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posted on 08/03/08 at 12:00:00 am
John 20:19-31
Our meditations end with the triumphant victory of Jesus Christ over death. It is the beginning of a new era for humankind a new creation.
After his Resurrection, Jesus sends His disciples into the world, as the Father had sent him, and breathes the Holy Spirit upon them. Empowered by the Triune God, present in the beginning of the disciples commission, the Church began a journey which has bound all of us Christians together for the last two millenia.
Before Christ, the cross was a symbol of death, pain and fear. After Christ, it has become a symbol of hope and salvation. It reminds us that our Lord is risen, that he gave us a mission, and that we should proclaim His message throughout the world.
The cross depicted on this painting is based on a design drafted by a child who is like a son to me. His willingness to draw a cross reminds all of us that the mission of the Church has to go on, and that the redeeming message of the Risen Christ is not only for us, but for all generations that will come after us. Lambeth is over, but we have still much to do. Let us go forth in peace.
Painting dimensions: 20 X 30 cm
Suggested donation: £ 200.00 or US$ 400.00
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posted on 08/02/08 at 12:00:00 am
John 18:1-18
Have you ever felt betrayed? Probably yes. Circumstances such as the one described in this reading are, perhaps, the most difficult ones for human beings to deal with.
Betrayal, for us humans, often is accompanied by vengeance. After all, this is the “right thing” to do in many people’s minds.
Jesus, however, does not cede to such temptations. Even at that critical moment, He acted with love and tenderness. This passage shows the last explicit “I am” saying. It points out a moment of transition from his teaching to his suffering on the cross.
For us Christians, it is important to know that even in moments of betrayal, we can always shine Jesus’ light and be an example. This should be our difference from the rest of the world: love and respect for all human beings, even to those who hurt and shame us.
Painting dimensions: 40 X 50 cm
Suggested donation: £ 200.00 or US$ 400.00
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posted on 08/01/08 at 12:00:00 am
John 15:1-17
This is the last of the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus, as recorded in St. John’s Gospel. This final statement uses the very familiar image of the vine, which had already been used extensively in Jewish religious imagery.
The image of the vine, however, is considerably different from the other seven images. It is the only reference to a living being in the “I Am” satements; a living organism which is dependent upon several internal and external conditions for its life. This dependency is further teased out with the inclusion of disciples within the image, as the vine’s branches.
Such a metaphor suggests that as the Body of Christ, we are all interconnected and part of one great organism. In order for each of us to have life and to be life-giving, we have to support each other and work together in order to live into the Kingdom of God, into which we all are connected. We are many branches, but share in the life of the one vine, Jesus Christ, who gives life to us all. We have no choice but to be together and overcome our differences for the sake of the unity Christ offers us as members of His Body.
Jesus empowers us to live into this unity by giving a new commandment- the commandment of love, by which we are taught a way of being together with Him and bearing fruit together.
Drawing dimensions (each): 15 X 20 cm
Suggested donation: £ 200.00 or US$ 400.00