Art and Beauty Tuesday--Manuel Panselinos

This detail from a 14th century icon of the Resurrection shows Jesus bending down and forcefully grabbing Adam's wrist, pulling him out of Hell (or the abode of the dead).

Theologian John Dominic Crossan points out that in Western Christian art, illustrations of the Resurrection often show Jesus alone, whereas in Eastern Christian iconography, Jesus is never shown alone at the Resurrection.

Why?  In the East, Christ's mission and even His death is seen as one of healing and not one of appeasing an angry God.

This week we are looking at the true meaning of the Kingdom of God--one of cooperation with Christ in bringing His love into the world.  

Music Monday - John Michael Talbot

130th Anniversary of FDR's Birth

This "Second Bill of Rights" speech was delivered by FDR on January 11, 1944 during his State of the Union address to Congress. The speech was delivered to the American public via radio because Roosevelt was suffering from the flu.

He asked that cameras record the "Second Bill of Rights" portion of the speech for later broadcast. This footage was believed to have been lost until it was rediscovered in 2008 by Michael Moore.

Monday, January 30th is the 130th anniversary of FDR's birth.

The True Kingdom of God

In contrast to John the Baptist and other Jewish contemporaries, Jesus said the Kingdom of God is at hand--now.

First century Jews were looking for the coming of the Anointed One who would save--rescue--the Jewish people who had endured so much. Their centuries-old faith told them that God was a God of justice and yet their lives told a different story.  How were they to reconcile that?  They were waiting for a Savior who would bring about God's Kingdom--His justice--to His people.

Jesus, whom Christians recognize as that Savior, came and told them that God's Kingdom had already arrived.  How in the world could that be true?  Injustice still reined.  The answer is that God's Kingdom was not going to be a magical, much less a violent ushering in of a futuristic paradise.  It would ONLY come about with mankind's full cooperation with the Just God.  It can happen no other way, because God created us with free will and He created us and the world as "good".

We need to cooperate with God in living His Kingdom of Love here on earth.  The very fact that we call God's periodic direct interventions "miracles" is that they are so over and above the usual way things are done.  Jesus did not come to the earth to tell us, "Wait a couple of thousand years or more--God will smite those awful enemies eventually."  Jesus came to live among us to show us how to live His kingdom on earth.

Wrong-headed focus on the "end times" causes us to see God's Kingdom as either something that is basically His responsibility to "do" (and therefore, we blame Him when it has not occurred) or we see it as something that must be ushered in violently--as a battle of sorts.  This sort of thinking has caused so many problems over the centuries and continues to cause problems in our world.  Who are we battling against?  Those not of our language, race or faith?  Any student of history can easily see the results of that line of thinking.

No, the true Kingdom of God is one of loving non-violence.  That is the life that Jesus led when He was on earth.  His very death shows us by stark contrast, the extreme to which He went, to show us God's Kingdom on earth.

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  ~Jesus

Poetry Wednesday--A. Thomas Hawkins

Sarcasm Senryu 

Undeniable
irresponsibility
Congratulations

A Senryu is a 3-line Japanese poem, unrhymed,  with a human subject-matter, whereas a traditional haiku has the familiar 5-7-5 syllable format and talks about nature, not humanity.

The senryu above is ingenious in that it consists of only 3 words, and still manages to get across the idea of sarcasm, with the help of the title. The original can be read at Hello Poetry.

Art and Beauty Tuesday--Bansky

This week's theme is sarcasm and irony--where the meaning is hidden beneath the surface. Today's Art and Beauty Tuesday comes from Leake Street in London and is done by the street artist Banksy. The image below is of a man spraying over the ancient "graffiti" found in a French cave--one of the oldest works of art ever found.

In "cleaning up" the "graffiti", the man is really painting over a precious work of art, and, thus, the unexpected nature of irony.  Even our best intentions sometimes fall short of the mark. 

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

This week's theme was Alzheimer's.  Our art was a complex painting of a nursing home resident by Ria Hills called "Marge" and our poem was from "Losing Solomon" by Sean Nevin.

I also wrote a post on this weekend's second reading from 1 Corinthians.

Scripture Saturday--Detachment

But this I say brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice (and) those who buy as though they did not possess.


~1 Corinthians 7:29-30

Today's second reading from first Corinthians (above) can be confusing at first if we take it literally. Are we really to give up our spouses? Should no one marry? Why should those who weep, not weep and those who rejoice, not rejoice??  It seems to make no sense until you realize the common thread here is attachments.

As Christians, we are called to deification--becoming like God through union with God. As such, we need to take care to "strive for the higher gifts" and not become too enmeshed with the things and worries of this world--even the "important" things.

I think this was one of Jesus' main messages during his earthly ministry. Do NOT worry. So much (even the outward trappings of our religion) does NOT really matter as much as we like to think.

I also think this goes hand-in-hand with Jesus' admonitions (and real-life examples) against judging others.  In judging others' intentions, we are putting ourselves in a position of authority over them that we can not claim and making things important that just aren't important.  What is important is detachment from the unimportant and striving to become the love of God.

I really see Jesus as longing, as He said, to take human-kind under His wings like a mother hen, hold us, and tell us not to worry.  One of the methods He tells us to use is detachment.

 "Do not worry about your life--what you are to eat and drink or your body--how you are to clothe it.  Is your life not more important than food and your body more important than clothing?"  ~Matthew 6:25

In the Corinthians letter, I think Paul is telling us, as Jesus did, to detach, let go, and trust in Christ.

Daily prayer is a wonderful way to help us detach.  Placing all your worldly cares onto Christ every day, and going to Him throughout the day, through the prayers of the Office, the Rosary, or the Jesus prayer, is a great way to bring our minds around to our true Center who is Love.

Only then can we become love in our lives.

Poetry Wednesday--Sean Nevin

This is part of the poem, Losing Solomon" by Sean Nevin, a poem about his grandfather's descent into Alzheimer's disease. This poem has appeared in Oblivio Gate, a collection of poems about aging and dementia, and in Beyond Forgetting from Kent State University.

Just this snippet of Losing Solomon published in the New York Times makes me eager to read the rest of both books.

The Beginning of Losing Solomon
by Sean Nevin

Things seem to take on a sudden shimmer
before vanishing: the polished black loafers
he wore yesterday, the reason for climbing
the stairs, even the names of his own children

are swallowed like spent stars against the dark
vault of memory. Today the toaster gives up
its silver purpose in his hands, becomes a radio,
an old Philco blaring a ball game from the ‘40s
with Jackie Robinson squaring up to the plate.

Art and Beauty Tuesday--Ria Hills

This painting, called "Marge", by Ria Hills is one of a series called "Fractured" that Hills has painted of residents of her mother's nursing home.

I love how she uses separately painted blocks to illustrate both the fractured nature of Alzheimer's and the individuality of each resident.

When I first saw this painting, I felt I knew this woman--that's how much of her personality came through.  When I found out she, like my own mother, suffers from Alzheimer's, I was even more drawn to it.

I found this painting on Daily Painters of Massachusetts.  Hills also has some beautiful paintings on her own blog.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

This was a light week at The Well.  We featured Dianne Mize's beautifully complex painting of a white squirrel called Ready to Leap and Rolf Jacobsen's poem called Guardian Angel.

Hope everyone is recovering sufficiently from the hectic holidays and ready to head into "ordinary time."

Poetry Wednesday--Rolf Jacobsen

Guardian Angel

I am the bird that flutters against your window in the morning,
and your closest friend, whom you can never know,
blossoms that light up for the blind.

I am the glacier shining over the woods, so pale,
and heavy voices from the cathedral tower.
The thought that suddenly hits you in the middle of the day
and makes you feel so fantastically happy.

I am the one you have loved for many years.


I walk beside you all day and look intently at you
and put my mouth against your heart
though you're not aware of it.

I am your third arm, your second
shadow, the white one,
whom you cannot accept,
and who can never forget you.

Art and Beauty Tuesday--Dianne Mize

Ready to Leap by Dianne Mize is a beautifully complex painting of a white squirrel on a tree.  As is true in nature, Mize uses many different colors to express the white fur of the squirrel. We see blue-greys and orange-yellows along with white highlights.  Each color group stands out in obvious brush strokes, while at the same time, being softly blended.  

The orange-yellow on the squirrel is picked up in the background foliage to the right, along with a spring green which we also see on the tree trunk.

All this color-sharing serves to further soften and blend the image into the background in a delightfully diffused  way.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

Sunday Snippets is brought to you each week by RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing.

It's been a busy couple of weeks here at The Well.  I had a quick reflection on The Beloved Disciple and one about consuming "stuff" vs. consuming Christ,  found a great Saint of the Year Generator to choose your saint for 2012, and did a book review about the scholarly article Jesus as Healer, started a new link category, online Homilies.  I also shared an incredible spiritual resource from St. Mark Coptic Church in DC.

I also shared my usual art, music and poetry, including The Saga of the Cave, Trying to Surprise God and Innkeepers by Sr. Juliemarie McDonald.  For art, I brought back a popular post explaining the symbolism of the icon of the Nativity, and featured some street art of logs made to look like colored pencils.

I sincerely hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas Season and that Jesus' love and peace will rein in our hearts year 'round.

Daily Spiritual Journal

I have found an excellent spiritual resource that I am very excited about.  Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church in DC is doing a daily spiritual journal.  Each year, the church has a new "theme" and this year's theme is spiritual growth. Each day of this journal/quiet time has a short scripture reading with questions to answer and a prayer prompt.

With the plethora of online journaling opportunities, not to mention the old standby notebook and pen, it is easier than ever to grab a bible and do this every day.

Since the new year is only a week long, it is easy to catch up.  Click on the above link to go to their "quiet time" page and start this journal of spiritual growth.

Book Review--John Moles

Jesus the Healer in the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and Early Christianity by John Moles

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This scholarly article proposes that the name of Jesus was similar in appearance, sound and meaning to the words "healing" and "saves" in both Greek and Hebrew and that this relationship would have been obvious to Hellenized Jews as well as to Greeks of the first few centuries, A.D. New Testament writers used this relationship between a person's name and other words, as did Classical Greek writers, to illustrate and reinforce (through assonance, alliteration and "punning through synonyms") characteristics of the person being written about.

Greek gods and goddesses themselves carried names that pointed to their functions in the Pantheon. The consistent juxtaposition of the name of Jesus with words like "healing" and "saves" illustrates the superiority of Jesus to Greek gods with names of similar sound and meaning. This point was driven home by the New Testonament writers, whose audience would have picked up on these textual similarities.

Salvation, Moles says, is linked to healing in the sense that illness was often seen by Jesus' contemporaries as being related to sin. So, the name "Jesus" which means "Yahweh saves" also means "Yahweh heals". The idea of God/religion/Jesus-as-healer is one that pervades Eastern Christianity which sees salvation as being primarily a healing process rather than the more retributive view of the West.

To read this work in its entirety, go here:

View all my reviews

Poetry Wednesday--Peter Meinke

This poem shows that no matter how much we try to surprise God with our "creations" we fail. The poem surprises *us* in a delightful way and God is only surprised by our attempts to create perfection.


The Poet, Trying to Surprise God


The poet, trying to surprise his God
composed new forms from secret harmonies,
tore from his fiery vision galaxies
of unrelated shapes, both even & odd.
But God just smiled, and gave His know-all nod
saying, "There's no surprising One who sees
the acorn, root, and branch of centuries;
I swallow all things up, like Aaron's rod.


So hold this thought beneath your poet-bonnet:
no matter how free-seeming flows your sample
God is by definition the unsurprised."
"Then I'll return," the poet sighed, "to sonnets
of which this is a rather pale example."


"Is that right?" said God. "I hadn't realized...."

What do I consume?

I've been thinking lately, during the Consecration at Mass about being consumed by God and consuming God.  In the Eucharist, we consume our Lord. When we feel an overwhelming love for someone, such as a small child, we often use food-related imagery:  "I could just eat you up."   At Mass, God asks us to consume Him so that he can consume us.  We become one.

Now that we are "coming down" from the Christmas season, we may want to ask ourselves, "What do I consume? Am I focused on things, on myself, my worries and my pain or am I focused on my inner hunger for oneness with my Creator?"

As a New Year's resolution, why not shift focus to our creator who is "everywhere present and fills all things", yet is not visible to our naked eye except in the faces of our fellow human beings?  Pray for an awareness of God's presence as you go through your day.

Art and Beauty Tuesday--Street Art Utopia

I love this picture from Street Art Utopia.  Trees made into colored pencils.  Doesn't it make you want to pick up one and start drawing?  I love the creativity of Street Art.  This one made me think of our ability to create and make our own worlds through art.

Make your own world in this new year of 2012!

Online Homilies

Ever feel a hunger for a good homily?  I have been searching for some online homilies to help us feed our faith and have come up with a list on the sidebar.  Check out these great resources for some homilies from around the world!

Saint of the Year Generator

Jennifer Fulwiler has a Saint of the Year Generator on her website.  Go here and click to get a saint chosen for you to accompany you throughout the year 2012.  They give you time to say a prayer before the final "click".

The saint I got is Saint John of God, patron of booksellers, which is appropriate for a book worm like myself. He also wanted to start a hospital for those unable to afford healthcare, an issue that has become close to my heart.

So, go to the St. of the Year Generator and get your saint for 2012!