Glencairn Abbey Cards

Cárta an lae: Íosagán

(Scroll down for English version)

Inniu caithimid súil ar an gcárta C16, Íosagán.

Feicimid anseo an leanbh beag ina luí ar rud éigin bog agus clúmhach (an scamall é?). Aithnímid gurb é an leanbh Íosa é de bharr a lios agus, ar ndóigh, de bharr a ainm scríofa os a choinn. Tá spideog ag eitilt i dtreo an linbh, a bhéal ar oscailt, agus spideog eile ag canadh ar an dtaobh dheas lastuas.

Ciureann an modh bídeach den ainm (ní amháin “Íosa” é, ach Íosagán) béim ar laghad agus éislinneacht an naíonain. Maothann sé ár gcroíthe... ach, mar a chonaiceamar sa chárta C11 (The Infant ~ Come Let Us Adore Him), ní amháin dearadh binn atá againn anseo.

Tá fhios againn anois go raibh an bhaint idir breith ár Slánaitheora agus a chrois an-thábhtach don tSiúr Paula, agus gur chuimsigh sí seo go minic ina ndearaí. ’Sé seo atá againn le Íosagán.

Ar an gcéad dul síos, nach píosa den choróin dheilgneach é an foras ar a sheasann na litreacha den ainm? Léimid sa Soiscéal, san cur síos ar Pháis Chríost: Rinne [na saighdiúirí] coróin dheilgneach a fhí agus a chur air (Marcas 15:17). Is craobh solúbtha atá againn anseo, le deilgne a dhíríonn ar an leanbh (laistíos den “G”agus den “N”), le cuma stuach mar phíosa den choróin.

Léimid fós gurb é uair a bháis an t-am eile i shaol ár Shlánaitheora ina raibh a ainm scríofa os a chionn: Cuireadh scribhinn os a chionn ag insint cúis a dhaortha: “Is é seo Íosa, Rí na nGiúdach” (Matha 27:37).

Agus, mar gheall ar an spideog: tá finscéal tradisiúinta ann a insíonn conas a bhfuair an spideog a hucht dearg. Nuair a bhí Íosa ar an gcrois, chonaic spideog donn simplí é. Ba mhian leis an spideog cabhair a thabhairt do Íosa; mar sin thuirling sé agus phioc sé dealg as an gcoróin, chun a phian a íslú. Agus sin á dhéanamh aige, thit braon fola ar ucht na spideoige agus d’fhan sé ann. Ón lá sin, coimeádann an spideog a hucht dearg, mar comhartha dá chuid maitheasa don Tiarna.

Is féidir linn anáil an fhinscéal seo a fheiscint anseo. Tagann an spideog, a mharc dearg an-ghlé, ón choróin mar comhartha fháidhiúil, mar a déarfá, den Pháis.

Níl aon eagla ar an leanbh roimh teachtaireacht na spideoige: is cosúil go bhfuil sé ag cur fáilte roimhe, lena dearcadh neamhchorrach agus a láimhe oscailte. Tugaimid faoi dheara freisin go bhfuil sé feistithe in éadaí fuil dearg. [Deir] Críost agus é ag teacht isteach sa saol seo: Níorbh áil leat iobart ná tabhartas; ach d’ullmhaigh tú corp dom... Táim ag teacht, a Dhia, chun do thoil a dhéanamh (Eabh. 10:5-6).

Mar sin, sa leanbh beag seo feicimid Íosa mar an té a shábháilfidh sinn trína bhás agus trína aiséirí.

An teacs laistigh: Tá Mac Dé féin tar éis teacht chun chónaí inár measc: Bíodh áthas agus gliondar orainn!

Tá an cárta seo ar fáil i nGaeilge amháin.

 

Translation:

Card of the day: Íosagán

Today we are looking at card C16, Íosagán.

Here we see the little child lying on something soft and fluffy (is it a cloud?). We know that it is the baby Jesus because of his halo and, of course, from his name written above him. There is a robin flying towards the infant, its mouth open, and another robin singing on the right side above.

The diminutive version of the name (he is not just “Jesus”, but “little Jesus”) emphasises the weakness and vulnerability of the baby. It softens our hearts... but, as we saw with card C11 (The Infant ~ Come Let Us Adore Him), what we have here is not just a sweet design.

We know by now that the link between the birth of our Saviour and his cross was very important for Sr Paula, and that she often included it in her designs. That is what we have here with Íosagán.

In the first place, is not the base on which the letters of the name are standing a piece of the crown of thorns? We read in the Gospel, in the account of Christ’s Passion: The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on him (Mark 15:17). What we have here is a pliable branch, with thorns pointing to the child (under the “G” and the “N”), in the shape of an arc like a piece of a crown.

We also read that the time in the Saviour’s life when his name was written over his head was the hour of his death: Above his head was placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the King of the Jews (Matthew 27:37).

And concerning the robin: there is a traditional fable which tells how the robin got his red breast. When Jesus was on the cross, a plain brown robin saw him. The robin wanted to help Jesus, so he came down and picked a thorn from the crown, to alleviate his pain. In doing this, a drop of blood fell onto the robin’s breast and stayed there. From that day, the robin has kept his red breast, as a sign of his goodness to the Lord.

We can see the influence of this fable here. The robin comes, his red mark very clear, from the crown, a prophetic sign, as it were of the Passion

The child has no fear of the robin’s message: it seems as though he is welcoming it, with his steady gaze and open arms. We also notice that he is already dressed in blood-red clothes. When Christ came into the world he said, You have prepared a body for me... Here I am, O God, to do your will (Heb 10:5-6).

So in this little baby we see Jesus as the one who will save us through his death and resurrection.

The text inside the card (trans): The Son of God himself has come to live among us: let us rejocie and be glad!

This card is available only in Irish.

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