Learn to Pray With Sacred Art: Tune Into ‘Christ Contemplated’

By Michelle Laque Johnson

Are you having trouble concentrating when you’re supposed to be praying? Does your mind wander when you try to follow God’s admonition that we should: “Be still and know that I am God”? (PS 46:10 RSVCE) Maybe it’s time for a fresh approach to prayer. Of course, most of us have heard the phrase “to sing is to pray twice.” How true that is! But art can have a similar effect on us if we let it. And that brings us to this week’s featured program “Christ Contemplated at the National Gallery, London,” which is EWTN’s nod to the Pope’s Jubilee of the Arts being celebrated in Rome and around the world this month. Airs 5 p.m. ET, Saturday, Feb. 15; 10 p.m. ET, Sunday, Feb. 23; and 3 a.m. ET, Tuesday, Feb. 25 on EWTN, (www.ewtn.com/everywhere)

For viewers who love sacred art, this program is a feast for the eyes, while the commentary by Father Marcus Holden and Dr. Teresa Lane is a feast for the mind. But for those who are less enamored of art – and for those who are – EWTN is not only premiering this program on television, which you can record, but also making it available for free in our On Demand section (https://ondemand.ewtn.com) by the end of the month! This article will look at three of the 12 masterpieces of Christ’s life examined in the program. In EWTN’s On Demand section, you will be able to scrub through the video to find the picture that interests you, listen to the commentary and then freeze the frame so you can contemplate the painting. This simple act could very well lead you into prayer. What does the painting say to you about the life of Christ? You might be surprised at the emotions it evokes in you. Here are a few highlights:

FOR LENT: Christ Mocked by Hieronymus Bosch:
 
Going through a rough time? Does it feel like you against the world? One of the smallest paintings featured in this program gets increasingly disturbing as we gaze at it. What did Our Savior suffer for you personally? In this picture, we see that the Crown of Thorns is about to be hammered into Christ’s head. Our hosts tell us that Christ is surrounded by four human caricatures. The man in the lower left has a symbol of paganism on his headdress and looks gleeful at the prospect of what is going to happen. The man in the lower right is viciously grabbing Christ’s chest. In the upper right, we see a man wearing a bestial collar with spikes. His hand is on Jesus’ shoulder and he is about to whisper something threatening in Christ’s ear. His look is one of pride. And in the upper left, we see a soldier holding a dreadfully spiked crown and a cudgel with which to slam the crown into Christ’s skull. Father Holden says the figure of Christ, who gazes directly at the viewer, reminds him of the so-called “Reproaches” on Good Friday where Jesus says: “My people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me.” Spend five minutes with this picture. Ask the Lord what He wants you to take away from it? How is He speaking to you?

FOR ADVENT: The Adoration of the Kings by Jan Gossaert:

It’s helpful to have art experts walk us through a painting. They show us what the casual observer may miss. While contemplating this picture of Our Lady and the Christ Child, the narrators call our attention to the juxtaposition of a ruined building with the broken tiles and dogs in the foreground and the rich garments and wealthy gifts of the Three Kings. With Christ’s birth, this picture suggests that the old order is passing away and something new is here. We see the Christ Child’s nakedness versus the rich robes of everyone else. He is completely vulnerable. Even as He receives the Magi’s gifts, He seeks to give one back to a man kneeling before Him. It’s almost as if He is giving the man the gift of Himself in Communion. At the top of the picture, we see a host of angels arriving from heaven and hovering above the Madonna and Child. Spend a little time as the man kneeling before the Christ Child. If that were you, what would you say? What do you think Jesus would say to you? Would Mary speak? What would she say?

FOR ORDINARY TIME: The Raising of Lazarus by Sebastiano del Piombo:

What happens when we die? We are told that this is the question the artist seeks to answer in this painting, which puts the viewer front and center as Christ summons Lazarus from the tomb. With a mighty gesture, Jesus commands Lazarus to rise. But the narrators call our attention to the reaction of the people around Our Lord. Mary, at his feet, is the model of contemplation as she keeps her eyes on her Son. Above and to the right of Jesus, we see Martha with her red scarf, the model of the active life, recoiling. She has told Our Lord that Lazarus has been in the grave for 3 days and her gesture indicates she fears what she might see. The narrators also note that we see in Lazarus the physicality of the resurrection. We are human and not disembodied spirits. Of course, Lazarus sees what those who go to heaven will see: Jesus! We are told that the raising of Lazarus occurs at the beginning of the end of Jesus’ ministry. He is upsetting the order of things and because the artist paints the Pharisees in the background as they begin to scheme.

In addition to the above, the program looks at Christ Contemplated by the Christian by Diego Velasquez, The Annunciation by Crivelli, The Heavenly and Earthly Trinities by Bartolome Murillo, The Baptism of Christ by Piero della Francesca, Christ Driving the Traders from the Temple by El Greco, The Agony in the Garden by Giovanni Bellini, The Mond Crucifixion by Rafael, Noli Me Tangere (the Resurrection) by Titan, and The Supper at Emmaus by Michelangelo Caravaggio.

Spend some time with each painting. You’ll not only be amazed at what you see, but where it will take you.