and peppers. Pour wine into skillet. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in serving bowl or platter.
Remove chicken and peppers from skillet and arrange over pasta. Stir vinegar into pan. Bring to boil; pour over chicken and pasta. Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
Note: Use parsley, rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, chives or other favorites. If fresh herbs are not available, substitute dried. About 1 teaspoon dried equals about 1 tablespoon fresh.
Nutrition information (1/4 of recipe): 412 calories; 27 g protein; 40 g carbohydrates; 14 g total fat; 3 g saturated fat; 73 mg cholesterol; 178 mg sodium; 5 g total dietary fiber.
Recipe from Dreamsfields: http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/healthy-pasta-recipes/2013/01/chicken-with-olives-linguine.html
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