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Triptych by Nicola Maciariello: “With eyes fixed on Jesus Christ Crucified”
Sunday, 3 August 2025
The great theme of the triptych is the contemplation of the pierced heart of Christ the Good Shepherd in the different missionary contexts, often touched by suffering and tribulation; it is from here that the Church is born. Daniele Comboni, deeply convinced of this, taught us to live ‘always keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ’, loving him tenderly and striving to understand better and better what the mystery of a God who died on the cross for the salvation of all mankind means (S 2721).
The central painting is set on the African continent: we see some typical places of Comboni history in Khartoum, Comboni's apostolic See and the place of his death: Comboni College and the Cathedral. In the background are some of the capital's landmark buildings affected by the bombing of the war that broke out in 2023.
The left painting is set in the American continent, with typical suburbs of large cities (favelas).
The right-hand painting shows displaced persons arriving in Europe fleeing from the misery and wars of the East. A young Combonian priest holds up a Bible with Arabic, Chinese and other languages written on it to share the message of the Kingdom of God from East to West in the Eurasian continent. In the background is the Acropolis of Athens, a sign of Mediterranean cultures and Indo-European languages.
The movement of all the characters in the triptych (believers, Sisters, Brothers, Priests, women and children) is directed towards the cross where everyone can finally find life in fullness, peace and God’s love.