Images

The reason for the original prohibition in the Old Covenant was that many of the religions of that time believed that the images and statues they were bowing down to were the gods themselves. Thus having an image of a god, or even trying to make one of God Himself, was seen as idolatry. In addition to this, God is greater than anything our minds can conceive, so any attempt to depict God Himself, even faithfully, would be seen as idolatry as well inasmuch as the image is going to automatically be something other than God. 

At the same time, this did not stop God from commanding Moses to make an image of a bronze serpent to save the Israelites from the serpents in Numbers. It did not stop Him from commanding Moses to craft two angels to mount on top of the Ark of the Covenant. So how do we reconcile all this?

During the Last Supper Discourses in John, Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus responds, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” What Jesus is saying here is that He is the perfect image of God the Father. When we look at the face of Jesus, we are looking at the face of God. Obviously, we do not believe that any images of Jesus or Mary or the saints are those people themselves; but they serve as reference points to call to mind the person they are speaking to. As we celebrate Mass this weekend, may we behold the Body of Christ in the Eucharist and come to behold God Himself in the flesh!