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Evangelization through Art |
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Sr. Laurette Roy, pm believes that art not only serves to teach but is meant to be shared. Below are various paintings on burlap with her interpretations. Enjoy! |
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Prince of Peace
On the first Christmas a dazzling star burst forth from the soundless symphony of the universe. Like a jewel in the night, its brilliance shattered the darkness of space and its rays spilled all over the starlit sky to brighten a dismal world bereft of peace and harmony. As the Eternal Son clothed our broken humanity, angelic choirs filled the heavenly expanse with a melody of praise and great tidings:
Glory to God in the highest and on earth
peace on those on whom his favor rests.
Luke 2:14 In this painting, Jesus, the Son of God in human form, is weak and vulnerable in His mother's arms. As we contemplate the Divine Infant sleeping softly in the secure embrace of Mary, our fearfulness of God's splendor is changed into loving trust. Like a
brilliant STAR, Jesus' peaceful slumber radiates inner peace and brings solace to our weary hearts ever in search of lasting happiness and repose. As He rest on His mother's shoulder, so too, He calls us forth to silence our restlessness or He comes to fulfill His promises and to change our darkness into LIGHT and our dissonance into PEACE. |
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Transforming Love
At His Last Passover meal on earth, Jesus took bread and wine, two staples of everyday life, blessed them and said: "This is my Body. This is my Blood. Do this in memory of me." (I Cor. 11) Within the very familiar setting of a feast, He gave his body and Blood as Bread of Life and Spiritual Drink. More than that, He commissioned his disciples to take and eat and to embody the dynamic memory of His life, i.e., to make Him present and alive in their lives and to be Eucharist for others.
In this painting, this mystery of transforming LOVE is portrayed by a transparent cross that can be traced from Jesus' lips (spoken WORD) as the symbolic offering of bread and wine are changed into the very substance of His Body and Blood. Jesus knew full well that bread is made from wheat grinded into flour and wine from extracted juice of
crushed grapes. By using these symbols, Jesus reminds His disciples throughout he ages that, like Him, they must live their own passovers, i.e., they, too, must pass through the cross into New and Resurrected Life (represented by the glorious cross behind Jesus). They, too, must lay down their lives as Eucharist by surrendering their entire being to God's merciful LOVE and by becoming bread broken for others in self sacrifice. The whole painting comes together as the beholder's eyes follow the circle of LIGHT, symbol of Trinitarian Love, enclosing the wheat and the vine in its brilliance to show that JESUS, by His DEATH and RESURRECTION, changed human weakness into the graced dignity of Divine Life with the promise of eternal glory.
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"Belovedness"
In this scene of Jesus' baptism in the Jordan, an aura of soft light envelops Him as God the Father proclaims Him "Beloved." A diaphanous white dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit enfolds Him with heart-shaped wings as He is anointed for His ministry. With head bowed in humble reverence, the Sinless One chooses to be in the midst of sinners and teaches us that we, too, must choose a life of self-emptying and humility as the way to Risen Life.
Bathed in the saving waters of our own Baptism, the Holy Spirit poured abundant Love upon us and filled our whole being, illuminating it with DIVINE LIGHT. We became children of God and members of the communion of saints. Born of Water and the Spirit, our hearts became "sanctuary" and "community" and entered into the dynamic movement of Trinitarian Life. The sweeping wave of water engulfing Jesus portrays this dynamic movement of Divine Life, love and LIGHT in which we were immersed forever by our baptismal covenant.
Our commitment is to let this LOVE and LIGHT flow freely and gently through our innermost self so as to overflow into the hearts of all our brothers and sisters. Clothed with the white robe of transformed humanity, we journey together toward our Eternal Home as we are transformed daily "from glory to glory" by the Holy Spirit with the comforting assurance that we are DEEPLY LOVED.
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Word of Light
Jesus came as LIGHT of the world to unveil and to reveal the great mystery of God. He came as WORD spoken in human tongue to proclaim that His Kingdom is near at hand. At that glorious moment in time, God's great outpouring LOVE is manifested in Him as the new, visible and divine EXPRESSION of God's PRESENCE.
In this painting, Jesus' gesture of uplifted hands is symbolic of His mission as TEACHER and SAVIOR. His inviting hands imply that, through His message of infinite compassion, forgiveness and mercy, He bids us not only to follow Him, but also to become living gospels ourselves. With open arms He beckons us to reform our lives and to believe in the "gospel of God." (Mk. 1: 14-15) Like Moses raising his hands in prayer and supplication until sunset, (Ex. 17:11-12) Jesus' radiant stance is one of holy MEDIATION. His passion is to fulfill the WILL of the Father, to set the earth on FIRE and to see it burst into an unending BLAZE. (Luke 12:49) From the pulpit of the Cross, Jesus' uplifted arms stretch out to the ends of the earth to embrace all nations until the sunset of time.
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Cana Feast of Love
Some theologians parallel John's account of the wedding feast in Cana to the espousal of Jesus with His Church. During the festivities, Mary notices a shortage of wine. In order to spare embarrassment to the hosts, she makes Jesus aware of the problem and asks Him to save the situation. She seemingly ignores the fact that He tells her that it is not yet the time for His public life and she tells the servants: "Do whatever He tells you."
It is not surprising that Jesus performs His first miracle at a wedding feast, a celebration of love and life. In this painting He tenderly gestures over the water and changes it into abundant wine. This reverent extension of the hand reminds one of the Last Supper when Jesus took a cup of wine and changed it into His blood. By this miracle of miracles He became source of endless LIFE and everlasting LOVE for His Bride, the Church.
This scene also shows Mary retreating in the shadows and indicates that she chooses to live a hidden life as Jesus goes forth to fulfill His mission. The wedding party faintly seen in the background prefigures the ETERNAL BANQUET OF LOVE to which we are all invited. Until then, Jesus Eucharist mysteriously transforms the water of our everydayness into "spiritual wine" as He accompanies us on our earthly pilgrimage.
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The revelation of your works sheds light, giving understanding to the simple. -Psalm 119:130
Chosen one
This scene depicts the child Mary as she is presented in the Temple. Her whole being is bathed in the light of the glory of God. From all eternity the Father had chosen her to be the Mother of His only SON, WORD MADE MAN. Now she comes to prepare herself to be the WOMAN at the center of salvation history and to be the first to hear God's heartbeat.
In this painting, the hand of the lord God enfolds His Chosen One with tender care and divine love. Mary's gaze is lifted up in wonder as she holds the scroll of her people's sacred tradition close to her heart. She glows in readiness to hear God's message through these sacred words. Her simple and prayerful stance embody her longing spirit and her sweet surrender to the Will of God as she grows in wisdom and understanding.
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"All of these devoted themselves with one accord in prayer, together with some women, Mary, the mother of Jesus and his brothers." Acts 1:14
Joyful feast of hope
Inspired by the first two chapters of Acts, this painting captures the sacred moment of the Pentecost event, the birth of the Church. Feast of Hope and Joy! United together in prayer, the faithful followers of Jesus are surprised by the SPIRIT. Sweeping down like a Mighty Wind, this Holy Fire of Love enkindles an everlasting Flame in their hearts and sends them forth to share the reason for their hope. The glowing burst of the pinwheel-shaped sparks of fireworks erupting from all directions symbolizes their festive jubilation. The clay-colored background signifies that the coming of the spirit pierces the darkness of fallen humanity with marvelous Light. The inner faces of those present in the Upper Room solemnly reflect the radiance of transcendent PRESENCE as they claim the inheritance of the Spirit's GIFTS.
Mary, Mother of the Church, is the central figure of the painting. Her all-enfolding gesture shows that she fully embraces this mission received at the foot of the Cross. Her hands lifted in prayer are symbolic of the dynamic and joyful hope with which she gathers all the brothers and sisters of Jesus. Her peaceful and intense gaze focuses beyond the realm of the visible to express the longing within all creation to be caught up in God's plan for wholeness by the transforming POWER of the SPIRIT. ( I Cor.)
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"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." -Matthew 18:2
Vision of glory The greatest claim to fame is to be a child of God. This honor is conferred upon each of us as the waters of Baptism immerse us in Trinitarian LIFE and clothe us with a robe of glory symbolized by the child's white garment in this painting. At this precise moment, a unique melody in perfect unison with the rhythm of God's great symphony of Creation is placed within our inner being. Only if we “turn and become like a child" do we discover the theme of this original song. As we live day by day with the purity of heart and the unwavering trust of a child, the Spirit unveils and reveals it slowly to us.
This painting attempts to depict the "childlikeness" by the simple scene of a father holding a child who sings the praises of God to her heart's content as she enjoys the security of her father's arms with complete delight. It also portrays the child who is finally safe in her everlasting HOME. The subdued staff and notes in the background represent the surround-sound of the everlasting hymns of praise that will enthrall her as she joins the angelic choirs in eternal jubilation. She is filled with wonder at "what eyes has not seen and ears has not heard." (I Cor. 2:9) She sees the FACE of the TRIUNE GOD (the three stars) and bathes in the VISION OF GLORY. |
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"Do not be afraid any longer, little flock." -Luke 12:32
Someone Cares
God is the Eternal CARE-GIVER whose divine providence frees us from all fears, worries and anxieties. The thought that one’s life is in the Heavenly Father’s caring Hand is comforting as one ventures out to meet the challenges of a broken and wounded world. Through Scripture, Jesus invites us to look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field as proofs that the Almighty provides for our every need moment by moment, day by day, and night by night.
The whole scene of this painting symbolizes the inner joy of one who trusts in the Lord wholeheartedly. The birds are secure and carefree as they ready themselves to fly. They exhibit the true freedom of one who places all anxieties about tomorrow in God's Hand and lives the "NOW" moment to the fullest. The back of Jesus' hand serves as a shelter for the little bird and depicts God's tender protection from all threatening dangers. The open gesture illustrates that God enables one to face the future with joyful hope and provides the thrust to live out the "do not be afraid" of the Gospels knowing that the divine "SOMEONE CARES". |
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Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. 495 Mammoth Road, Manchester, NH 03104-5494. (603)669-1080
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