In God Rock Radio’s second Easter Special and companion piece to History & Mystery of The Eucharist (GRR#90) – Jack “The Agnostic” Garcia examines the evolution of the Christian Mass or Eucharistic Worship service.  First off, its the early Judeo-Christians who relate the presence of Christ in what they called the Lord’s supper and link the bread and wine to their sacred ritual gathering or communal meal. Then its the early Church Fathers who formulate a more whole or complete ritual action and The Mass switches from Greek to Latin and takes on elements of Gallic ritual and ceremony. Up next, the Middle Ages when the role of the Laity in Eucharistic Worship changes from active participation to passive adoration as the spectacular cathedrals increase the distance between the main altar and the congregation. Then its the Protestant reformers who ex-communicated from Catholicism are now free to reinvent The Mass while the Catholics in response begin a counter reformation that zealously stimulates painters,sculptors ,writers, musicians and architects. And last but not least its the snail paced change in Catholic Worship that is sparked off by 19th Century monks who investigate dusty and moldy archives , restore Gregorian chants to celebrations and spark off a debate within the Catholic world that is still raging on two centuries later.
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In part 2 , Jack “The Agnostic” Garcia continues his epic examination of the puzzling enigmas and mysteries of Renaissance art. Deciphering some of the great mythological masterpieces from such artistic luminaries as the ethereal Botticelli, the playfully impish Bellini and the sensuously seductive Titian. Then its the flowering of art and culture in the princely city of Florence, Italy. The intellectual center of Renaissance Europe. A liberal haven ruled over by the Medici dynasty, who claim descent from the goddess Venus and run the cosmopolitan metropolis as a type of benevolent dictatorship, that protected writers, thinkers and artists from church scrutiny and possible retribution. Next up its the stern Dominican friar – Savonarola , a preacher of political frankness and emotional intensity who denounces the church as corrupt and laments the materialism of the Medici clan. his combination of revivalism and fundamentalism soon gains steam and spreads across Italy. And last but not least … its the Borgia Pope ( Alexander VI) whose sexacapades and administrative skills would become the stuff of Renaissance legend. Blessed with endless energy (in more ways than one) the cunningly ruthless Spaniard proved himself a more than able Pontiff and restored much of the church’s power and glory after decades of division and weakness.

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