Holy Easter 2025
According to the Gospel of Saint Matthew, when the angel, on Easter morning, threw away the tombstone of Christ’s tomb, the soldiers who were guarding it were terrified and as if stunned. This is the scene that Girolamo Marchesi da Cotignola, a Ferrarese painter from the second half of the fifteenth century, wanted to reproduce in this painting that Cardinal Federico Borromeo donated to the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana and which is still admired by visitors today.
The risen Christ is depicted in all his grandeur, holding in his hand the traditional banner, symbol of his victory over death and sin; at his feet, around the empty tomb, the frightened soldiers seem to want to defend and shield themselves from the Risen One.
But Easter is not to be feared; we must not use it as a shield, because it is a celebration of renewed life, to be welcomed with joy and trust, especially in our times of difficulty, wars and tensions, situations that could lead to discouragement.
The wish I would like to address to those who will read these considerations of mine, admiring this painting by Marchesi, is precisely that of welcoming the message of hope that comes to us from Easter, so as not to condemn ourselves, like the soldiers in this painting, to fear and alienation.
Mons. Marco Navoni, Prefect of the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana
