The sacred Liturgy, in revealing to us the supernatural Sonship of our Lord Jesus Christ, which affects our souls more especially at this time of Christmas, makes the Divinity under the aspect of Fatherhood resplendent in our eyes.
Yesterday we hopped on the 8:00 train out of here and arrived in Vienna just before 11:00. It was bitter, bitter cold. Colder than here in Gaming where the mountains shield us from the wind a little bit more. We walked first to the Naschmarkt, to browse the enourmous outdoor market with exotic foods and spices. We ate lunch there and found a traditional Austrian jacket that I liked at the flea market which sets up on Saturdays in conjunction with the Naschmarkt.
After that, though, we headed straight for the Hofburg Palace to get in out of the cold. We decided on the imperial treasury museum, which houses the finest collection of jewels on the continent. It was quite simply amazing, and we aren't the biggest fans of museums, generally preferring to see artwork in its proper home in churches.
The highlight was the Imperial Insigns dating from the 11th to 14th century, including the Imperial Crown, the Holy Lance, the Imperial Orb, and a partical of the True Cross. When I say particle, by the way, I mean something like a foot long with a nail hole in it. The Crown is 8 sided to symbolize the 8 gates of the heavenly Jerusalem; the front side holds 12 enormous jewels signifying the 12 Apostles; and on two of the panels are pictures of Kings David and Solomon. The whole is topped by a jewelled Cross signifying the heavenly source of the king's authority. The Holy Lance is so called because of its connection with the Roman Centurion, St. Longinus, who pierced the side of Christ on the Cross. It was carried in battle by the Holy Roman Emperors in the Middle Ages and was sometimes believed to confer invincibility on its wielder. 
2 comments:
If I am not mistaken, that is the crown of Otto I, correct?
Was Frederick Barbarossa carrying the lance when he crossed that river in Asia Minor? Or doesn't that count since he wasn't in battle (except against the river)?
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