A Child Is Born To Us

The beautiful Gisle Codex is a “Gradual Book” or antiphonary bearing the signature and name of its artist, a Cistercian nun from the monastery of Rulle in Northern Germany. The nativity scene shown is within the initial drop capital “P” of the first word “Puer” of the quote from Isaiah 9:6 used as the Entrance Antiphon for the third Mass of Christmas. Peripheral art designs bear banners with Latin scriptural quotes, among which are Matthew 1:1, Isaiah 52:6, Luke 1:42 and 2:14, visible here.