The Cathedral of the Madeleine, Salt Lake City Interior designed 1917
I was here, once, on the Feast of the Assumption, the day after I moved into SLC for a while.
The mass changed my life. I wept from ineffable emotions the entire time, stricken by the beauty of the art and the air, the prayers and the psalms, the glory of the Gospel. I wanted to stay forever. In my heart, I truly think I have. Part of my soul will always remain there, kneeling alone and awestruck in those pews, pouring itself out to God.
That HAND in that kaleidoscopic color– that reduces me to trembling. That numinous surrealism, that impossible terrible beauty… That is how God’s divinity feels to me. And Moses, completely unclothed, his sandal in hand, his body language totally open, wonder clearly visible despite fear… that light above him. I adore this, I really do.
This is all I want in life; this is all my heart yearns for; this is what we are meant to live and die for.
Sweet Jesus, I beg of you, poor, weak and miserable sinner that I am– please, move my heart, change my heart, purify my will and thoughts so that this, this, You– are the very center and core and guiding light of my existence, the cornerstone of my soul, the joy and hope and love of my entire being. Dear Jesus, hear my fervent prayer! How I love you, and how desperately I wish to love you even more– more sincerely, more completely, more ardently, in this life and the next!
Your love is life itself. May I spend both my life and my love in constant honor of You.
There is so much delicately powerful emotion in this, spoken through silent body language. It’s beautiful.
The composition is utterly breathtaking, too– the central image of Christ, triumphantly resurrected, His arm gesturing towards His Mother, whose hand is humbly touched to her heart, “behold the handmaiden of the Lord”… echoing the upheld arm of the Archangel Gabriel, in a perfect diagonal across, linked by the figure of Christ, literally and figuratively… the banner He holds mirroring the Archangel’s greeting– “hail, full of grace!” – in both victorious function and declaration of birth… His life blossoming forth from both the Womb and the Tomb. Then on the bottom left we have Saints Nazarius and Celsus (with a donor), with Saints Sebastian and Roch in the bottom right… and for me, the meaning that sprung out was that they were all notably cared for by women: Celsus first by his mother, who introduced him to Nazarius to be taught and baptized; Sebastian by Saint Irene of Rome, who tended his wounds; and Roch also by his mother, who was sterile until she prayed to Mary for a child! Not only that, but Saint Roch is speaking to an angel… again making a diagonal connection to Gabriel, and linking Mary to him by association. Completing this compositional beauty is Nazarius, gesturing to Christ, the kneeling donor and attentive Celsus beside him echoing Mary’s position of prayerful humility… and reflecting, lastly, the awe of the soldiers falling before the resurrected Jesus, the dawning light around the one’s head perhaps symbolizing the awakening of Gentiles like us to faith, to beholding the glory of God in His Son, and to ultimately testifying to His Sovereignty with every detail of our lives… seeing Him in All, just like this painting.
Crucifixus etiam pro nobis.
He was crucified– even for us!
(That is the heart of the cross. He did it for us. This was no deserved punishment for Him; this was no obligation or sentence or force. This was no selfish act. Everything about the crucifixion was a choice, made in obedient love, to Love, for Love. Jesus Christ died for us. There is an entire universe of meaning in that simple profound truth.)
Christ is the King of all Creation, and the King of our very hearts. He is both the Just Judge of souls, and our Merciful Savior. All glory, honor, power, and praise are His– the Son of God, the Ruler of All!
These artworks are so beautiful. They portray the gorgeous compassion of Christ, as well as His stunning authority, in powerful truth. I especially love when His Wounds are visible alongside His Scepter and Crown– reminding us of what He suffered for our sake, through His Passion and Death, to redeem us from the sin He otherwise must punish… mercy and justice united in perfect love. It’s amazing.
Look at the love in every single face here. The gaze that the Christ Child is giving her is profound enough to move my heart to tears.
The perspective of this is astounding– and the translucency of the angels!! And God the Father at the very top, arms outstretched, radiant. That simple detail is magnificent, and makes my heart tremble.
I love the visible brushstrokes in this, how they are practically tangible light. Fitting for such a portrait of an angel, announcing the Light Incarnate! I also really love how Gabriel is portrayed– those worker’s arms, that notable nose, the tightly curled hair. To imagine how angels must choose a visible form for our sakes, it’s a dear thought to wonder over, what Gabriel would delight to be depicted with, in every artist’s eye.
Our Christian brethren from all ages, gathered all together at last, in eternal love and praise of our God– in wonder and joy before the Son and His Mother, the King and Queen of us all! Oh, to one day be a joyous member of that heavenly host!! Keep this image and its great hope in your heart. This is the community of saints we must strive to join, through living holy lives here on earth, by Christ’s grace. Let that dedication to honor Him motivate our every decision, until we leave this world for Paradise!
Oh I love the absolute friendly intimacy of this interaction. Look at the body language– Matthew’s almost casually crossed legs, the angel’s playfully graceful tilt, Matthew’s raptly focused hands gripping book and quill, the angel’s light but powerful touch guiding him, their other hand resting so simply… Matthew’s bright and inspired eyes, the angel’s utterly peaceful and playful gaze, that hint of a smile in their unheard direction.
The closeness evident in this, literally and figuratively, is so sweet and moving. May we, too, strive to have such a friendship with God and His angels (and saints!), that it permeates every moment of our everyday lives with faithful love.
Oh WHAT a sword!! How true that is, in its terrific pain!
And yet, look at her face. Despite inexpressible sorrows, Mary forever trusts in God. She feels no bitterness, no despair, no complaint. She weeps, as any loving heart would– she weeps more than any woman has ever wept– but her tears are all born of love for Her Divine Son.
Inexpressible love, and inexpressible sorrow. This is how she shares in Christ’s Passion and Death. This is that blessed sword.
The intricate elegance of this card itself is nothing compared to the fathomless beauty of His Sacred Heart.
I really love that juxtaposition, of worship offering sweetness to sweetness itself. It’s a very precious thing.
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go yonder and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” – Mt 26:36-39
”[…]The world has no idea of all that Jesus suffered.[…]” —St. Faustina, Diary 1054
Jesus fell on His face and prayed. I forget that profound detail. His prayer was so fervent, so genuine, so anguished… indeed, we have no idea how severely our Savior suffered for us. No wonder He shook with sorrow in the garden. This fact should move us all to the deepest humility, love, gratitude, and contrition!
Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, Confessor - 10 September
The clouds look like roses– fitting, as the Rosary is a powerful aid to those in Purgatory.
I also love those angels above, mirroring the souls below. It’s like they’re joyfully watching Saint Nicholas, waiting with him to welcome those suffering brethren into the Kingdom at last.
Just… the angels, their expressions ineffable, showing our Lord scenes from His imminent Passion, carrying Veronica’s veil, even displaying His Sorrowful Mother’s heart pierced in Simeon’s prophetic fulfillment… how the angels nearest us are transparent, their testaments unknown… how our dear Savior Himself is lying on the ground in agonized prayer, yet His eyes are attentive, understanding, decisive even… how He looks up so in the direction of the seraph bearing the chalice He feared to drink, yet which is full of light before Him… and here there is no fear on His holy face, no distress, if only for a moment. Here, there is divine strength. Here, there is the first glimmer of the hope of The Resurrection.
“[He prayed,] ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.’ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke 22:42-43)
Bartolomeo Guidobono (Il Prete di Savona), The Intercession of the Virgin and Saint Nicholas of Tolentino for the Souls in Purgatory, 18th century
This is such a powerful image– both the desperate reaches & faces of the poor suffering souls in Purgatory towards heaven, towards Jesus and His Mother, and the contrastingly serene expressions of those divine figures, are so striking.
Mostly I am so moved by the angel. There is this totally calm yet solidly joyous smile on their face, and they are pulling a soul out of Purgatory with a grip that is firm but full of love. I’m not sure on the meaning of the belt in their other hand, but if I had to guess, if seems as if that instrument of bondage, too, was removed from the soul below.
And those skulls in the bottom left corner. Memento Mori. Pray for the souls in Purgatory– chances are that we, too, will join them one day, and that day may very well be tomorrow!!
A French print of the Mother of Sorrows holding some of the Arma Christi, the instruments Christ’s Passion.
I love how, even with tears in her eyes, there is this visible joy in her face. She has wept with bitter sorrow but this fact has not diminished her faith, hope, or love in the slightest. She holds these terribly blessed instruments with a genuine honor, displaying them to us with glory. She knows God is victorious. She knows her Son will rise. She knows that no amount of pain or misery can ever stand in the way of the Lord… but she also knows that pain and misery are real, and legitimate, and holy when felt by a tender heart.
Mary invites us to share her sorrows, so that we can truly share in her joy as well. Blessed Mother of Sorrows, pray for us!
Meanwhile in Rome…
Church of Santa Maria in campitelli
Oh WOW.
I love Catholic church architecture so much because it absolutely testifies to the GLORY of God! This is something you do not, and should not, see anywhere but in the House of God. It is a powerful visual testament to WHO we are worshipping.
I always remind others of this when they doubt the existence of relics from the Crucifixion… do you really think Mary would let those sacred objects go forgotten? Never. I am sure she preserved them with the utmost love and honor.
Oh blessed Mother, oh sorrowful Mother, pray for us poor sinners, that through the dear graces of your Son’s saving death, we may be made new and live lives worthy of receiving His promises!
Viktor Vasnetsov - Fatherhood (Detail); State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia; 1907
I’ve posted this one a few times before, but I never tire of looking at it
This is titled Fatherhood.
I’m honestly in tears. The beauty and power of this is a sword straight to the heart. This is our God– the Lord and Creator of all– our Father and Brother and Friend, Who loves us!!
Oh this absolutely rends my heart with its beauty.
Holy Thursday night is the most agonizingly sorrowful and most mysteriously gorgeous night of the entire year, for me. It is its own entire reality, outside of linear time somehow, eternally ancient and yet completely present, so real you feel it in every atom. The last night before the end… the first night of the beginning.
The ineffable love in this leaves me speechless and in tears. To think… Christ yearns to embrace all of us like that. That’s how dearly He loves us– that’s the ultimate heart of the Cross itself!
This is strikingly moving. What a devoted, loving mother, who would not rest until her son’s soul was delivered from deathly ways!
Dear Saint Monica, pray to God for all of us whose loved ones have ignored, rejected, or fallen away from Christ! May their souls be moved by God’s grace, through our loving and fervent intercessions, to convert and return to the Lord with their whole hearts!
Un Viático en el Baztan - Javier Ciga Echandi - 1917
A Viaticum in the Baztan.
“According to Fernández Oyaregui, ‘Un Viático en el Baztan’ is [Javier’s] masterpiece… "It narrates, with incalculable ethnographic and sociological value, with real characters of his time, a habitual religious custom at the time…” The scene, which takes place in the palace of Askoa in Elbete, reflects the moment in which a procession of mourning women provided with candles, preceded by Monsignor Mauricio Berekoetxea and the altar boy Juan Lasa, set out to enter the house of the patient to administer the last Sacraments.” (Source)
There is such a tangible sense of sacred solemnity here– a real blurring of the line between life and death. Here, the Monsignor and funeral procession testify not only to the reality of imminent death, of the end of a life… but even more strongly, bringing with them the Real Presence of Christ Himself, they testify to an imminent life after, to a greater truer life, the Way leading them in to the patient, and leading their patient onwards. You can feel that very threshold thrumming in the silent gravity of this painting.
I love the vibe of this so much. I can practically smell the crisp cold winter air, and the warm glow of morning sunlight, pouring from the stark blue skies… but loveliest of all is the luminous church itself, joyful and welcoming and bright, a safe haven for body and soul.
This is what winter feels like for me, in my heart always, and I love it so much.
The simple yet profound intimacy in this is stunningly gorgeous.
That is the hand of God, mind you. God as an infant, God as a human child, touching his human mother with divine tenderness and love. That detail alone is enough to move one to heartfelt contemplation.
I actually like how Christ is out of frame here– we only see His blessed Hands, crowning His Mother. That limited visibility highlights the mystery and divinity of this event, as it makes the Son appear in the same hidden way as the Father does in so many other ancient artworks: as hands alone, as the very instruments of power… as nothing personal, nothing too profound for mortal men. Now Mary, too, is an earthly being, no matter how holy she has been made, for her earthliness was a key part of her role in God’s plan. But she was the first mortal to see the face of God and live… the face of Jesus Christ. And now, here, she is made Queen of Heaven, raised up to a new way of being altogether, by the direct will and action of He Whose True Face no mortal being can see, let alone fathom.
And so, here we only see our Savior’s hands, but Mary sees infinitely more, sees what is hidden from us… she sees the Face of her Beloved Son.
I’m immediately struck by their eyes, though. Their gaze is pure intensity, blazing like fire, and yet there’s still this feeling of unshakable peace within it… a peace born of angelic faith, joyously immovable though the stars themselves be snuffed out. Terrible, beautiful, awe-inspiring faith. Faith that makes you tremble, for it inherently proclaims the all-surpassing glory of God, to Whom that faith is anchored fast.
Seraphim are the highest choir. They exist TO praise God, incessantly. No wonder this one radiates such incomprehensible holiness. Every angel is terrifying because they are so high above us, so much closer to God, and they carry that Divine Light with them. To fear them is a mark of humility– a vivid awareness of our own awful sinfulness in contrast– but their response to us, “do not be afraid,” proclaims God’s Goodness, which is infinitely above even theirs, in an even more staggering sense. The Creator of All, the One Who makes a seraph’s eyes look like that– He loves us, and calls us to Him, and sent His Own Son to save us… the same beloved Son Whom the angels adore and announce throughout Scripture, and throughout our own lives even now.
So, behold this seraph. See God working through them for His people. See His power and glory and love reflected in them. And do not be afraid.
Saints. Hours of Louis de Laval, France ~ ca.1480
That ocean of halos gives me so much hope. So many holy souls whose faces only God knows… unknown to the world, and blissfully so, for they are with God now, and lived for Him despite their anonymity, and that is all that matters.
Dear Lord, through Your grace and guidance, may I join this most blessed multitude one day, to adore you forever.
I love the details in this– the Arma Christi held by angels, including the pillar at which he was scourged… the skull and crowns at the foot of the cross… His Holy Family adoring together from Heaven… Veronica’s veil, the pelican perched on the top of the cross.
The Prodigal Son In Modern Life, the Fatted Calf, 1882, James Tissot
Oh wow, this is beautifully done. I absolutely love modern-day depictions of Jesus’s parables; it shows how they are still so absolutely relevant to our lives.
Foster father and dear cousin.
I love how Jesus has His eyes closed in both statues, a beautiful expression of trust and peace.
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli—ca. 1620
The composition of this is so powerful it brings me to tears.
There is such powerful testimony in all the paintings of John’s martyrdom. The very portrayal of his death speaks volumes as to the depth and devotion of his faith.
Saint Denis - bishop of Paris in the third century
He was martyred for his faith by decapitation together with his companions Rusticus and Eleutherius
prosperosfootnotes: Motion to have all cephalophore saints depicted with light-like heads from now on.
This makes me think of 2 Corinthians 4:16-18:
“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (CSB)
So yes, I am absolutely here for luminous-souled cephalophores. That which is within cannot be cut off.
Oh WOW, look at the silhouette of God the Father!!
I’m actually in tears from the beauty of this. God bless His inspired artists.
German: “Jesus wird erhöhet u stirbt am Creuze.” = “Jesus is raised/ exalted and dies on the Cross.”
I am struck, though, by the object at the foot of the Cross, beside Mary Magdalene. Is that the spikenard from John 12:3? Is that the precious oil with which she anointed His feet “for burial,” and dried them with her hair? If so, what a gorgeously heartbreaking visual parallel this is!
THIS is why we must be absolutely reverent during Mass!! The divine, unseen truth occurring there, all around us, including us, is so magnificent that it would (and should) bring every parishioner to their knees in awestruck tears… if we but honestly realized it, if only for a moment!
Oh my goodness this is so beautiful it makes me cry. Look at the absolute love in their eyes… and realize that Christ is looking at us like that, even now. It’s enough to move any heart to heaven.
Saint Joseph, foster father of all Christians, pray for us, your children through the Son, that we, too, may always gaze upon Him with as much pure and ardent love as you do.
Oh this is staggering in its humbly stark simplicity.
This is what He endured for us– overwhelming pain, pierced through with countless lances of sin! And yet, see there, the precious drops of Divine Blood– unfathomable mercy, shed for our reconciliation even then.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us poor sinners!
A German baroque miniatur of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, “heart of love and sorrow”.
This is really beautiful.
Her love and her sorrow are inseparable, really. They each strengthen and enable the other. One cannot feel true grief without knowing true compassion, and vice versa.
The lighting in this is magnificent. Truly our Blessed Mother is “clothed with the sun” here!
I also really love how Mary– portrayed here as Our Lady of Lourdes, the Immaculate Conception– is positioned directly above the Tabernacle… which she literally is in her own right, having also “immaculately conceived” our Savior, and carrying His Precious Body within hers. Not only that, but right above her is the Holy Spirit, who made that very fact possible!
In any case the symmetry and symbolism of this entire altar is gorgeous.
Oh my goodness where is this? That conjoined-wing design, especially superimposed upon the wheels, just screams “Ophanim” to me.
I love this. I love incomprehensible representations of divinity, God and His angels both. It’s a deeply awe-inspiring truth.
Antique Prayer Cards.
I tried my best to translate the four French+Latin cards; they’re very beautiful. If you can translate them more accurately please let me know!
1. “Voila ce Coeur, Qui a tem'aime les homme!” = “Here is this Heart, Who has loved (you) men!”
2. “Tendre Marie priez pour nous auprès de votre divin fils.” = “Tender Mary pray for us to your divine son.”
3. “Mater Divina Providencia” = “Mother of Divine Providence.” / “Auxilium Christianorum” = “Help of Christians.” / “Salut, ó Mère de misėricorde; notre vie, notre joie, et notre esperance.” (Salve Regina)“ = "Hail, Mother of mercy; our life, our joy, and our hope. (Hail (Holy) Queen)” / “Secours des Chrétiens, priez pour nous.” = “Help of Christians, pray for us.”
4. “Ce que c'est qu'aimer. Dėdié à la Garde l'honneur.” = “This is what it is to love. Dedicated to Guard (Keep) the honor.” (?) / “Une petit image des degrés de l'amour.” = “A small picture of the degrees of love.” / “Mon Dieu, faites pousser mes ailes!…” = “My God, Make my wings grow!” (literally “Grow my wings!”) / “C'est en aimant la Croix que l'on trouve son Coeur, Car le divin Amour ne vit pas sans douleur…” = “It is by loving the Cross that one finds his Heart, Because the divine Love does not exist without pain…”
The final card is absolutely gorgeous; it’s also striking because it appears to potray the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with Mary’s Immaculate Heart at its center, Saint Joseph’s Pure Heart to the right, and Saint John the Divine’s Heart to the left! I’ve never seen his heart portrayed before. But, remember, from the Cross, Jesus entrusted Mary to him as his Mother, making John her first adopted son among us Christians. Therefore, the entire “Holy Family” is upon the Cross with our Lord, all their hearts united in that suffering love… and at its foot, dozens of anonymous hearts fly, inflamed with the Holy Spirit, to join that Family, quite literally, as Christians. Those are OUR hearts. It’s profoundly moving, truly. But there is also a terrific warning– notice the heart that has lost its fire of love, and so blackened and wingless, falls to the ground! May we be prevented from ever suffering such a fate– instead, let us all pray to our Crucified Lord of Love to gather our hearts to His– we tiny winged things, more precious than many sparrows– that we, with His blessed Family, may grow in fiery ardor to ultimately join them in both name and nature, honoring and defending both His Heart and His Cross, affixed to it with Him through carrying our own with fidelity and love!
In his human weakness, he betrayed his Lord… but his Lord never took the keys back. Peter still knew Jesus was the Christ, and nothing could change his faith– not even his own sin. His heart was still devoted, and we see the immediate proof of that in his repentance here… seeking forgiveness upon a rock, for having denied his Rock, who had called him, too, to be such a rock.
And he still has the keys. I cannot get over that. Even then, with the cockerel crowing overhead. His sin happened in the night, but now, even now, the darkness is ending. There is hope, golden and true, greater than any sin. There is resurrection after death. The rock will be moved, has been moved, and love will triumph evermore.
Oh wow, this is such a tenderly loving image of Mary– and such an honestly striking picture of Jesus, so absolutely human here, so recognizable as a tiny infant, like we all were once. To imagine dear Mary cradling us like this, too, the blessedly adopted Children of her Blessed Child… she is, indeed, Our Good Mother.
What love and tenderness she beholds us with. We are indeed her children.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come!
God’s heart is aflame with love for us. He will ignite our hearts with that same love, for His sake! Trust in Him and do His work– He will support you in all of it.
In His Kingdom, our hearts in turn will burn like this for love of Him. And what love He has for us!! May our hearts be ignited even now, so that His will may be done upon earth!
Our Lady of Victory Basilica, Lackawanna, NY
Oh WOW, what a beautiful tabernacle!! All those reverent angels! One’s heart cannot help but be moved to feel the same.
Those thorns… that expression! There is such profundity and vulnerability in His face. I cannot take my eyes away from Him.
French reliquary pendant for the Holy Thorn circa 1340.
As someone with a strong devotion to Christ Crowned With Thorns, the reality of this absolutely hits me straight in the heart. Wow.
Honestly I’m speechlessly in tears; this is so ineffably beautiful and mysterious and holy. Looking at that Thorn… it makes me weak in the knees with reverent awe. Glory be to God.
Passage of the Jews through the Red Sea, 1891, Ivan Aivazovski
This is absolutely staggering in both beauty and affective power. Look how close the Egyptian army is! Look at those last-minute souls just barely pulling themselves out of the returning waters! Look at the light above, the darkness about, the divinely terrifying glow of the fiery cloud! And look at Moses– his hand outstretched, his faith unwavering, his people freed, his Lord and God unfailing.
The Old Testament (Tanakh) is honestly a gorgeous, humbling, magnificent, striking book, a true testament to the glory and goodness of God, which I have loved to read since childhood. This is a snapshot of why.
As children, it’s so easy to acknowledge our angels, to envision them at the foot of our beds. But how many of us, as adults, remember and realize that these heavenly guardians still watch over us so closely, so lovingly? Even now, grown up and struggling to sleep, there is a special angel sitting alongside us, their heart full of compassion. Let us thank them for their fidelity to God through us, and turn to them for aid so that we, too, may glorify God with them!
A Female Saint (Bridget of Sweden?) Holding a Crucifix and a Book unknown artist Wellcome Collection
I actually love that this dear saint is unidentified; whoever she is, she stands here humbly as a model of faith, seeking no recognition of self, but only proclaiming the love and honor due to God by her example… and so we modern Christian women can look to her here, and imagine ourselves in that same place.
If her name is unknown, what if it were ours? What would that feel like, to be the woman pictured here? What sort of blessed life, what trials and triumphs of faith, would we need to also live in order to truly inherit the title of Saint from our sister here?
If we can hold that ideal, that great hope, that very image in our hearts as we live our days, it shall certainly strengthen our devotion to God… and, with His guidance and blessing, we shall one day meet our anonymous sister here in heaven, saints among the saints.
Raphael, Madonna of the candelabra (detail), c.1513
He is the Light of the World; She is the candle that humbly brought His fire to us.
I love the delicacy of their halos, and the silent profundity of their eyes.
The most Holy Trinity.
I really love how they are all positioned within each other here; with that ineffable visual focus on the Father’s Heart uniting them all.
I love depictions of the Trinity in art. It always strikes me as so ineffably, mysteriously gorgeous– the humble but honorable human attempt to portray the unfathomable.
“Gaze upon him, consider him, contemplate him, as you desire to imitate him.” - Saint Clare of Assisi Sacred Icon of Christ Pantocrator
It is honestly so important to literally gaze on Jesus. The culture of death all around us fills our eyes with corruption and sin on a terrifyingly constant basis. We MUST refocus our sight on Christ, to wash away and overpower the negativity and lies of the world, and to train our poor battered subconscious to anchor itself on contemplating God as well. Gaze on Jesus, and let His beauty of visage, soul, and message fill your heart and mind so totally that all else is brought under His gentle yet powerful rule. As you ardently do this, seeking and loving and contemplating Him, you will indeed inevitably become more and more like Him. “The things that we love tell us what we are.”
Jesus will never give up on us. We just need to remember to never give up on Him! No matter how hopelessly far from sainthood we may feel, if we earnestly keep praying and keep trying to humbly but ardently obey Him, He will bring us to success. I’m sure of it. No one is too sinful to be saved, if they honestly allow God to rule in their lives more and more. Jesus can and will make us His saints. Don’t give up on Jesus!
Seriously, ASK YOURSELF these questions– daily, even. Be brutally honest. Wherever you are convicted by the Spirit– and He will never sugarcoat the truth– CONFESS AND REPENT! Pray for mercy and the grace to reform your life. The fate of your soul depends on it!
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, United States of America Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash
I visited this shrine twice in high school and it was immediately, indelibly impressed into my heart. It is achingly gorgeous; the sanctity is practically tangible. It is truly a place of God.
I miss it profoundly and plan to return as soon as God grants me the means. I’d honestly live there if it were possible.
We were just discussing this at church today, especially in light of Fatima and recent divine revelations in general.
We NEED to return to tradition, focusing strongly on continually strengthening and restoring virtues such as devotion, solemnity, humility, contrition, fear of God, and justice to our faith– showing it in our places of worship as well as within our parish communities.
The bright side of this constant concern: it keeps you focused on growing in God! Just don’t become obsessive. If nothing else, every inconvenience is an opportunity to practice patience, love, humility, gratitude, etc. And that is sufficient.
I literally started crying upon seeing this. Oh my heart. The beauty is staggering, the sanctity virtually tangible… this captures the exact numinous grandeur that I adore in places of worship. God deserves all the glory and gorgeousness we can offer Him in His holy houses, honestly.
The flower petals are so gorgeous, all red amidst the gold and white, the light and incense smoke. And that monstrance, the literal heart of it all, more beautiful than the temporal glory all around… how blessed we are to have our faith!!
Hey, I’ve been there!! This alterpiece is from the chapel in the motherhouse of the Franciscan Sisters T. O. R. of the Penance of the Sorrowful Mother in Toronto, OH. They’re a beautiful community.
That fact adds an even deeper meaning to the presence of Our Lady at the foot of the cross here; thank you for sharing!
From their website:
“Founded at Franciscan University in 1988, we, the Franciscan Sisters T.O.R. of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother, are a Franciscan religious community rooted in Christ Crucified, animated by the Holy Spirit, and modeled after Mary, our Mother. Our life flows from the Eucharist, the wellspring of love and mercy. Captured by the merciful love of Christ, the fulfillment and desire of every human heart, in whose light every other love pales, we cannot help but freely give our lives. We abandon all so that this impoverished world, unknowingly starving for His love, may be filled with knowledge of His merciful Heart, eternally beating and ferociously burning for every human person.”
I feel this beautiful description also beautifully demonstrates the quote above. These Sisters are indeed immersed in the Trinity, living their lives in constant remembrance and proclamation of God’s Love, and although they have completely given up all ties to this world, they have lost nothing, and indeed gained everything– for their joy, their wealth, their home, and even their very identity, are fulfilled in truth within that very Triune Love. May we, too, be so moved by that Love as to follow their humble example, and dedicate our lives– even outside of any formal vocation– entirely to God.
Lastly, I must confess that I am so deeply moved by that stained glass window above the Cross… the hands of God the Father, bestowing the Spirit upon us, which was only possible by the Son’s death (John 16:7)… hearkening back to Mary’s Fiat, her “Thy Will Be Done” echoing her Son’s, her “beginning” echoing this “ending”… her heart pierced with Our Lord’s just as Simeon foretold. God sent out His Spirit upon her then, as Jesus entered the world, and now as He leaves it, we remember that same hope, and look forward to Pentecost. It’s all just this deeply beautiful feeling in my heart, seeing that, those numinous hands and that sacred dove, that fire of incomprehensible Love. Indeed, one cannot help but be immersed in it.
Images of the Most Holy Trinity always move my heart like an earthquake. Yes, we cannot really “see” God, in any of His Persons, but… this is our reverent attempt to at least invoke honor and devoted love towards that Great Mystery, and boy, does it ever succeed! I want to fall, speechless and trembling with fearful joy, to my knees. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen!!
This– the Infant Jesus appearing to Saint Anthony of Padua– is gorgeously portrayed. Look at how lovingly Mary gives the Child to him– at the mandorla surrounding both Her and Christ, showing how this sacred moment transcends space and time! Look at the lilies, for Anthony’s humble devotion and Mary’s purity, at the putti, for God’s Presence with Our Lady, at the candle, for the light of Truth in God’s Word, and at that very Word present in not only the holy Bible open before the Saint– as open as His heart– but also in the Incarnate Word to whom he lifts up his heart and hands to receive!
Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in procession; Nervion, Seville, Spain
I really love how Jesus’s robe is open here, exposing his Sacred Heart quite literally. So many statues of our Lord just superimpose it onto His garment. But this, this vulnerability, this openness and tender power, is so striking, and– if I may be so bold– so true to our Lord’s character. Paired with His expression, we see not only his exquisite pain, but his equally vast mercy and love. Nothing is hidden from those who seek Him, who honor His Most Sacred Wounded Heart.
The tenderness and agony both in this painting are stunning. And that red, stretched out behind them, that funereal black sky… this captures the feeling of that Friday so clearly. Good, true, for we all know what it accomplished, but oh, how terribly it did so!
willow-s-linda: I wanted to draw something for Pentecost. Interestingly, it seems to be an exclusively European holiday? Still, it’s one of my favourite parts about the New Testament. It makes me remember how close and powerful God is, not only to the apostles, but also in this life, today, to me.
It’s a big deal indeed for Christians in general– today is the birthday of our Church in the world, by the Grace of God!
This illustration is so deeply moving and beautiful, and portrays the message of today’s holy day with simple profundity. The miracle of Pentecost still occurs today, in the hearts of all the faithful who are open and waiting in hope to receive Him, just like the Apostles.
Our Lord Jesus indeed promised to be with us always, and Pentecost is the glorious, loving manifestation of its fulfillment through all ages. No matter when or where we are, God is with us!
Come, Holy Spirit, and so enlighten our hearts with your divine Love, that we may carry your compassion to all the world!
This is, truly, what it means and feels like to be a Christian. We have been called to such a great, glorious purpose for His sake, and through love of Him. Christianity is a religion of ardent devotion to the Lord God and Pentecost was the first earthly expression of that– the birthday of the Church!
Our Lady was the first human to be touched by the Holy Spirit, at the Annunciation, when it was first proclaimed that God was coming into the world in a new way… as the Second Person of the Trinity. It is only fitting that here, at Pentecost, when the Third Person is finally to arrive for the rest of faithful humanity, Mary would again be at the heart of it, the gateway of the Spirit’s divine Grace for her Son’s friends, the Father’s adopted children.
Oh I love this. The imagery of the Seraphim, bearing the Gifts, is especially striking– those angels are the closest of the Choirs to the Presence of God, and by His grace, through His Spirit, those Gifts are brought down into our hearts for His glory! What a miraculous, humbling privilege of faith! May we all pray for the openness, meekness, and trust of heart to receive those Gifts today.
Q. 428. How did the Holy Ghost come down upon the Apostles?
A. The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire.
Q. 429. What did the form of tongues of fire denote?
A. The form of tongues of fire denoted the sacred character and divine authority of the preaching and teaching of the Apostles, by whose words and fervor all men were to be converted to the love of God.
This is such a beautiful illustration for that world-changing event. What divine love, what wonder and awe, what works of power and grace! May we all respond like these blessed converts to the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives– and may we, too, like the blessed Apostles, be His mouthpiece and kindling flames of love to others in such a wholly trusting, self-emptying, God-honoring way!
I am always so deeply moved by the realization that God became a Child.
I am also struck by not only the tenderness and purity of this image, but also the ultimate implications of Christ’s title as the Lamb of God. He is the ultimate sacrificial offering, blameless and spotless, the offering of Love that would have the power to truly expiate all the sins He brought to that altar of the Cross.
In this Child is our Crucified Lord, our Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep, and I daresay that profundity of love and power both is met in His Eyes here.
“Santa Veronica con il velo” by Mattia Preti
Oh, what aching beauty– her tears, her face; His face, His love!
This makes me think of the light within a confessional. It’s one of the most deeply, achingly comforting sights in the world.
All things were created Good; all things fell and were condemned to death. Both the falling and the rising of creation were wrought upon trees. Death is now a door. The fallen fruit now carries a fertile seed. There is a sunrise, there is a spring. There is hope.
“…If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (Romans 8:10-11)
I also am moved by the solitary portrayal of the three acts of salvation here. Judas’s betrayal, with the condemning crowd, is presented as a public event, as part of the world, as a work of this worlds people. But although Jesus was surrounded by the same people as he carried His Cross, and died upon it, and rose from the dead on the third day… here, the focus is on Him alone, pun intended. We see the two thieves also dying in the background, but even that speaks only to highlight the nature of what is occurring front and center– God delivering Himself up to death, so that we who are doomed to die like those thieves now have another way, The Way– that by crucifying our worldly selves in faith, uniting our symbolic death to His literal salvific one, we allow Jesus Christ to take our place in death– as He so willed for His faithful– and we can follow Him out of the grave… instead of being crucified for our sins and dying an ignominious deserved death. But, again, the focus is on Jesus. Not on us. This is the distilled, focused presentation of Salvation’s victory over the World.
Christ alone carries the burden of our sins, Christ alone dies for the just punishment of our sins… and Christ alone conquers death and opens the tomb free from our sins. And so He calls us to follow– not to do the same, not literally, as It Is Finished, and the glory is His alone… but in loving compassion and faith, imitating Him, carrying our crosses and dying to sin and being reborn In His Grace.
In short, the pinpoint focus on Christ here, the Light in the darkness, the Only Source of Salvation, speaks volumes as to what was done, and why, and by Whom. It’s all Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!
I was just thinking about this looking outside at the turning leaves and breathing the chilly fresh air. It’s such a blessing to be alive, to experience God’s wonders and beauty in the world. His Goodness is tangible in all of it– in every special detail of every season.
So yes, the next time you enjoy your pumpkin spice coffee, thank the Good Lord for having created all three of those things! 😄 (I happen to be eating cucumbers like a total loon, making myself even colder. 😆 But I wait all year for this weather so you won’t hear me complaining! I joyfully thank God for the cold too.)
“Easter Pink Slip,” by Miriam Migliazzi & Mart Klein. To quote the source page, “When it comes to Easter, God is pretty much fired…”
This absolutely breaks my heart, and gives me serious pause as a Catholic. If the secular world really does feel this way– effectively “firing” God from His very masterpiece of salvation, the holiest holiday of the year, because “no one believes in [that] anymore”– then we Christians need to do everything we possibly can to defend His Kingdom, and proclaim His authority, and let Him remain the beloved boss of our lives, even if those around us are showing Him the door.
Anunciación. Faccini Pietro.
She’s holding the blue of divinity against her womb! What a striking detail.
St. Cecilia (The Angels Announcing her Coming Martyrdom), 1897, Gustave Moreau
Oh this strikes straight to my heart. Dear Patron Saint! Look at the serenity upon her face! Look at the splendor of the holy angels, bringing tidings of her holy sacrifice! Look at the light of the moon above, reflecting the light of the sun in the night, just as she reflects the light of God’s Love in this night of her life!
O Lord, for whom my spiritual sister gladly died, may I keep this image of her faith impressed upon my heart!
Dear Saint Cecilia is my Confirmation Saint, as music has been a sacred and integral part of my life since infancy, and one of my biggest talents from God.
This morning, I found my old violin when doing spring cleaning and, even just by tuning it, what joy it brought to my beloved grandmother!
Music is such a blessing from God. May we always use it for His glory and honor, whether we are performing, composing, or listening. May our hearts always sing in harmony with His, in all His Creation, for it and we are part of His Song. Saint Cecilia, pray for us!
The body of our Lord Jesus Christ at my church.
I weep with heartbroken agony and contrite gratitude every time I see Him here, every Good Friday.
He is there because of me. He is there because of all of us. The amount of love in this is incomprehensible, and yet, it speaks to our hearts in perfect understanding.
I immediately started sobbing. The look in His eyes…!
That is what true love looks like. That is true mercy, true joy, true hope… oh, what blessed wonder, to recognize every heartfelt need fulfilled in That Holy Face!
“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus Walking on the Sea of Galilee, Paul Bril and Frederik van Valckenborch, 1590s
I am so moved by the composition of this. Here we have Galilee, and its fishermen, and its shepherds, the trees and clouds and cliffs… and right in the heart of it all, almost just another part of the scenery, we have the very Son of God, we have Peter’s faith and fear, we have a miracle and remembered thousands of years later. But notice how humble it is! Glory is framed by lesser glory, and yet none are diminished in beauty, all of it proclaiming the wonder of God. Jesus stands as a single pink figure, lit by contrasting blues, the wind and the waves, soft and gentle and powerful and terrible all at once– and Peter himself is the same hue as the grass, as the leaves, as the stones and the shoreline. Through color and movement, our eyes are ultimately led to the Son of God, and yet there is no force to it, no aggressive pointing-out. He simply walks on the water, amid everything else in the world, His humility and power both perfectly expressed.
Religious art is so gorgeous. Thank God for these blessed painters!
St. James Brought to Martyrdom - Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (1683-1754)
“According to a tradition, which, as we learn from Eusebius… was received from Clement of Alexandria… the accuser who led the Apostle to judgment, moved by his confession, became himself a Christian, and they were beheaded together.”
I swear you can feel the power of God’s grace in this; in James’s upturned face, in the look of wonder on his accuser’s own countenance, in how James himself seems pulled forwards, into some unseen light, seeking to serve his God more than to save his earthly life. May we all mercifully receive such grace of devotion.
There is so, so much aching terrible sorrowful beauty in both Christ and His Mother in their sacred sufferings. I think that alone speaks mysterious volumes of Truth to our hearts.
Mater Dolorosa
I literally gasped when I saw this. What unspeakable sorrow; what heartbreaking beauty!
That little altar gate adds such a numinous gravity.
There is such a quiet yet profound sanctity to this. The crucifix, the tabernacle… what divine glories wrapped in such humble yet beautiful appearance!
Wooden Chapel constructed with 61 Doug Fir logs, conceived by John Pawson in the Bavarian village of Unterliezheim.
A small path leads to the chapel’s entrance, located at the transitional point between woodland and open ground. The architecture is framed as the simplest of gestures. From certain perspectives its mass appears as a pile of logs stacked up to dry; from others the considered placement of the elements on a concrete plinth creates a more formal impression of a piece of sculpture emerging from the forest. The purposefully narrow entry maintains the sense of physical proximity encountered as one moves through the dense trees, adding visceral and visual theatre to the exhilarating experience of passing into an attenuated space over seven metres high and nearly nine metres long.
I have honestly dreamed of building a chapel like this in my woods. I could never match the absolute beauty of this, though.
It’s staggeringly intimate in its rawness, its simplicity, its solitude. There is a grandeur to its stark humility that truly reflects the soul of religion– an absolute unfettered focus on Christ, on the ineffable reality of the Cross, held deeply and indelibly in the secret places of our hearts… and the infinity of Him within such a small space.
I adore this. I would love to pray here one day.
I can attest to this! It's a scary feeling at first, but honestly, God deserves His due. The first thing I do now with my monthly check is give 10% directly to the Church and if I don't, it drives my conscience crazy. To spend that God-given money on myself first is abominable. It all came from God-- He can take it away just as fast. And it was given for His glory no matter how I use it specifically; whether it's bills or groceries or medicine or gifts, my financial choices must honor my Lord. This, too, can be difficult, but it's the only proper way, and the only option that brings peace and keeps me close to Christ.
Something else I need to emphasize: yes, God will provide for those who trust in Him, but His providence might not be in the way you expect. Even if He wills that you do go without much food for a while, or you can't afford your meds this week, there WILL be a God-given Good Reason for it all that you will be shown if you still trust in Him, actively. Again, I can attest to this. I have never gone without what I need when I put it in his hands. That time when I was starving? My church friends gave me plenty of food. That time I couldn't afford medicine? My family unexpectedly bought it for me. And I ever was to truly go without... there's a reason. Believe me. Another time I was forced to stop a medication because it was OTC and out of stock for weeks (they ultimately stopped carrying it). Turns out that med was badly exacerbating other symptoms, and my doctor told me to stop it anyway. I had no clue and was quite humbled. Another time I had to limit my diet for a while due to similar reasons. And again, later I discovered that those items had been aggravating my allergies-- something I only learned from doctors during that temporary shortage. I know these sound like silly examples but honestly I cannot understate how unfailingly faithful God has always been to me, a wretched sinner, when I flee to Him in terrified but trusting honesty. He is merciful. He also deserves all the honor and gratitude we can possibly give Him.
In short: tithe! God is the Source of all abundance-- so trust and honor Him as such! The power is in Him, not the money.
I struggle with this a lot, what with my mental illness. My sense of "is this wrong?" can be skewed by trauma, delusions, and compulsions, and mangled by fear & survival impulses. I want to do what is right, but the Bible doesn't list every possible quandary in the world... because ultimately moral discernment comes from the Holy Spirit, not logical obsession or terrified guessing. Seeking "signs" won't help when your mind is a mess.
In the end, Jesus is our truest friend, our greatest need, and our brightest joy. He is everything, and He is always there for us.
Life has been full of fear, misery, stress, and despair for me lately. But every time I step back from it all, even for a moment, and turn to Jesus… I find a peace, a hope, a love that infinitely surpasses every worry and pain of this life, and which sets my heart back towards heaven, where He is waiting for me at the end of it all. No matter what happens here, Jesus is the final destination. And that is the most beautiful reassurance I can ever imagine.
I needed to see this tonight. Thank you. ❤
“It may be objected: ‘Our Lord is enough for me. I have no need of her.’ But He needed her, whether we do or not.
And what is more important, Our Blessed Lord gave us His Mother as our Mother.”
God’s Incarnation is all about love shown through humility. The Creator of all did need a human woman, a mother, to both enter and live in this world among us… and He wanted to need her; God delighted in needing her to birth Him and raise Him and care for Him during His childhood. Christ, was fed and bathed and comforted and taught by this gracefully humble and loving woman. Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, became utterly dependenton her for His own physical existence as a helpless baby boy. The sheer amount of surrendering love in that is incomprehensibly profound… and it’s at the very heart of this Christmas season.
Jesus needed Mary, and He loved to need her. To claim that we don’t need her is to completely miss the point. And that’s why Jesus gave her to us, just as the Father gave her to Him… as a mother, as someone we will always need, because we love her.
| c r o s s |
I draw closer, anticipating the familiar pang of loneliness and rejection. Yes his gaze is unwavering and he offers his Word as proof of his love for the meager, weak, and wounded (…) Gently and slowly, I am urged to leave the comfortable stillness of the hill and approach the knoll. I discover that which I am drawn to is not a shiny, idealistic, ornate symbol to kneel in front of and offer rote prayers. That which I ponder is knotted wood, jagged and splintering, a tool intended to ridicule and destroy and one on which he was willing to be lifted and hung. In this rawness is my answer: he does not flinch and does not flee. He gathers me in the shadow of his love and soothes the bruises and gashes my cross has delivered. He urges open clenched fists and assures me I am capable, loved, and worthy. For it is in the shadow of his cross on the knoll that he claims me || Jennifer Hubbard
Blessed Feast of the Triumph of the Cross ➕
“He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him… But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:2,5; NASB)
I think about this a lot, when I see crucifixes and other depictions of Our Lord that many may consider “ugly,” “poor,” or otherwise “nothing special.” It’s still Our Lord. When He was dying on the Cross, He looked incomparably worse than any artwork could portray Him, trust me… and that very awfulness of appearance, all blood and wounds and spittle and dust, is what accompanied the work of salvation. It was an integral part of it, in fact.
“That which I ponder is knotted wood, jagged and splintering, a tool intended to ridicule and destroy, and one on which he was willing to be lifted and hung. In this rawness is my answer: he does not flinch and does not flee.”
Let us never despise the ugliness of the Cross, physically or otherwise, for it has been transmuted into the greatest beauty, by the hidden yet ineffable glory of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
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prismaticbleed) wrote2019-09-21 01:49 am
