Prodigal Son

Following the Holy Ground on Sunday 17th Feb...
Some of you might like to see the paintings from artists around the world again...

from India

by Siede Koder

Jesusmafa: Cameroon

It is possible to search  ‘The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt ‘ for a larger image of the painting. Go deeper with the book : The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. [ ISBN:
0-232-52078-x  ] where he reflects on this painting in light of his own life journey.
The next Day of Silent Prayer will be the Saturday before Whitsun: 8th June 2019.

Jesus’ early life

Jesus “seminar” with elders in Temple: Jesusmafa: Cameroon

We know very little about Jesus’ early life... 

But Luke’s Gospel gives this story of Jesus in the Temple amazing the teachers there with his questions and answers...

Just look at the expressions on their faces !  

And maybe the two people just outside remind us of Mary & Joseph searching everywhere for him... [ Luke 2 v41-52 ]

[ I hope the Jesusmafa website will return. A whole series of beautiful paintings were available to buy as posters, originally made by a group of villagers who acted out New Testament narratives so that an artist could paint them, giving an African interpretation & context. These were highly valued by people who remember their roots in Africa.]

Georges de la Tour: Jesus & Joseph
By contrast, this painting of Jesus & Joseph in the carpenter’s workshop ... though we have  no written mention of this ... gives a vivid feel of Jesus’ home background in Nazareth.

Candlemass

This painting in a small side-chapel seemed to jump out at me... but who was this elderly man looking so lovingly down at the baby ?

At first I thought the artist was following the tradition that Joseph was quite elderly...but then its more ususal to have a “Madonna & Child” painting, rather than “Joseph & child “... 

Who was this loving father/ grandfather?

But as I allowed myself to be quietly absorbed into the painting that question faded away...

the artist had something far more profound and timeless to communicate...

before leavingthe chapel, some timelater, my curiosity returned...tiny print on the frame revealed this was Simeon recognising Jesus as the Messiah...painted here in the Cameroon, with Simeon, Anna, Mary & Joseph...each in their own way regarding Jesus with awe.

St Luke 2 v 21- 38