RBWords - Volume 20 - Number 3: March 2007
Something to Think About
When art attempts to depict historical events, a host of questions arise about the results. Was the artist a participant in the event? Did the event occur long before it inspired the artist? Given the nature of the medium: fiction, paint, film, etc., did the artist seek to emphasize a particular moment in a larger event? Does this mean the artist considered this moment to be the “defining” moment of the larger event? Is the work of art the work of a single artist – the famous one – or something completed in “the studio” by one or more students? How powerfully does the moment or the larger event emerge in the work of art? The questions could go on and on. I raise them because I am thinking of the EVENT (events) of Holy Week. There are so many “moments” in that “week” that could capture our entire attention. The artist(s) of the accounts in the New Testament have created rich tapestries.
The liturgical celebration of the events compresses much into a small time frame. We do not have a precise chronology. The “compression” has the effect of creating a kind of dramatic tension. One could spend a long time contemplating the contrast between Jesus’ “triumphant” entry into Jerusalem and his horrible “exit” to Golgotha several days later – consider the difference in the crowd that sings “Hosanna!” and shouts “Crucify Him!” One could contemplate the agonized prayer in the Garden of Gethsemani. One could contemplate the Last Supper with its combination of meal and betrayal! One could contemplate the dialogue between Jesus and Pilate (“What is truth?”) or the moment Pilate presents the tortured Jesus to the crowd (“Ecce Homo!”). The Stations of the Cross focus our attention on the walk to Golgotha! One could contemplate the centurion who proclaims Jesus as the Son of God or the figures of Mary and Mary Magdalen at the foot of the cross, or Jesus’ last words from the cross. All of this comes at us very quickly as part of a larger and almost overwhelming picture. Almost every “moment” of it as portrayed in the gospels has appeared in art at sometime. We may choose to go to that art or we can use our own imagination with the Bible sitting in our lap. The gospel writers were supreme artists working under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Let their art inspire us to celebrate this Holy Week deeply and lovingly. To all my beloved readers, I wish a truly spiritual and happy Easter celebration! IT’S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It Has Been Said
The perfection of love is when we receive the gift of the person as he or she is. They may not be quite what we had dreamed of. They may be less intelligent, less witty than we hoped. They will certainly one day be less beautiful. We dreamed of first-growth claret and what we got may just be old vinegar. If we can accept that gift with gratitude, then our love will be on the way to perfection.
From SEVEN LAST WORDS by Timothy Radcliffe, O.P.