4/6/24

NIGHT PRAYER: Saturday 4/6



As we have at other times, this evening we'll pray with art: images depicting the story in tomorrow's gospel: doubting Thomas.  

Many of the images in this post were influenced by Caravaggio's masterpiece: The Incredulity of Thomas (just below this paragraph). Every year, the gospel on the Sunday after Easter tells, the story of Thomas.  I hope these images (some classical and some very contemporary) might pique your interest and lead you to spend some time in prayer with them.  AND... a regular Night Prayer follows the gallery...

Here are ome questions to guide you prayerfully through this gallery: 
    - What do you see in the apostles faces?
            fear? wonder? amazement? doubt? belief? 
    - What does their body language tell you 
            about the experience they're having?
    - What do you see in the face of Jesus?
            Where is he directing his gaze?
    - Where do you find yourself in these images?
    - How might you have responded
                had you been Thomas?
                
The Incredulity of Thomas by Caravaggio
 
The Doubting Thomas by Rocco Normanno


Incredulidad de Santo Tomas by Reubens

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Cope Amezcua

Doubting Thomas by John Gregory Granville


Image source


     
            
    Doubting Thomas by Generic Art Solutions 


   




                  Doubting Thomas by Jonathan Hilson 

 
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The Doubt of St. Thomas by He Qi

Doubting Thomas by Michael Smither


Doubting Thomas by Ben Steele

For some insightful commentary on Ben Steele's work (above) check out Anneke Majors' post at A Motley Vision.  Steele's subject and title form a visual pun playing on the work of Thomas Kinkade.


NIGHT PRAYER
 
I'm a believer, Lord 
    - you know that -
but you also know my doubts, my misgivings,
    my unsurety, my skepticism, my mistrust...
 
Sometimes doubt leads me to probe and clarify
   what I wasn't sure of, what I didn't understand,
      what I struggled with
but sometimes my doubt leads me to confusion,
   uncertainty and a kind of lonely fear
that leaves me wondering who I am, where I'm going
   and what path leads to truth...

I believe, Lord: help my unbelief...

Give me the grace to explore my doubt,
    trusting your Spirit to lead and guide me
        to light, to wisdom, to truth
and most of all to you, Lord,
    most of all to faith in you...
 
Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake
and watch over me when I sleep
that awake I might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...
 
Amen.
 
Tonight's song is the "Thomas section" of a very old hymn,
O Sons and Daughters, composed by Jean Tisserand, 
a monk who died in 1494.
 
 O Sons and Daughters  
 
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