My favorite image of Saint Joseph is that of him carrying the Christ child, holding a staff sprouting white lilies. Roman Catholic tradition tells us the legend that Saint Joseph was chosen as Mary’s betrothed after his staff miraculously sprouted white lilies in the Temple, in fulfillment of the prophecy, “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom” (Isaiah 11:1). In this particular image Saint Joseph is a mature man—we reasonably assume that he married Mary in his late twenties, so that when Jesus is a toddler, Saint Joseph is in his thirties. Affectionately, Saint Joseph holds the Christ child close to him. It shows the very close relationship between Saint Joseph and the Christ child, a bond that continues into the next life.
Although there are many images of the Blessed Virgin Mary that incite religious devotion, my favorite is that of Our Lady of Grace. In this image, Mary turns her palms upward in the prayerful gesture of the orans and directs her arms downward toward humanity, as if they are channeling God’s grace. Compassionately, she looks upon all who raise their eyes towards heaven, invoking her uniquely efficacious intercession with her Son, Jesus. It is an image that bespeaks her incomparably powerful intercession before God’s throne and her maternal compassion toward all who turn to her in humble petition and devotion. Roman Catholic tradition says that Mary married Saint Joseph when she was between 15 and 19 years old and that she may have been betrothed to him when she was as young as 14 years old. In this particular image, the Blessed Virgin is shown not as a teenager but as a mature young woman, possibly in her twenties.
Saint Joseph photo courtesy of Lamiot
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Our Lady of Grace Church, Ontario, Canada photo
Gonzalinho
Saint Joseph photo courtesy of Andy Coan
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In this particular image, Saint Joseph is solemn, befitting the regal seriousness of Jesus.
Gonzalinho
https://www.tonini.net/item/90-6404/Lady-of-Grace/
ReplyDeleteThis version of Our Lady of Grace shows Mary as a teenager.
https://burgesschurchsupply.com/products/our-lady-of-grace-model-no-640-57
This particular full-size image is long, finely rendered, elegant, and available in Linden wood.
https://www.vittoria-collection.com/Catholic_Statues_Our_Lady_of_Grace_Virgin_Mary_p/421a.htm
The image doesn’t have to be colored to be attractively rendered.
Gonzalinho
https://orthodoxartsjournal.org/can-statuary-act-as-icon/
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite images of the Madonna, which is exhibited in the Museum of Fine Arts at Boston, Massachusetts, is this Romanesque (11th to 12th centuries) sculpture from Lombardy, today a part of Italy. Displaying remarkable skill, the unknown artist shows a notable sense of harmony, balance, and proportion in rendering the figures. Especially charming is their period character, wherein mother and child are depicted in the garb of the aristocracy during this period. A strong naturalism bespeaks the artist’s amazing powers of observation.
Gonzalinho
https://orthodoxartsjournal.org/can-statuary-act-as-icon/
Delete—Aidan Hart, “Can Statuary Act as Icon?” Orthodox Arts Journal, January 30, 2013
Gonzalinho
MOUNT SINAI THEOTOKOS THE BURNING BUSH by Father William Hart McNichols
ReplyDeleteEvery September 4, the Orthodox Church celebrates the “Most Holy Theotokos the Unburnt Bush Icon.” In the Orthodox tradition of iconography the burning bush (Exodus 3:2-5) is understood to prefigure the Blessed Virgin Mary, because just as the bush was not consumed by the fire, so Mary gave birth to Jesus without losing her virginity.
Father McNichols’ icon of Theotokos the Burning Bush is rendered according to classic Greek iconography with modernist elements. It is highly stylized, linearly drawn, basically two-dimensional yet brought into three-dimensional relief in various parts by contrasting strong shadows with sharp highlights, all smoothly blending together. Most striking are the sinuously decorative outspreading pattern of the burning bush that is superimposed upon the Virgin’s torso and her outsize, expressive, dramatic eyes, a feature that is very characteristic of the artist’s subjects. McNichols’ unusual color palette is modernist. The overall effect is radiant.
Gonzalinho
OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Perpetual_Help#/media/File:Nossa_Senhora_do_Perpetuo_Socorro_HD.jpg
The icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is among my favorites. Besides arousing deep, sincere devotion, it’s a masterpiece of the Byzantine style, highly stylized, finely delineated, symbolic, and fraught with subliminal significance. Harmonious nearly primary colors, bright and compelling, accent the picture throughout, even as the Blessed Virgin’s sorrowful gaze radiates pathos and the innocence of the Child Jesus alluringly engages devotees. So renowned globally is this icon that today it transcends cultures; it is world heritage.
“The icon (about 54 x 41.5 centimeters) depicts our Blessed Mother Mary, under the title ‘Mother of God,’ holding the Child Jesus. The Archangels Michael and Gabriel, hovering in the upper corners, hold the instruments of the Passion—St. Michael (in the left corner) holds the spear, the wine-soaked sponge, and the crown of thorns, and St. Gabriel (in the right corner) holds the cross and the nails. The intent of the artist was to portray the Child Jesus contemplating the vision of His future Passion. The anguish He feels is shown by the loss of one of His sandals. Nevertheless, the icon also conveys the triumph of Christ over sin and death, symbolized by the golden background (a sign of the glory of the resurrection) and the manner in which the angels hold the instruments, i.e. like trophies gathered up from Calvary on Easter morning.
“In a very beautiful way, the Child Jesus grasps the hand of the Blessed Mother. He seeks comfort from His mother, as He sees the instruments of His passion. The position of Mary’s hands—both holding the Child Jesus (who seems like a small adult) and presenting Him to us—convey the reality of our Lord’s incarnation, that He is true God who became also true man. In iconography, Mary here is represented as the Hodighitria, the one who guides us to the Redeemer. She also is our Help, who intercedes on our behalf with her Son. The star painted on Mary’s veil, centered on her forehead, highlights her role in the plan of salvation as both the Mother of God and our Mother.”
https://catholicstraightanswers.com/what-is-the-story-behind-the-image-of-our-lady-of-perpetual-help/
—“What is the story behind the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help?” Catholic Straight Answers
Gonzalinho
“Authorised by the Holy See to remain open 24/7 days all year, the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help (also known as Baclaran Church), is one of the largest known Marian shrines in the Philippines.
Delete“Our Lady of Perpetual Help is informally known in the country as the Holy Virgin of Baclaran, and is widely venerated by Filipino Catholics and Overseas Filipino communities. A German copy of the icon is venerated in the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran, Parañaque, Metro Manila. Pope John Paul II once said Mass at the shrine as cardinal, and later prayed before the icon during his first pastoral visit to the country in February 1981.
“All Catholic churches and chapels in the Philippines enshrine a replica of the icon, often on a side altar, with many congregations holding recitations of the rosary and the icon’s associated novena, Benedictions, and Holy Mass every Wednesday in its honour. Copies are also commonly displayed in houses, businesses, and public transport. Devotees today still use the same Novena booklet first published by Irish Redemptorist priests, who introduced the icon and its devotion to the Philippines in the 1900s. The Filipino Diaspora [has] also preserved observance of the Wednesday Novena, organising and participating at the novena services in their respective parishes.”
https://www.cssr.news/perpetual-help/the-devotion/
—“The Devotion,” Redemptorists International
I am particularly enamored of this image because it communicates the constant solicitude of the Blessed Virgin, who has been gifted to humanity in so many ways that cannot be adequately detailed in a small space.
When the number of those attending Mass visibly increases, in relation to other weekdays, during the regular Wednesday celebrations, it is a sight that blesses, uplifts, and consoles.
Gonzalinho
THE STORY OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
DeleteThe devotion to this Marian advocation revolves around the picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, painted on wood, with background of gold. It is Byzantine in style and is supposed to have been painted in the thirteenth century. It represents the Mother of God holding the Divine Child while the Archangels Michael and Gabriel presenting Him the instruments of His Passion. Over the figures in the picture are some Greek letters which form the abbreviated words Mother of God, Jesus Christ, Archangel Michael, and Archangel Gabriel respectively.
The icon was brought to Rome towards the end of the fifteenth century by a pious merchant, who, dying there, ordered by his will that the picture should be exposed in a church for public veneration. It was exposed in the church of San Matteo in the famous Roman street of Via Merulana, which connects the basilicas of Saint Mary Major and Saint John Lateran. Crowds flocked to this church, and for nearly three hundred years many graces were obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. The picture was then popularly called the Madonna di San Matteo. The church was served for a time by the Hermits of Saint Augustine.
These Augustinians were still in charge when the French invaded Rome (1812) and destroyed the church. The picture disappeared; it remained hidden and neglected for over forty years, but a series of providential circumstances between 1863 and 1865 led to its rediscovery in an oratory of the Augustinian Fathers at Santa Maria in Posterula.
Pope Pius IX, who as a boy had prayed before the picture in San Matteo, became interested in the discovery. But at that time, the ruins of San Matteo were in the grounds of a convent of the Redemptorists—the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer—founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787).
The Father General of the Redemptorists, Most Rev. Nicholas Mauron, decided to bring the whole matter to the attention of the Pope. The Pope listened attentively and felt sure it was God’s will that the icon should be gain exposed to public veneration and the logical site was their church of St. Alphonsus, standing as it did between the Basilicas of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. The Holy Father at once took a piece of paper and wrote a short memorandum ordering the Augustinian Fathers of St. Mary in Posterula to surrender the picture to the Redemptorists, on condition that the Redemptorists supply the Augustinians with another picture of Our Lady or a good copy of the icon of Perpetual Help.
To be continued
Gonzalinho
THE STORY OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
DeleteContinued
The icon meant much to the Augustinians, but when the two Redemptorists came armed with the Pope’s signed memorandum, what could they do but obey? On January 19, 1866, Fathers Marchi and Bresciani brought the miraculous picture to St. Alphonsus’ church. Preparations were now made to inaugurate the new public reign of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. On April 26th, a great procession was staged in which the picture was carried throughout the Esquiline region of Rome. Upon returning to the church, the picture was enthroned over the high altar, in a resplendent shrine-niche especially constructed for it.
The report of marvelous healings spread rapidly throughout the city of Rome and people came by the hundreds to visit the shrine. Soon the whole area around the altar was filled with abandoned crutches and canes and several whole glass-covered cabinets were filled with gold and silver thanksgiving offerings in the shapes of miniature hearts, arms, legs and other votive offerings. Scarcely two weeks after the solemn exposition of the picture, Pope Pius IX himself came to visit the shrine. He stood quietly before it for a long time and then exclaimed: “How beautiful she is!”
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/55430/our-lady-of-perpetual-help
—“Our Lady of Perpetual Help,” Catholic News Agency
Gonzalinho