Western artwork often represents angels as serene people in
white robes or chubby-cheeked infants, typically with feathery wings and harps
or trumpets. In truth, angels are beings of incredible power and influence. Only
two angels are named in the Bible—Michael and Gabriel, although Lucifer is a
fallen angel. Since we’re close to Christmas, we will explore what the Bible
tells us about Gabriel.
Gabriel, whose name means “hero of God,” appeared to three
people—Daniel, Zechariah, and Mary. Biblical encounters with Gabriel always
induced fear, and Gabriel always allayed their fears. (Luke 1:13; 30; 2:10).
Even a God-fearing priest like Zechariah (Luke 1:5–7) was terror-stricken when
first seeing Gabriel. Zechariah was alone in the Holy Place of the temple, offering
a sacrifice of incense (Luke 1:8–11), for which he was chosen by lot to perform.
Incense always represented prayers to God. Gabriel’s message was a happy one. Zechariah and his wife,
Elizabeth, were honorable people who had never had children (Luke 1:5–7). The
angel's announcement suggests that prayers for a child had been a regular part
of Zechariah's life. Although well past child-bearing years, Elizabeth would
conceive, at last, and they would have a son. Gabriel commanded that the child
be named John, and he would be great in the sight of the Lord. The angel also
instructed Zechariah to raise the child under special care (Luke 1:14–17) as he
would be an important herald of God's salvation (Luke 3:2–3).
Zechariah's instinct was to doubt this prediction. His question was not about how
such a birth could occur. It was a reluctance to believe it could occur.
In response, the angel identified himself as Gabriel and said that he stood in
the presence of God. Zechariah would have immediately recognized the name Gabriel, thanks to the angel's
appearance in the story of the prophet Daniel. Gabriel rebuked Zechariah for
his lack of faith and said he would be unable to speak or hear temporarily.
(Luke 1:20,62) Gabriel’s admonition sends a clear message to all to respond to
God’s blessings the right way.
Soon after, Gabriel came to an obscure town in a rural area
(Luke 1:26). The object of his mission was a virgin, unmarried but betrothed,
by the name of Mary (Luke 1:27). Her status as a virgin (Luke 1:34) and member
of the house of David (Luke 3:23–38) were both foretold by the prophets (Isaiah
7:14; 2 Samuel 7:12–16).
As most people, Mary would initially be troubled by the
angel's appearance (Luke 1:29) and wonder how God planned to accomplish His
purpose (Luke 1:34). “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel,
“since I am a virgin?” However, unlike Zechariah (Luke 1:18), her
question was about how, not if, the angel's message would come
true, so Gabriel answered her question and confirmed his words with news of
Elizabeth’s pregnancy. His final words to her were, “For no
word from God will ever fail.”
Gabriel’s only other appearances were to
Daniel (Dan. 8:16, 9:21), and his purpose was not to bring a message but to
explain a dream that Daniel had about the end of the world. What we learn about
the angel was that 1) he appeared as a man, but inspired fear; 2) he came as a
result of Daniel’s prayers; and 3) he came swiftly as soon as Daniel began to
pray. Gabriel’s presence shows us that prayers are heard, and sometimes even
before the prayer is finished, God sends an angel with the answer.
A Song for Her Enemies
After Nazi soldiers close the opera
and destroy Tamar Kaplan’s dream of becoming a professional singer, she joins
the Dutch Resistance, her fair coloring concealing her Jewish heritage. Tamar
partners with Dr. Daniel Feldman, and they risk their lives to help escaping
refugees. When they are forced to flee themselves, violinist Neelie Visser
takes them into hiding.
Tamar’s love for Daniel flowers in
hardship, but she struggles with the paradox that a loving God would allow the
atrocities around her. When Tamar resists the advances of a Third Reich
officer, he exacts his revenge by betraying the secrets hidden behind the walls
of Neelie’s house. From a prison hospital to a Nazi celebration to a
concentration camp, will the three of them survive to tell the world the
secrets behind barbed wire? https://amzn.to/2YJBkRn
Today’s post finishes up my series on the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris as it was before the recent fire. In this installment, we’ll focus on the bells whose beloved tones are a cherished daily part of Paris life.
During the French Revolution, all but one of the cathedral’s bells were melted down to make weapons and guillotines for the revolutionaries’ grisly work. The destroyed bells were first replaced during the mid-19th century, and then again in 2013 during the celebration of Notre-Dame’s 850th anniversary. In a formal ceremony that drew extensive media coverage, the new bells were washed with holy water, anointed inside and out with chrism oils, and blessed before being installed, again completing the cathedral’s full complement.
Each bell is given a name. Emmanuel, the cathedral’s largest bell and the bourdon, the one with the lowest pitch, occupies the south tower. It is tuned to F sharp and is the only bell that survived the revolution, possibly because at thirteen tons it would have required extraordinary efforts to remove it from the belfry. It was installed during the 15th century and was recast in 1681 at the request of King Louis XIV who gave it its name. Emmanuel sounds each hour of the day and has been rung to mark some of the most important events in France’s history. It sounded the “Te Deum” for the coronations of the French kings and has been rung for the funerals of French heads of state, the visits of important world leaders, the end of wars, national and international tragedies, and holy days such as Christmas, Easter, and Ascension. Bell ringers and musicians still consider this bell to have one of the most beautiful tones in all of Europe.
Accompanying Emmanuel in the south tower is the cathedral’s second largest bell, a drone bell named Marie in homage to the Virgin Mary. At six tons and tuned to G Sharp, Marie is called the petite bourdon). Cast in a foundry in The Netherlands, it is engraved with the phrases “Je vous salue Marie,” (in French, “Hail Mary”) and “Via viatores quaerit,” (in Latin, “The way is looking for travelers”). Below is an image of the infant Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, surrounded by stars and a relief with the Adoration of the Magi.
Eight bells of graduated sizes occupy the north tower. At left are nine of the bells on public display in the cathedral’s nave in February 2013. From left to right are Jean-Marie, Maurice, Benoît-Joseph, Étienne, Marcel, Denis, Anne-Geneviève, Gabriel, and Bourdon Marie.
South Bell Tower
The largest, named Gabriel after the Archangel Gabriel, who announced the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary, weighs four tons and plays A sharp. It was cast in a bell foundry outside Paris in 2013 and is inscribed with the first sentence of the Angelus. Forty engraved lines represent the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert and the 40 years the children of Israel spent wandering in Sinai desert. It is used mainly for ordinary masses on Sundays and chimes the hours throughout the day. Like Emmanuel and Marie it is also used to mark important events.
Anne-Geneviève is the second largest bell in the north tower and the fourth largest in the cathedral. Its name is a tribute to St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, and St. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. The second line of the Angelus is engraved on it as well as three lines representing the Trinity and the three theological virtues. Weighing three tons, it is tuned to B and is also used to mark specific events. It is the only bell that remains silent during the Angelus Domini at 8 a.m., noon, and 8 p.m. in the summer.
Denis is the third largest bell in the north tower and fifth largest in the cathedral. Named in honor of Saint Denis, the martyr who was also the first bishop of Paris c. 250, the bell has engraved on it the third phrase of the Angelus and seven lines representing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the seven Sacraments. It weighs 2 tons and plays C sharp.
Marcel, the fourth largest bell in the north tower and the cathedral’s sixth largest, is named for Saint Marcel, the ninth bishop of Paris in the fifth century, who was known for his tireless service to the poor and sick. The fourth phrase of the Angelus is engraved on it. Tuned to D sharp, it weighs 1.9 tons.
Étienne, the fifth largest bell in the north tower and seventh largest in the cathedral at 1.5 tons, plays E sharp and is named after the first Christian martyr, St. Étienne (in English St. Stephen). It commemorates the old cathedral church of Paris that preceded Notre Dame, which was dedicated to the saint and carries the fifth phrase of the Angelus. Its most prominent feature is a gold stripe above the nameplate.
Benoît-Joseph is the sixth largest bell in the north tower and the cathedral’s eighth largest, named in honor of Pope Benedict XVI, using the French version of his pontifical name and his given name, Joseph. It plays F and weighs 1.3 tons. It has two silver stripes above the skirt, one silver stripe above the nameplate, and is inscribed with the sixth phrase of the Angelus. This bell is used for weddings and sometimes chimes the hour replacing Gabriel, generally on the Ave Maria.
Maurice is the seventh largest bell in the north tower and the cathedral’s second smallest, weighing one ton and playing G sharp. It’s named after Maurice de Sully, the bishop of Paris who laid the first stone for the construction of the cathedral in 1163. It has two gray stripes below the nameplate and the inscription, “Pray for us, Holy Mother of God.” This bell is used for weddings.
Notre Dame de Paris
Jean Marie, the tenth and smallest bell is tuned to A sharp and weighs 0.780 tons. It bears the name of Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, who was the bishop of Paris from 1981 until 2005. It has a small gray stripe above the skirt and displays the eighth and last sentence of the Angelus. This bell is also used for weddings.
Four additional bells were added at the top of the North Tower in 1856 to replace those destroyed during the French Revolution. These rang daily for basic services, the Angelus, and the chiming of the hours, but were placed in storage in February 2012. The largest of these, Angélique-Françoise weighs 2.11 tons and is tuned to C sharp. Antoinette-Charlotte, weighing 1.47 tons, is tuned to D sharp. Jacinthe-Jeanne at 1 ton is tuned to F. The smallest at 1,691 lbs. Denise-David, is tuned to F sharp like Emmanuel.
In 1867, a carillon of three bells were put in place in the spire with two chimes that linked to the monumental clock. Another three bells were placed in the actual structure of the Notre-Dame Cathedral itself so that they could be heard inside. These have not been rung for some time, but their restoration was under consideration before the fire.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series on the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris! Please take a moment to listen to the ringing of the cathedral’s bells, then share your answers to the questions below.
Do you live or work where church bells sound the hours of the day? If so, do you find it pleasurable or distracting? If there are no bells in your vicinity, what other sounds might capture your attention on a typical day, for example, wind blowing through the trees, wind chimes, bird songs, animal sounds like the lowing of cows, bees buzzing in the garden? Or does the cacophony of city streets energize you? Please share the sounds you enjoy during your day!
~~~
J. M. Hochstetler is the daughter of Mennonite farmers and a lifelong student of history. She is a professional editor, a publisher, and the author of award-winning historical fiction whose books have been endorsed by bestselling authors such as Lori Benton, Laura Frantz, Jocelyn Green, Michelle Moran, and MaryLu Tyndal. Her American Patriot Series is the only comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. She is also the author of One Holy Night, which won the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year and co-authored the award-winning Northkill Amish Series with Bob Hostetler. Her latest release is Refiner’s Fire, Book 6 of the American Patriot Series.
