TRUE ART

Art for art's sake is garbage.

Art as merely personal expression is selfish.

True art is purposeful.

It is wisdom-seeking.

It gives birth.

It encourages peace-making and harmony.

It inspires and sets hearts on fire.

It leads to higher grounds.

It causes the soul to soar.

It widens minds and opens doors.

It banishes darkness.

It illumines pathways.

(photo: Vladimir Liverts)

SO BE IT...

If this due to stubbornness in following Jesus Christ and following the gospel, 

then so be it...

(photo not mine. credit to the maker of this meme)

THAT KNOWING SMILE: A Reflection on the Gospel Antiphon for the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

Blessed are you, O Holy Virgin Mary; 
without dying you won the martyr's crown 
beside the cross of the Lord. 
Alleluia, alleluia!

It was eerily quiet. The bloody orgy has come to a halt. It was Passover's eve and not a soul dare incur ritual impurity so as to be rendered unfit for the unfolding festival. Most everyone has left

Except for Mary...

She remained.

She's crouching on where she was standing just a short while ago. She remained on that same spot. She's not going anywhere. She's not moving.

She'll remain.

On her lap lays her dead son's body, limp and cold. His face, swollen and encrusted with scum and caked blood, nevertheless still radiates serenity and love. He's all hers now.

Mary's face was puffy. Eyes hardly opening, soaked up in salty tears. Her arms tenderly caressing her lifeless treasure, all purple and blue and grim. She drew her face nearer his and whispered something delicate. And on her lips... that knowing smile.

She knew it's not over yet.

Her heart tells her that indeed, this is just a pass-over.

The best is yet to come.

APOSTLES

Jesus gathered an interesting bunch. Some were opinionated, some timid, some quite brash and impulsive, each one with his own quirkiness. Most were family men, with dreams of making it big, or maybe just to get by their daily needs and concerns. None of them was perfect, nor suited perfectly, for a job that itself has never stopped unraveling long after the recruitment. All of them had his share of flaws and temperament, and a baggage of favorite and recurrent sins. These were the men Our Lord called "apostles."

...Indeed there is hope for each of us!

( cf. Luke 6:12-19 )

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Discipleship:

is

being MOVED by Jesus,

MOVING ABOUT through Jesus,

MOVING ON with Jesus.


It is not

starring in a MOVIE;

with Jesus as an afterthought...

MOVE ON!

It's a pattern. One is sent. He dwells in the midst of people. Does what he's sent for. Makes a few friends along the way, helps some neighbors, teaches here and counsels there. Laughs, cries, get mad at some injustice and rallies behind the disadvantaged. Then people take notice and lavishly show appreciation and one sometimes get hooked to it. Or sometimes it's the opposite. But always eventually comes the time to pack up and move on. To wrap up and ship out. No three tents allowed for any Moses-Elijah-and-Jesus experience. No matter how enthralling the brief transfiguration episode maybe. Following Jesus is always a MOVING ON experience! ( cf.Luke 4:38-44 )