{"id":17161,"date":"2025-11-13T21:57:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T20:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/behold.mt\/?post_type=talba-bl-arti&p=17161"},"modified":"2025-11-13T21:57:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T20:57:17","slug":"let-both-grow-together-until-the-harvest","status":"publish","type":"talba-bl-arti","link":"https:\/\/behold.mt\/en\/talba-bl-arti\/let-both-grow-together-until-the-harvest\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cLet both grow together until the harvest\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The\u00a0First\u00a0Reflection\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0Mosaic\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0Church of \u201cTal-Erwie\u0127,\u201d\u00a0\u0126al\u00a0Tarxien<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Church turns our gaze towards the second coming of Christ in the final and first days of her liturgical year, in these weeks we shall contemplate the great mosaic which occupies the place of the titular painting in the Church of the Risen Christ at \u0126al Tarxien\u2014better known as \u201cTal-Erwie\u0127,\u201d precisely because it is the church of the village cemetery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The present church took the place of an older chapel that had become far too small to meet the pastoral needs of the people living in the area where the parishes of \u0126al Tarxien, Christ the King (Paola), and Fgura meet. The Italian architect of the church, Mgr Valerio Vigorelli, was particularly careful to design a building that would harmonise with the nearby remains of the Neolithic Temple of \u0126al Tarxien, especially in the use of Maltese stone and in its overall form and decoration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mosaic, the work of Angelo Manelli from the Istituto Beato Angelico, takes the form of smoke rising upwards to heaven, as though from the altar itself. It reminds us somewhat of what we find in Psalm 141, which in ancient times the priest would recite quietly at the offertory while walking around the altar to incense it: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet\u00a0my\u00a0prayer\u00a0be\u00a0counted\u00a0as\u00a0incense\u00a0before\u00a0thee,\u00a0
and\u00a0the\u00a0lifting\u00a0up\u00a0of\u00a0my\u00a0hands\u00a0as\u00a0an\u00a0evening\u00a0sacrifice.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>Psalm\u00a0141:2<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Book of Revelation also compares the prayers of the saints\u2014the disciples of Jesus who remain faithful to the end\u2014to incense rising towards God (see Rev 5:8; 8:3\u20134).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u00a0stands\u00a0out\u00a0most\u00a0in\u00a0this\u00a0work\u00a0of\u00a0contemporary\u00a0art\u00a0is\u00a0that,\u00a0on\u00a0different\u00a0levels,\u00a0we\u00a0see\u00a0taking\u00a0place\u00a0simultaneously\u00a0the\u00a0struggle\u00a0between\u00a0good\u00a0and\u00a0evil\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0eternal\u00a0present\u00a0of\u00a0history,\u00a0the\u00a0final\u00a0judgement,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0glory\u00a0which\u00a0is\u00a0yet\u00a0to\u00a0reach\u00a0its\u00a0fullness\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0end\u00a0of\u00a0time.\u00a0This\u00a0work\u00a0of\u00a0art\u00a0revolves\u00a0around\u00a0one\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0so-called\u00a0parables\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Kingdom\u00a0of\u00a0Heaven\u00a0that\u00a0we\u00a0find\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0Gospel\u00a0according\u00a0to\u00a0Matthew\u2014the parable Jesus told about the wheat and\u00a0the\u00a0weeds:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another\u00a0parable\u00a0he\u00a0put\u00a0before\u00a0them,\u00a0saying,\u00a0\u2018The\u00a0kingdom\u00a0of\u00a0heaven\u00a0may\u00a0be\u00a0compared\u00a0to\u00a0a\u00a0man\u00a0who\u00a0sowed\u00a0good\u00a0seed\u00a0in\u00a0his\u00a0field;\u00a0but\u00a0while\u00a0men\u00a0were\u00a0sleeping,\u00a0his\u00a0enemy\u00a0came\u00a0and\u00a0sowed\u00a0weeds\u00a0among\u00a0the\u00a0wheat,\u00a0and\u00a0went\u00a0away.\u00a0So\u00a0when\u00a0the\u00a0plants\u00a0came\u00a0up\u00a0and\u00a0bore\u00a0grain,\u00a0then\u00a0the\u00a0weeds\u00a0appeared\u00a0also.\u00a0And\u00a0the\u00a0servants\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0householder\u00a0came\u00a0and\u00a0said\u00a0to\u00a0him,\u00a0\u201cSir,\u00a0did\u00a0you\u00a0not\u00a0sow\u00a0good\u00a0seed\u00a0in\u00a0your\u00a0field?\u00a0How\u00a0then\u00a0has\u00a0it\u00a0weeds?\u201d\u00a0He\u00a0said\u00a0to\u00a0them,\u00a0\u201cAn\u00a0enemy\u00a0has\u00a0done\u00a0this.\u201d\u00a0The\u00a0servants\u00a0said\u00a0to\u00a0him,\u00a0\u201cThen\u00a0do\u00a0you\u00a0want\u00a0us\u00a0to\u00a0go\u00a0and\u00a0gather\u00a0them?\u201d\u00a0But\u00a0he\u00a0said,\u00a0\u201cNo;\u00a0lest\u00a0in\u00a0gathering\u00a0the\u00a0weeds\u00a0you\u00a0root\u00a0up\u00a0the\u00a0wheat\u00a0along\u00a0with\u00a0them.\u00a0Let\u00a0both\u00a0grow\u00a0together\u00a0until\u00a0the\u00a0harvest;\u00a0and\u00a0at\u00a0harvest\u00a0time\u00a0I\u00a0will\u00a0tell\u00a0the\u00a0reapers,\u00a0Gather\u00a0the\u00a0weeds\u00a0first\u00a0and\u00a0bind\u00a0them\u00a0in\u00a0bundles\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0burned,\u00a0but\u00a0gather\u00a0the\u00a0wheat\u00a0into\u00a0my\u00a0barn.\u201d\u2019\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>Matthew\u00a013:24\u201330<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

If we pause to look at the lowest part of the mosaic, we immediately notice a dark figure and a luminous one, both scattering seed\u2014the former of the weeds and the latter of the wheat\u2014and both doing so simultaneously. Such is life: good and evil intertwine and mingle, and goodness must strive to grow, for evil tries to sap its strength. The master\u2019s decision to delay his judgement results from the fact that the weeds\u2014or, rather, tares, as the original Greek implies\u2014and the wheat can be truly distinguished only when they mature and the fruit appears\u2014\u201cthe grain is ripe\u201d (Mark 4:28).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In these days, it would do us good to examine ourselves before this image. Recognise that even within your own heart there is both what the Good One has sown and what the evil one has sown. Recognise and discern\u2014but do not uproot rashly. Let the Lord be your reaper in his own time and season, so that you may lose nothing of the good with which he wishes to adorn you and nourish others through it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":17149,"template":"","rizors":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u201cLet both grow together until the harvest\u201d - Behold<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/behold.mt\/en\/talba-bl-arti\/let-both-grow-together-until-the-harvest\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cLet both grow together until the harvest\u201d - Behold\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The\u00a0First\u00a0Reflection\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0Mosaic\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0Church of \u201cTal-Erwie\u0127,\u201d\u00a0\u0126al\u00a0Tarxien\u00a0 As the Church turns our gaze towards the second coming of Christ in the final and first days of her liturgical year, in these weeks we shall contemplate the great mosaic which occupies the place of the titular painting in the Church of the Risen Christ at \u0126al Tarxien\u2014better known as \u201cTal-Erwie\u0127,\u201d precisely because it is the church of the village cemetery.  The present church took the place of an older chapel that had become far too small to meet the pastoral needs of the people living in the area where the parishes of \u0126al Tarxien, Christ the King (Paola), and Fgura meet. The Italian architect of the church, Mgr Valerio Vigorelli, was particularly careful to design a building that would harmonise with the nearby remains of the Neolithic Temple of \u0126al Tarxien, especially in the use of Maltese stone and in its overall form and decoration.  The mosaic, the work of Angelo Manelli from the Istituto Beato Angelico, takes the form of smoke rising upwards to heaven, as though from the altar itself. It reminds us somewhat of what we find in Psalm 141, which in ancient times the priest would recite quietly at the offertory while walking around the altar to incense it:  \u201cLet\u00a0my\u00a0prayer\u00a0be\u00a0counted\u00a0as\u00a0incense\u00a0before\u00a0thee,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0lifting\u00a0up\u00a0of\u00a0my\u00a0hands\u00a0as\u00a0an\u00a0evening\u00a0sacrifice.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Psalm\u00a0141:2 The Book of Revelation also compares the prayers of the saints\u2014the disciples of Jesus who remain faithful to the end\u2014to incense rising towards God (see Rev 5:8; 8:3\u20134).\u00a0 ... 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