The
month of June (and Fridays all year 'round) are times of special
devotion to the Holy Heart of Jesus. (See this morning's Pause for Prayer) On
the Fridays of June, these Night Prayer posts will offer an opportunity to pray with art, with images of the Heart of Christ.
Just as you can read, study, muse and pray over a scripture text, so you can approach a work of art as a subject for prayer (as we did this past Lent). DON'T WORRY! You don't have to be a museum goer or an art historian to pray this way. You need only some time, some art, a prayerful curiosity and a desire to discover what the Lord wants to share with you through a sacred image. (These posts will ask for a little more of your time than usual.)
We'll begin this series with one of my favorite images of Jesus: Salvador Dali's "Sacred Heart."
Before you read my thoughts below (in black)
here are some questions for your reflection...
• Spend some time simply contemplating Dali's Jesus...
What comes to your mind? to your heart?
How does this image speak to you?
• When you pray, how do you image the face of Jesus?
How do you image his stature?
What do you find in the face Dali gives Jesus here?
• Departing from custom, Dali, here, gives Jesus a biological organ,
a heart that might beat - skip a beat - beat fast
- and one day stop beating...
Place your hand over your own heart
and imagine Jesus' heart beating in sync with your own...
• The first apostles followed Jesus upon hearing his call:
how might you respond to Dali's Jesus calling you?
What attracts you here? What surprises you?
What mystifies and what is revealed here?
• Dali's faith life had a complex history though in later life
he became a Catholic. In his autobiography he wrote:
"Heaven is to be
found, neither above nor below,
neither to the right nor to the left,
heaven is to be found exactly in the center of the bosom
of the one who
has faith!'
In the painting, the Cross is at the center of Christ's heart,
how does this image touch the center of your heart?
• How might you pray, tonight,
to the Jesus imaged in Dali's painting?
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Dali's Sacred Heart images so clearly, so frankly
the beauty, strength and intensity, the raw humanity
of Christ's divine heart.
This isn't the meek Jesus of so much religious art:
this is a strong, compelling, confident in-your-face,
I've-got-your-back Christ
who puts his heart out there for us,
who empties his own heart into ours
with love beyond all telling.
Here's a Christ at whose word simple fishermen
might leave behind their boats and nets
to follow where he led them...
Here's a Christ
with sinew and strength
to lift and carry others' burdens
while carrying his cross.
Here's a Christ
with a strong and robust heart,
ready to pump his power and Spirit
through a universe aching for his grace.
Here's a Christ of tender heart,
a refuge, a haven for us all;
a brave heart, ready to expose itself
to cover and defend us;
a heart prepared to give itself away
in rolling, endless waves of mercy;
a heart large enough, deep enough, real enough
to be the very heart of God,
God's own heart
made flesh for us,
that our hearts might know his
and by his love, be saved...
Lord, open your holy, saving heart
and welcome us in
to your mercy, love and peace...
Protect us, Lord, while we're awake
and watch over us while we sleep
that awake, we might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...
Amen.
Tonight's (powerful!) song is titled:
Empty Space: Prayer of the Heart of Jesus
As you listen to it, hear it as Jesus' word for YOU,
Jesus' prayer for YOU, Jesus' desire for YOU!
I'm repeating the Dali image just below the video
so that you can pray with the image
while listening to the song's prayer.
Empty Space: Prayer of the Heart of Jesus
If a video doesn't appear below, click here!
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