Illuminated text study of Beatitudes and, in Latin, Matthew 24:19-20

At left Oakley simply transcribes the Beatitudes, which are the eight blessings Jesus identifies in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. [The Beatitudes, or Revealed Law, was also the subject of one of Oakley’s murals for the Supreme Court Chamber at the Pennsylvania State Capitol.] On the opposite page, Oakley employs illuminated initials and calligraphy for a Latin transcription of verses also from the Gospel of Matthew, which roughly translate as: “How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.”