The Washington times., 1922-12-24

consuming love for mankind, ana
as finally pierced BY the lance to
consummate that love for hu-
manity.
ENTRANCE TO !GROTTOEs.
In front Of the altar is the en-.
trance to the, srottoss. the fret
OF which is a shrine called the
Grotto Of Nazareth. which repro
duces the home where Jesus dweit
with Mary and Joseph up to the
time He began His public minis
try. The Chapel Of the Angel. In
the first room. contains two
altars, and in the center of the
next room 10 replica Of the Al.
tar Of the Annunciation which, In,
Nazareth, now marks the place
where, tradition AYERS. Gods mes
senger announced to the Blessed
Virgin that she was to become the
mother of the Redeemer Of the
world.
A little prayer 10 prescribed for
each Of the shrines. and the we'll
known one Of this sanctuary is
especially appropriate for Christ
mas:
Hail, Mary. full Of grace, the
Lord Is with thee: blessed art thou
among women, and blessed is the
fruit Of thy womb. Jesus. Holy
Mary. Mother Of God. pray for M
sinners now and at the hour Of
our death. Amen"
A broken column suspended
from the ceiling. at the left. is
a. copy Of the one in the original
grotto. partially destroyed by loot.
ing vandals, and still embedded
in the roof.
In an adjoining room there 10
an altar dedicated to the Flight
Of the Holy Family into Egypt. A
blind entrance here indicates q
corridor which leads into what II
called the Kitchen Of the Holy
Family, in Nazareth.
ROMAN ,CATACOMBs.
Retracing our steps, We enter
by a narrow door what is. per.
haps. Of greatest interest to visi-
tors of all denominations, the
"Catacombs," an accurate copy Of
those subterraf,ean passages where
the Christians of Rome were
buried up to the fourth century.
and where the Divine Mysteries
were celebrated. The Martyrs
Crypt here contains - altar be-
meath which repose the remains Of
st. Benignus. a Roman martyr,
formerly inferred In the Cata-
combs of the Eternal City. and
now encased in q wax fisure.
shown here.
A passageway from the crypt
leads to the Pursatory Chapel.
where masses and prayers are Of.
fered in behalf Of the faithful de-
parted. as our guide book reminds
US In a fitting quotation:
1T Is. therefore. q holy and
wholesome thought to pray for the
dead that they may be loosed
from their SINS" III Nash.
xII:46J
The pictures and wall inserip-
tons are careful copies Of many
In the Roman Catacombs, and
though often cryptic, they are
none the less highly interesting.
One Of them reads thus:
"TTI CTOCEK TIC rwNE
CUCwoc EMO ADEKB
WE zHCAC-ETDCIN B.UH
-HUEKE."
And the symbol Of the fish aAd
the anchor complete the message.
Bible scenes depleted in rude
lines and crude colors, a. in the
original catacombs, are 'The
Three Youths In the Furnace"
THE Raising OF Lazarus" Dan.
lei in the Lions Den" The Good
Shepherd" Noah in the Ark" a
most primitive drawing, Moses
Striking the Rock" and many
others.
ST. CECILIA CHAPEL.
Passing through the Purgatory
Chapel into an extension Of the
Catacombs. we observe pictures
commemorative Of martyrs con-
signed to wild bsasts In the
arena. and in two ohapels called
"Cubicula," one OF which 10 dedi-
Gated to st. Cecilia. . virgin
martyr, We find the statue b.
meath the altar to be a copy Of
Maderno's sculpture, representing
the saints body AZ II was found
many years after her martyrdom,
turned completely over. including
the head. which had been severed,
for she was behsaded.
The opposite chapel 10 oonss-
Grated to St. Sebastian, soldier
martyr. with . copy Of Bernini's
famous statue In the Church of
ct. Sebastian on the Appian Way