This piece captures Mary's very human moment, when she's left alone with the burden of horrifying memories threatening to consume the good. It's the moment when the adrenaline is gone and the grief takes hold. It's that moment of absolute darkness when the only light comes from God. And she chooses to step forward and continue to follow Him. He sees us in our grief. He warms us in the coldness of our despair. Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!
Ten symbols used throughout history to represent the Holy Name of Jesus are used within this monstrance rendering as a reminder of the true presence of our Lord within the Eucharist. IHS, the consecrated host, 12 stars, ichthys, Chi Rho, Yeshua, Yahweh, crowns, the Alpha and Omega symbol, as well as a variety of crosses adorn the piece and are discussed in this post.
What do I give my parents to honor this day? Drugstore cards with pictures of couples laughing, pictures of glasses clinking, chocolates, flowers, silhouettes of couples... they just don't get it. They don't get the fullness of love.
My version of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Her heart, I envisioned as a bright, joyful red, enflamed with her great love and wrapped in pure white roses, gilded with the graces of heaven. Seven swords pierce her heart and separate seven drawings of the Sorrows inflicting these wounds. The scenes are meant to be interpreted from Mary's perspective, as she witnesses the life and death of her only Son and greatest love, Jesus.
So many times I have walked into the Catholic church and felt distracted by my own constant struggles to attend to the beauty, the message, the MIRACLE happening before me in the Mass. This year I made steps to refocus through a 90-day spiritual exercise meant to reorient daily life toward a habit of prayer, dedicated fasting and regular mass attendance. The graces from this new life, felt tangible, as we celebrated the ordination of my cousin, Fr. Daniel McShane, into the priesthood in May of 2019.
This piece captures Mary's very human moment, when she's left alone with the burden of horrifying memories threatening to consume the good. It's the moment when the adrenaline is gone and the grief takes hold. It's that moment of absolute darkness when the only light comes from God. And she chooses to step forward and continue to follow Him. He sees us in our grief. He warms us in the coldness of our despair. Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!
Ten symbols used throughout history to represent the Holy Name of Jesus are used within this monstrance rendering as a reminder of the true presence of our Lord within the Eucharist. IHS, the consecrated host, 12 stars, ichthys, Chi Rho, Yeshua, Yahweh, crowns, the Alpha and Omega symbol, as well as a variety of crosses adorn the piece and are discussed in this post.
What do I give my parents to honor this day? Drugstore cards with pictures of couples laughing, pictures of glasses clinking, chocolates, flowers, silhouettes of couples... they just don't get it. They don't get the fullness of love.
My version of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Her heart, I envisioned as a bright, joyful red, enflamed with her great love and wrapped in pure white roses, gilded with the graces of heaven. Seven swords pierce her heart and separate seven drawings of the Sorrows inflicting these wounds. The scenes are meant to be interpreted from Mary's perspective, as she witnesses the life and death of her only Son and greatest love, Jesus.
A background of the symbolism associated with the Sacred Heart of Jesus image and some history about the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
So many times I have walked into the Catholic church and felt distracted by my own constant struggles to attend to the beauty, the message, the MIRACLE happening before me in the Mass. This year I made steps to refocus through a 90-day spiritual exercise meant to reorient daily life toward a habit of prayer, dedicated fasting and regular mass attendance. The graces from this new life, felt tangible, as we celebrated the ordination of my cousin, Fr. Daniel McShane, into the priesthood in May of 2019.
The Last Supper is now offered as an 8 x 16 inch archival print matted in snow white to fit into a 16 x 20 inch frame!
