Month: February 2016

Devotional Art: A Lenten Reflection

Our priest’s wife, Sandy Mc Namara, is a teacher and art historian.  She offers this reflection for us in the midst of Lent. Dutch Baroque artist Rembrandt van Rijn over the course of his lifetime painted hundreds of images depicting many Old and New Testament historical events, stories, and parables. Rembrandt is considered a Baroque painter, not only because he lived and painted during the 17th century, but also because his style and technique reflect many major characteristics of that period. Baroque art emphasized the theatrical and dramatic through focused use of strong light/dark contrasts, emotion, and dramatic scenes. One scene of Christ’s earthly ministry that intrigued Rembrandt was the instant when the two disciples who walked the road to Emmaus with Jesus, first realized they were interacting with their Lord after having witnessed his execution and burial. Rembrandt was an artist of human experience who loved to capture the emotional reaction of his subjects at crisis moments. He studied the human face, and attempted to depict the instant of epiphany and realization. This Emmaus …

Children in Worship, or The Mortification of the Parents

It seems fitting during this penitential season to talk a bit about taking our children to worship.  There are no greater instruments of joy and humility in my life than our five charming and curious children.  More often than not over our 7 years of child rearing and church going, have I sat in the pew, translating references in the liturgy to “the flesh,” to, “the mortification of the flesh.” Oh, the embarrassment! Oh, the travails! (You mean your family doesn’t look just like this in church?) Our parish has a beautiful statement on our website about this: “Children are lovingly invited to our services to participate in the rhythms of the liturgy. In practice, this means that the sounds of children – ranging from laughter to cries – are viewed not as distractions, but reminders that we as a church are all called to be as little children. We do not consider our children future members in training, but rather full members in the present: embraced, accepted, and joyfully welcomed into our corporate worship. …

A “Homely” Artist: Marianne Stokes

Marianne Stokes was an Austrian painter in the late 1800’s who married the well-known English artist, Adrian Stokes.  Together they travelled Europe, he painting landscapes and villages, and Marianne painting portraits of the local peoples and their customs.  I particularly love this portrait of a woman praying on Candlemas Day.  Her Madonna and Child (below) is one of the most beautiful I have seen, with the patterned gold silhouettes of flowering blooms and thorns, probably referring to the Christ child’s future death. There are also some beautiful “homely” pieces that she painted.  This young girl in the sunny meadow wearing traditional Eastern European clothing is charming, as is the mother teaching her daughter a lesson in their rustic home (lower right). This portrait of a Hungarian bride is rich with detail of their historical garments, and apparently her work was a valuable contribution to the documentation of this culture. I hope you enjoyed seeing the work of a historical artist, and how she depicted the liturgical lives of various peoples.  To see more of her …

A Valentine for You, Mom and Dad

One thing I love about the prayer book is that it gives direction that is simple, precise, and Christ-focused to my thoughts and inward groanings.  This is the prayer that I say the most, under my breath, in desperation, at the end of a long day as I fall asleep: Almighty God, heavenly Father, who hast blessed us with the joy and care of children; Give us light and strength so to train them, that they may love whatsoever things are true and pure and lovely and of good report, following the example of their Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen. Click the image below to download a free printable of the  Parent’s Prayer  pdf from Esther Bley Designs.

Ash Wednesday Explained

Thank you to our priest, Fr. Wayne McNamara, for allowing us to post this explanation of Ash Wednesday. Fr. Wayne collects thoughts and resources at his blog: An Irishman’s Mugs, Mettles, and Meanderings.  What is Lent? The word ‘Lent’ comes from the old Saxon name for the month of ‘March.’ and came to refer also to ‘spring’. The Christian Church has observed the forty days before Easter as a time of corporate and individual self-examination, a time of mourning for our sins, of repentance, and fasting. Lent is the season where we might find ourselves like the prodigal son, finding our way home, returning to a more committed relationship with the Lord and His people, a time of spiritual renewal. It is a time where we (individually, as families, as parishes) face more deliberately all our unfaithfulness and failures. It is a time of fasting to remind us that our deepest hunger is for God and Him alone It is a time of cleansing and the removing of all kinds of impediments to the joyful coming …

A Candlemas Celebration

“As we see in the gospel today, the Word, which spoke the world into existence, comes to the Temple. And how is he brought? Carried on a throne of gold? With all the nations gathered around to honor him? No, but in the throne of the Virgin’s arms. . . And what glory did await at the temple? Did Caesar himself stand up for the True King as he entered? Did the powerful people of all the nations come to honor him, and declare him the True Lord of Lords? No, he is greeted by a man who is only said to be a righteous and devout man. And by a woman, who is said to be a prophet, and who seems to have been a widow who spent her time in prayer in the temple.” “There were no kings and queens of the world greeting the Christ as he came to the Temple. What we see here, is a secret: that the kings and queens are the poor of heart. They are those awaiting salvation. …

The Meaning of Candlemas

Candlemas articulates the necessary future of this beautiful Light coming into the world. Our celebrations so far have dwelt on the joyful implications of the Son of God’s arrival, our redemption, salvation, and deliverance. Candlemas reiterates in a pointed way that the coming of the Lord includes difficult things – the persecutions of Jesus in His ministry and the call of the Christ to suffer the Cross. Candlemas rounds our our thoughts regarding the significance of the Word become flesh, and moves us forward to Lent