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Views from the Choir Loft

What Jesus Looked Like

Fr. David Friel · December 21, 2012

HAT DID JESUS LOOK LIKE? Do you have an image of Jesus that comes to mind when you hear His name? Maybe He looked like Chase Utley. Or maybe He looked like the Brawny paper towel guy. I personally like to think Jesus had red hair. But what did Jesus actually look like?

Your initial reaction might be to say, “Well, we really don’t know. That was 2,000 years ago, and there are no photographs around, so we really can’t say for sure.” But that’s not true. We can say for sure what Jesus looked like. We may not know for certain whether he had straight or curly hair or light or dark skin. But we can say, without a doubt, that He looked like . . . Mary.

Jesus is the Son of God but, when He chose to be born into time, He chose to subject Himself to the realities of human existence. He even became subject to the laws of science, which He, Himself, created. One of those realities of human existence is genetics. As we learned in high school biology, we all inherit genetic traits from our parents. One of the first people to study this—and the person now considered to be the “Father of Modern Genetics”—was Gregor Mendel (an Augustinian priest). As he, and those who came after him, could tell us, a child’s appearance is determined by the genes he or she receives from the parents.

So how did this work in Jesus’ case? Scripture—from Isaiah to Luke—emphatically makes the point that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. As we say in the creed, Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by relations with a man. So, because of the astonishing truth that Jesus was born of a virgin Mother, we can say that Jesus received all His genetic material from Mary. As a result, Jesus & Mary would have shared a very strong physical resemblance.

Of course, outward appearance is not what ultimately matters. Many young people struggle with being overly concerned about their appearance. They often feel pressured to resemble this or that famous person, or even this or that particular classmate. The truth is that God has made each person uniquely beautiful, so there is no need to try to look like anybody else. But, if it is not our outward appearance that ultimately matters, what is it? What does ultimately matter?

What ultimately matters is our interior resemblance to Jesus. The interior resemblance of Mary & Jesus was just as strong as their physical resemblance. They resemble each other in mercy, in gentleness, in compassion; they resemble each other in forgiveness, in love for the poor, in selfless sacrifice. Insofar as we resemble Mary, we also resemble her Son.

Every one of us is a reflection of our parents. My dad has red hair and big ears, and so do I. But we aren’t just children of our parents. We’re also children of God. Whereas our physical resemblance to our parents comes naturally, our interior resemblance to Mary & Jesus takes some work. So, let’s resolve to put some time and energy into fostering that resemblance. Let’s put aside our gossip and our grudges. Let’s put aside our judgmental attitudes and our laziness. Let’s put aside our pride and our jealousy. Let’s make time for our family and friends. Let’s make time for prayer and for service.

If we do that, the image of the Christ Child will be born again in us, and, when people see us, they will see the face of Christ.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“It is the choir that can make the most valuable contribution to the liturgy; it is through the choir that significant numbers of the congregation can make a significant and valuable offering in the community’s act of worship. The choir links directly academic excellence, artistic creation, disciplined attention and self expression in the making of something fitting for the worship of God.”

— Father Daniel Higgins, Choirmaster at Saint Edmund’s College, Ware

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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