Inaugural Issue of The Catechetical Review

Inspired Through Art
for while it gives life, hydrates, and refreshes, it also has the
ability to destroy, wipe away, and wash clean. Theologically,
baptism serves both these purposes: one is “born” into
God’s family as a Christian and simultaneously is purified
of original sin. However, for the grace of baptism to
blossom, one must be humble.
Masterpiece of Humility
The virtue of humility permeates Perugino’s work. See how
Christ’s eyes are closed, his head bowed in deep prayer,
as the grandeur of the moment unfolds. This Feast of
Theophany is the culmination of the Christmas season,
when we reflect upon the self-emptying of Christ, kenosis
as it is commonly referred to in the East. We contemplate
the humility of God made manifest in the Incarnation, seen
in the smallness of the Baby, sleeping in a mere feeding
trough for animals. And now as Christ emerges from the
relative silence of his life in Nazareth and begins his public
ministry, he doesn’t claim special privileges or proudly lord
his authority over all. Rather he goes to John and asks to
be baptized. The lack of clothing on Christ calls to mind
the end of his life, where once again the Son will obediently
submit to the will of the Father during his Passion
and will be stripped of his garments. Here he stands nearly
naked, vulnerable, and pouring out his life for his people as
servant, just as John gently pours the water over his head.
In this particular rendition, Perugino adds an extra
emphasis on Christ’s humility, not by what he adds but
by what he leaves out: Christ’s halo. Jesus has given up
his heavenly citizenship to become truly one of us. In the
earlier Sistine Chapel fresco, both Jesus and John have
halos, but not here. A more skeptical person could say that
Perugino simply made a mistake. However, as we will see
in a moment, that is not the case.
Romano Guardini astutely notes that “Jesus quietly takes
his place in line. He refuses to be an exception; voluntarily
he places himself within the law that is valid for all.” 3
Even his stature appears smaller than that of the Baptist.
Certainly Christ has no sin to be washed away, but he still
consents to baptism so as to purify the waters for the rest
of us. He sets an example to be followed, and follow they
do. The figures directly behind Jesus imitate his piety with
their prayerful hands. In the
Sistine Chapel fresco, we
can see behind the Baptist
a person eager to jump into
line next. Baptize me!
However, in this rendition,
behind the Baptist we
do not see a person but an
angel, as identified by none
other than a halo. Angels
are included to remind us
that this is, in fact, a divine event.
In the Sistine Chapel version, a
winged angel (no halo
needed) kneels behind
Jesus holding his
white tunic: another
reminder of the baptismal
purification.
The Mission of John
and the Church
John is identifiable with his bowl and reed
cross. He appears with long hair and a brown tunic (supposedly
animal skin) representative of his ascetical life in
the wilderness, yet Perugino generously portrays John as
less unkempt than some other painters. John bridges the
gap between the Old and New Testaments as the last and
greatest forerunner to the Messiah. Perugino even uses
the minute detail of the placement of his feet as a mirror
image to Christ’s, to illustrate the connection between the
God-man and his saintly relative. St. Gregory Nazianzen
eloquently explains, “He is the lamp in the presence of the
sun, the voice in the presence of the Word, the friend in
the presence of the Bridegroom, the greatest of all born of
woman in the presence of the firstborn of all creation.” 4 Yet
his facial expression is also humble, as one keenly aware
of an undeserved honor. Why me How am I appointed for
this task Indeed, “He must increase, I must decrease” had
been John’s conviction. 5
Another noteworthy feature of the Baptist in this
painting is his red cloak, which foreshadows the martyrdom
he would undergo. Guardini explains that “to be a
prophet means to speak the word of God, whether timely
or untimely.” 6 John so exemplified this idea that it cost
him his life at the hand of Herod Antipas, who resented
John’s condemnation of the king’s adultery. John received
a baptism through blood for the sake of the Gospel. Many
more martyrs would follow his example in the Church’s
history and even today.
Do you see the church in the distance,
just behind the Baptist The Church
continues John’s mission to call people
to conversion and to point to Jesus as
the one “who takes away the sin of the
world” ( Jn. 1:29). The Church is now
the conduit for baptism.
A Theophany
The brief yet poignant story of the baptism of Christ in
Scripture contains the first reference in the Gospel to all
three persons of the Blessed Trinity. This visible manifestation
of the triune God to humankind is called the
theophany. “As Jesus steps from the water, the mystery
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