The Calling

~ Embrace poverty,persecution and prayer ~ Draw disciplesbeyond yourself ~ MirrorYour saviour ~ Jesus Christyour Lord. Inspired by a story about St. Francis of Assisi. The painting below is by Giotto (illustrating a separate story): St. Francis Preaching to the Birds

Spiritual Reflection – To Know the Power of Love

What would it feel like to know you were fully and totally loved? Some of us think of romantic love in this way. We think of a special person we can love fully, and who will fully love us. This painting is about love, though you might not think so at first. "Baptism of Christ', …

Franciscan Spirituality (2) – The Compassion of the True Self

There is a wonderful story of Francis of Assisi well before the founding of the Franciscan order, running after a poor man that he had first refused to give to: “On one occasion … contrary to his custom, he sent away emptyhanded a certain poor man who had begged alms … As soon as he …

Advent Art (2) – New Creations

~ In the New Testament, Jesus is sometimes described as “a second Adam”, and Christians as “a new creation”. In the Creation stories of Genesis, something profound is being said. The figure of Adam is “a type of the one to come”. God is Creator, intimately related to all of Creation. “In the beginning was …

Inspiring Art – Fra Angelico’s Transfiguration

This is a traditional subject - I've posted some transfiguration icons already today - but Fra Angelica really highlights the outstretched arms of Christ. The arms foretell Christ's forthcoming suffering in his crucifixion - there is no transfiguration without pain. But don't they also suggest arms spread wide to embrace all? The disciples show a …

Inspiring Paintings: “Do not cling to me”

This week, many have been commemmorating the figure of Mary Magdalene, who features in this beautiful painting by Titian. I have to confess to having mixed feelings about it. My initial response was to see Christ's act of withdrawing as rather cold. But this was based on a misunderstanding. Before I take this further, take …

A New Living and Loving Way

This was developed from the Consitutions of the Carmelite Order . Through Jesus The Christ . The son Of the Father . Firstborn Of all of creation . We live in union With God . And neighbour With all . Of creation In a new . And living And loving way. .

A Month of Inspirers (5) – “In my beginning is my end”

"In my beginning is my end"T.S.Eliot Our "end" is our purpose.  If we know the beginning of something - how or why something started (like an argument, or a problem) -we can gain insight into doing something about it.   Discovering meaning and purpose is also part of the spiritual quest... Human life is a …

The Spiritualities of Christianity: Becoming like a Child

Perhaps children are more aware of spirituality than adults are. I remember being asked to write an essay at school about evolution, and everything in me (as someone who did not follow any particular spiritual way and certainly not Christianity) protested that all that I was was an advanced form of amoeba.  I struggled to …

Spiritual Reflection : Snapshots of God

What would it be like to be directly taught by a great spiritual leader today? What would it feel like, for example, to be one of the friends of Francis of Assisi, or one of Jesus' disciples? Neither of these leaders wrote long books or even studied at university.  But they did study people, and …