Unknown Icon Painter, Russian (active 1690-1710 in northern Russia)
The Holy Trinity
egg tempera on wood, between 1690 and 1710
We are in the presence of God. Now.
We are not alone. We have not been abandoned. The Lord is with us always.
Listen to the silence. Feel the fullness. Absorb the peace.
Trust.
[Jesus approached and said to them,] “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b
JESUS MAFA. Pentecost, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. [retrieved May 20, 2018]. Original source: Librairie de l’Emmanuel
May the language I choose always express God’s Spirit of love and compassion.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Acts 2:4-6
God’s love has been planted in my heart. May I take time today to sit with Love in the quiet of my heart space. May I let Love prune and shape my life and will. May my own capacity to love grow, flourish, and bear great fruit.
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 1 John 4:16b
When Jesus says to love one another, it’s not a suggestion. It’s a command.
To be a faithful follower of Jesus, I must treat all people with respect, kindness, and compassion. We are kin. You and I and all of the human family are beloved children of God.
May I walk with reverence in the presence of my sisters and brothers. May my words and behaviors prove I am a disciple of the Lord.
[Jesus said to his disciples:] “This I command you: love one another.” John 15:17
I have had the experience of trying to join a group, but no one welcomed me because I was new to the area, an unknown, someone who might not be a good fit.
With the Lord to nurture me, compassion is the fruit that grows from times of rejection: compassion for the stranger, the newcomer, the misfit, the one who is different, the one—like me—who is a child of God.
When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. Acts 9:26
Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)
Landscape with Flock of Sheep
oil on canvas, 1889 and 1902
Norton Simon Museum
Today I am especially in need of the gentle guidance and tender care of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I am grateful for his kind attention.
May I be gentle, tender, and kind towards others, too, for they may also be in need of compassion.
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11
The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them
in the breaking of bread. Luke 24:35
Jesus has risen from the dead. He breaks bread and eats a bit of fish to prove he is here with us, a tangible, touchable, living presence.
It is in this present, earth-bound moment that he offers us the gift of peace. Today I will accept this moment of peace… and the next…and the next… until I internalize the gift and am able to offer it to others—to all members of our human family, who live and breathe and ache to be touched with God’s peace and compassion.
[Jesus] stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Luke 24:36
Caravaggio (1571-1610)
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas
oil on canvas, from 1601 until 1602
Sanssouci Picture Gallery
I am learning to identify and make friends with my mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds. Although some are still open, these wounds are proof of my ability to survive, begin the work of healing, and live again. They teach me compassion, too, by opening my eyes and heart to recognize the wounds of others.
Today I pray for the grace to be gentle with wounded humanity. May I be willing to reach out to touch God’s holy Spirit in each of us.
Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” John 20:27
1 Corinthians 4:10-13
They anointed and wrapped his dead body, and placed it with sorrow and reverence in an empty tomb.
And in a spectacular display of God’s power and love, Jesus played the greatest April Fool prank of all: He rose from the dead.
When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.
John 20:6-8
JESUS MAFA. The Crucifixion; Jesus dies on the cross, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
If I were humble enough to surrender my whole self to God’s will… perhaps I would stop resisting pain and suffering… perhaps I would forgive those who hurt me… speak out in defense of the poor and vulnerable… respond to aggression with nonviolence… choose the power of love over the idol of fear—even if it meant being killed.
May I be willing to be taught by God, who is love. May I be graced with the knowledge that love never fails.
[Jesus] humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8
Mary Ann McSweeny 