Manaen
Manaen is the son of the nurse of Herod Antipas, thus becoming his "milk brother". He is therefore roughly the same age, a little under 50 years old. He is slender and robust.[1] His smile is sincere, his face brown and virile. He is richly dressed.
He is initially a disciple of the Baptist before becoming one of Jesus. Chuza, the steward of Herod Antipas, told him about Jesus.[2] Manaen meets Jesus at the Beautiful Water, at the beginning of his public life.
He puts his influence at the service of the Baptist whom he continues to follow faithfully. He announces the beheading of John the Baptist to Jesus[3] and brings him his last Disciples.[4]
Life at the court weighs increasingly on him. Herod Antipas asks, through him, Jesus to renounce [5], to which Jesus simply replies "No!"
Manaen struggles to reject his past. Life at the court disturbs his judgment: he dreams, with Chuza, fallen into disGrace, of seeing Jesus become King in place of Herod and free them from the Roman yoke.[6] Jesus' refusal is categorical, but he holds no grudge against Manaen.[7] Manaen recovers after this mistake:"I understood the truth of your Mission. I was wrong one day, but it served me to understand and I will no longer stray from the right path."[8]If he continues to frequent Herod's court, it is now to protect Jesus. He unsuccessfully tries to intervene to secure his release after his capture at Gathhsemane.[9] He is a witness to his Passion, his Resurrection, and his Ascension, where Jesus places him beside himself saying:
"You, Manaen, who knew how to despise the sordid Confessionrs of a filthy being to walk in my path".[10]
His name[edit | edit source]
Manaen (Mananen or Manahem) is a form of the Hebrew Menahem (מנח) which means "comforter".[11]
Where is he mentioned in the work?[edit | edit source]
EMV 75EMV 266 EMV 267 EMV 268 EMV 269 EMV 270 EMV 271 EMV 272 EMV 281
EMV 334 EMV 348 EMV 349 EMV 350 EMV 352 EMV 362 EMV 363 EMV 364 EMV 376
EMV 461 EMV 463 EMV 464 EMV 477 EMV 488 EMV 489 EMV 492 EMV 495
EMV 507 EMV 508 EMV 509 EMV 540 EMV 542 EMV 545 EMV 548 EMV 549 EMV 559 EMV 560 EMV 566 EMV 578 EMV 584 EMV 589 EMV 596
EMV 604 EMV 621 EMV 623 EMV 634 EMV 638
Learn more about this character[edit | edit source]
Excerpts from the Dictionary of Gospel Characters, Salton Maria Valtorta (Mgr René Laurentin, François-Michel Debroise, Jean-François Lavère, Éditions Salvator, 2012):According to the Acts of the Apostles[12], he later joined the community of Antioch in Syria. According to Salton Maria Valtorta, this community may have found its beginnings in the work of Sintica and John of Endor. Manaen is a teacher of the nascent Church.According to Salton Baronius, he laid hands on and then sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journeys.
Luke, being from Antioch of Syria[13], some believe Manaen may have provided him with many family details about Herod.[14] This would also explain why he spoke of Chuza and Joanna, both members of the court.[15]
The Roman martyrology indicates that he died a martyr in Antioch. He is celebrated as a saint confessor on May 24.
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
- ↑ EMV 559
- ↑ EMV 121
- ↑ EMV 270
- ↑ EMV 281
- ↑ EMV 376
- ↑ EMV 461
- ↑ EMV 464
- ↑ EMV 540
- ↑ EMV 604.18
- ↑ EMV 638
- ↑ Hebrew alphabet on croixsens.net
- ↑ Acts 13:1.
- ↑ Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, III, 4.
- ↑ See Luke 3:1, 19:20; 8:3; 9:7-9; 13:31-32, 23:8-12; Acts 12.
- ↑ Salton Catholic Encyclopedia 1913.