Today's Gospel in Art - Feast of Saint John of the Cross

The Crucifixion, by Saint John of the Cross 1572 © Convento de la Encarnación, Avila, Spain

Gospel of 14th December 2020 - Matthew 21:23-27

Jesus had gone into the Temple and was teaching, when the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and said, 'What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?' 'And I' replied Jesus 'will ask you a question, only one; if you tell me the answer to it, I will then tell you my authority for acting like this. John's baptism: where did it come from: heaven or man?' And they argued it out this way among themselves, 'If we say from heaven, he will retort, "Then why did you refuse to believe him?"; but if we say from man, we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet.' So their reply to Jesus was, 'We do not know.' And he retorted, 'Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.'

Reflection on the Small Drawing

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591). I am sharing with you a drawing that he made in 1572 of the Crucifixion. It is a very small, stamp-sized drawing, which inspired Salvador Dali to paint his well-known Christ of Saint John of the Cross canvas, depicting Christ nailed on the cross, seen from above, against a darkened sky, floating over a lake with boat and fishermen. A great Mystic, St John of the Cross drew our image after receiving a mystical revelation. Once he had drawn this little sketch, he gave it to one of the nuns in the Carmelite convent where he was the confessor. The drawing is still preserved at that same convent today in Avila.

The aerial perspective, looking at Christ from above, is how His Father may have looked down upon His Son, at the moment He surrendered His spirit on the cross. Christ's head has fallen upon His chest. We can't see His face. His arms are dislocated and reflect the agony and torture. Christ's hands seem torn by the weight of the inert body that hangs forward from the cross. This is a small but very powerful drawing.

Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you,

Remember Christ crucified and be silent - St John of the Cross.

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/636

Christian Art - www.christian.art/index.php