Item 0415 - Anno Domini 1954

xii

The quite unusual format of this calendar is made up of three inserts, with four pages each. On the first insert, one finds depicted the Baby Jesus sleeping in the manger with St Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary on His side as well as two little angels adoring Him and on the back is a picture known as the Blessed Virgin Mary: Spouse of the Holy Spirit. On the inside, one finds Christmas Greetings from the Jesus of Nazareth Institute of Zejtun to all friends and benefactors. On the right hand side of these greeting one finds a quote from the Roman Breviary for all deceased benefactors. The second insert contains a religious calendar for the months of January, February and March on the front page and the months of October, November, December at the back. The middle pages of this insert depict a young Christ with St Joseph while on the right hand side a sleeping small child with the guardian angel watching over her. The third and last insert contains the religious calendar for the remaining months, i.e. April, May and June on the front page and July, August and September on the back page. In the middle pages, one finds one whole landscape painting depicting Christ walking on a wooden bridge. Theologically explained, this image reflects Jesus Christ as the bridge between man and God the Father.
St. Catherine of Siena in the 14th century was perhaps the first to depict God’s incarnation as man (Jesus), his life, death and resurrection as a bridge from heaven to earth after reading the Gospel of John 3: 16 - "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." The calendar pages are in black and white and at the top are adorned with the sacrificial Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), symbol of the Crucified Christ with blood gushing out from its side. There are also printed the letters Alpha and Omega - the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet meaning the beginning and the end, referred to by Jesus Christ and found in the Book of Revelation 1: 8. There is also written in Latin under these two symbols "Ego-sum-Via-Veritas-et-Vita" meaning "I am the way, the truth and the life" - words preached by Jesus Christ and found in the Gospel of John 14: 6. At the bottom of all calendar pages, one finds small boxes with flowers. All these three inserts are held together with a green cotton ribbon and when opened in the right way, they form a whole systematic calendar of the year 1954.

• Latin
• Maltese