Statues in Catholic churches have been highly regarded ornaments throughout the ages and can be used to adorn churches, gardens or homes. These famous religious statues can not only bring a sense of sanctity to the environment, but also the sustenance of people’s hearts. Whenever seeing these sculptures, stories about these characters will come to people’s minds, and the stories in them can cleanse people’s souls and sublimate people’s values. Let’s take a look at 12 famous Catholic church statues today.
1.Pieta
This is a sculpture created by Michelangelo at the invitation of the French cardinal in 1497, and it is also Michelangelo’s famous work. The theme of the story comes from the “Bible”, depicting the situation of the Virgin Mary in great grief when she embraced the crucified Christ. Christ is lying between the Virgin’s knees, with a scar on his ribs, his head hangs back, and his right arm rests on the Virgin’s right knee. The Virgin’s face looks very young, wearing a robe and cloak, with her left hand stretched back, and her right hand holding Christ.
Michelangelo went against the tradition and portrayed the Madonna as a young girl. He said: “The Virgin Mary is the incarnation of purity, the sublime and the symbol of sacred things, so she must be able to maintain a youthful and beautiful face forever. Her eternal The image of youth and nobility symbolizes the ideal of human pursuit of beautiful things.” The composition adopts a pyramid shape, and the robe not only sets off the outline, but also can reconcile the conflict between the beauty of the composition and the actual proportion. The surface of the statue has been carefully polished, smooth and bright. The breastband of the Virgin is signed by Michelangelo, the only work signed by him.
2.Joseph Statue
From a Catholic perspective, St. Joseph is the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the legal father of Jesus. According to Catholic tradition, St. Joseph has many good qualities and selfless dedication to Catholicism. He was worshiped from the early Catholic Church and other Christian denominations, and he was also traditionally regarded as a saint. In December 1870 On the 8th, Pope Pius IX solemnly declared St. Joseph as the patron saint of the Catholic Church, and his feast day was set on March 19 every year.
Since St. Joseph was a carpenter when he was alive, he was a symbol of laborers, so Pope Pius XII designated May 1st in 1955 as the feast day of St. Joseph’s Laborer, which also became a symbol of laborers and trade unions. and other related patron saints. This highlights St. Joseph as a model of labor in Catholicism as well as in Christianity. Catholic and other Christian religions and stories about or relating to Saint Joseph and the Holy Family frequently emphasize his patience, persistence, and hard work as admirable qualities a believer should possess.
3.Anthony Statue
St. Anthony had a quiet personality since he was a child, and he often went to church with his family, which was different from young people who despised faith at that time. When St. Anthony was about eighteen to twenty years old, his parents passed away one after another, and they handed over their huge property and only sister to him. Once, when St. Anthony was walking on the road, he repeatedly thought about how the apostles abandoned everything and followed the Lord. While St. Anthony was thinking about these things, he walked into the church. At that time, someone was reading the Gospel.
It was Jesus who said to the rich young man: “If you want to be a perfect man, go sell what you have and give it to the poor, and you will have riches. In heaven; come and follow me.” These words deeply inspired St. Anthony, causing him to keep part of his property for his sister, and sell the rest to give to the poor. Not long after, I heard another saying: “Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about tomorrow; every day’s troubles are enough for one day.” St. Anthony then gave up all his property and entrusted his sister to a respected and reliable man. After the virgins, he entered the monastic life.
4.Francis Statue
St. Francis is the patron saint of animals, the Catholic movement, San Francisco, and the natural environment. He is also the founder of the Franciscan Order and a well-known ascetic. Pope Francis is named in honor of the saint. Due to St. Francis’ closeness to animals, his anniversary (October 4) became World Animal Day.
He was also a leader of the evangelical poverty movement in the early 13th century. His evangelical zeal, dedication to poverty, philanthropy and personal charm have attracted thousands of followers. Francis’ devotion to the human Jesus and his desire to follow Jesus’ example reflect and reinforce important developments in medieval spirituality.
5.Charbel Statue
St. Charbel is also known as the Miracle Walker and Miracle Worker. So, perhaps the greatest miracle is the message of oneness, oneness with nature, respect for animals, respect for all things. St. Charbel has often amazed people since childhood. He always guides people to respect all things, believe and pursue the truth. When you enter the church with the statue of St. Charbel, you will see him in this posture, with many colorful ribbons hanging from his arms. That represents the testimonies left by those who received the miracle. Common to all churches around the world.
This humblest monk hails from one of the humblest monasteries in Lebanon. He now has a chapel in St. Patrick’s Church in New York. There are his houses of worship all over the world. His impact on Lebanon and the world, especially Lebanon, was a message of oneness with God. Goodness has but one source, love has but one source.
6.James Statue
According to the Bible and religious documents, he is considered to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ. But different church traditions have different versions of this. Some people think that he is the little James in the Gospel of Mark, the apostle James among the twelve apostles, or the disciple whom Jesus loved in the Gospel of John. The Book of James in the New Testament is considered by many to be his work.
According to the New Testament records, when Jesus began to preach, James did not seem to have a special status among his disciples, and James and his brothers did not believe in Jesus either. When Jesus was crucified, the legend pointed out that James was also watching the scene. Witnessing the death of Jesus may be the key to his determination to follow Jesus.
After Jesus died, he appeared to the apostles and James, convincing James that Jesus was the Messiah. Thereafter, James assumed the responsibility of leading the disciples of Jesus. He and Jesus’ disciples Peter and John are considered to be the three pillars of the church, and James’ rank may be higher than that of Peter and John. Jacob used God’s servant to refer to himself. This title was originally crowned on Moses, which also showed his status in the church and believers.
7.Peter Statue
One of the twelve apostles received by Jesus, one of the core figures of the early church. He followed Jesus and recognized that Jesus was the Son of God and one of Jesus’ closest disciples. Jesus once said that he gave Peter the key to the kingdom of heaven, so Peter was honored as “the first disciple”, and the records of the twelve disciples in the four Gospels , also with Peter the most. After Jesus was arrested, he lost faith. He was asked if he was a disciple of Jesus. He denied it three times, just as Jesus predicted. After the resurrection of Jesus, he regained his faith. After Jesus ascended to heaven, he began to preach and preach the gospel. He spread the good news that Jesus is the Savior, the Messiah, and Christ, and became the leader of the Christian church.
8.Shepherd Statue
The first meaning of sheep is to tame and submit. According to Jewish tradition, sheep are sacrificed, and sheep themselves are also gentle and lovely animals. Another meaning is to use looking for the lost sheep as a metaphor for those who have found the way of faith, corrected their mistakes and returned to God, that is, believers. Jesus Christ said in the Gospel that a shepherd with a hundred sheep would be anxious for one sheep that was lost and happy to find it. God, too, is pleased with those who repent and surrender from their mistakes. The meaning of the metaphor is not that the ninety-nine are unimportant, but that the rediscovered sheep represent our love and concern.
9.The Blessed Virgin Mary Statue
Mary obeyed God when she was a virgin, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and gave birth to Jesus, and believed that what she gave birth to was Christ, the incarnate Son of God. At that time, Mary was engaged to St. Joseph. After Joseph married Mary, he accompanied her to Bethlehem, where she gave birth to Jesus.
The blessed Virgin Mary statue depicts Mary as the humble and compassionate mother of Jesus, often depicted standing with her arms outstretched. Believers seek her intercession for a variety of purposes, including protection, guidance, and spiritual nourishment. It can be found in Catholic churches around the world and is often revered in private homes as a symbol of Mary’s presence in domestic life.
10.St.Michael the Archangel
Michael is the only angel mentioned in the Bible with the title of archangel, which means “who is like God” in Hebrew. Michael is mentioned infrequently in the Bible, but every time he is mentioned, he is active. For example, “Daniel” tells that he fought with evil angels, “Jude” tells that he argued with Satan, and “Revelation” tells that he fought with the devil and his evil spirits. In the Seven-Day War against Satan, Michael lived up to his name by fighting to uphold God’s sovereignty against the enemy.
11.Sacred Heart of Jesus Statue
The Sacred Heart of Jesus expresses Jesus’ great love for the world, so as to call on the world to forgive their sins and love each other. Jesus appeared to the virgin for the last time, revealed his heart, and said to her: “Look, how loving my heart is! But people treat me with arrogance, blasphemy, and a hard heart! So you should Tell people the essence of respecting the Sacred Heart, and hold a special respect for the Sacred Heart on the sixth day of the eighth day after Eucharist. “Jesus also promised the virgins that those who respect the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be given to them” The Twelve Special Graces”.
12.Holy Family Statue
The Holy Family refers to the Holy Family composed of Jesus, his mother Mary and his adoptive father Joseph. In the 17th century, Catholicism began to commemorate this family’s Holy Family Day, and they were regarded as a model of the family. In 1893, Pope Leo XIII made Holy Family Day an official holiday. Since then, Pope Pius X has canceled Sagrada Familia, but his successor Benedict XV restored it in 1921. Holy Family Day was originally the first Sunday after Epiphany, but since 1969 it has been changed to the first Sunday after Christmas.
The Holy Family is the collective name of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Joseph, also known as the “Family of Nazareth”. Saints and doctors came to worship and exile in Egypt. At the same time, it is also common in the interior decoration of various church buildings and various display artworks such as paintings and sculptures, and there are many masterpieces.
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