Category: Prayer

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Roman Catholic Sacred Art: A Prayer to Accompany The First Theological Theme

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

“And only where God is seen does life truly begin. Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is. We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him.”           … Continue reading Roman Catholic Sacred Art: A Prayer to Accompany The First Theological Theme

Art, Art Education, Catholic Education, Catholic Spirituality, Catholicism, Christianity, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Prayer, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, Sacred ArtLeave a comment

Roman Catholic Sacred Art – Part Five: The First Theological Theme

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

In the past four posts I briefly reviewed the following topics: Part 1: What is Art, Part 2: Roman Catholic Sacred Art – Categories, Part 3: Roman Catholic Sacred Art – Painting Schematic, and Part 4: Roman Catholic Sacred Art – Three Major and Minor Stages. Today in Part 5, I would like to provide you with a brief review of a major, historically based, theological theme that directly impacts the creation of Roman Catholic and Orthodox Greek/Russian sacred art. It is an historical fact that in the year AD 30, the Roman historian Tacitus writes in his Annals that … Continue reading Roman Catholic Sacred Art – Part Five: The First Theological Theme

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What is Art?

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Hello!  Glad to be back after a series of learning experiences which took me away from the keyboard. I see from the website’s analytics that we are still popular on a worldwide level (thank you!). I also appreciate and thank all of the hundreds of subscribers that have stayed with this blog and continue to use and enjoy the material I’ve presented and the many tens of thousands that have popped in and out over the past seven years. Last week I made a church presentation (a power point lecture) on “Our Blessed Mother and Sacred Art Applied to Prayer.” For … Continue reading What is Art?

Art, Artists, Christian Spirituality, Prayer, Roman Catholic, Silence1 Comment

The Sacred Artist’s Cultivation of Silence

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

I recently received a post from the always challenging and informative blog entitled Catholicism Pure and Simple. It features a short film by the Benedictine monk Abbot Christopher Jamison, O.S.B. In this film Fr. Jamison speaks about silence and how critical it is for our well being. He mentions that its cultivation is a necessary prerequisite for certain types of prayer. The good news is that we can begin the process of cultivating silence by setting aside at least five minutes but no more than thirty minutes during the day. During that time we participate in an ancient Christian technique … Continue reading The Sacred Artist’s Cultivation of Silence

Art, Artists, Beauty, Catholic Art, Evangelization, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Prayer, Religious Art, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art, Sacred Artists, Sacred Iconography, Sacred Images, Saints2 Comments

Lesley Green – A Rhode Island Sacred Artist

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

One of the great blessings the Lord has granted me is the privilege of meeting so many wonderful people who are interested in studying and creating sacred art. An example of this is the fine Rhode Island artist, Lesley Green. Lesley is no stranger to art. She has been interested in it since adolescence and received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She continued to pursue her studies while taking time out to marry and raise a family. I first met Lesley a number of years ago, when my wife and I started the Fra Angelico Institute … Continue reading Lesley Green – A Rhode Island Sacred Artist

Catholicism, Family Prayer, Prayer, Religion, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, Sacred Art2 Comments

The Little Oratory – A Beginner’s Guide to Praying in the Home – A New Book by Clayton and Lawler

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Friend and fellow sacred artist David Clayton, in association with Leila Marie Lawler, has written a wonderful book entitled The Little Oratory: A Beginner’s Guide to Praying in the Home. Sophia Institute Press published this book in the spring of 2014. In a beautiful writing style that is truly accessible to all readers, Clayton and Lawler explain the purpose of a home oratory, the role that prayer, chant, and sacred art can play in the life of an individual or family, and the significance of maintaining a faith filled prayer life with young and adolescent children. The word oratory derives … Continue reading The Little Oratory – A Beginner’s Guide to Praying in the Home – A New Book by Clayton and Lawler

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The Last Supper – Jesus as Servant, Christ as Sacrifice: An Evening Meditation

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

At the Last Supper, on the night He was betrayed, our Savior entrusted to His Church the memorial of His death and resurrection. This memorial came to us through the Institution of the Holy Eucharist, a memorial that He intended would be celebrated forever by His Church in the magnificent prayer that is known as the Holy Mass. Let us adore Him, and say: Jesus, sanctify Your people, redeemed by Your blood. Lord, You humbled Yourself by being obedient to the Father’s will, even to accepting death, death on a cross. Please give all who faithfully serve You the gifts of: … Continue reading The Last Supper – Jesus as Servant, Christ as Sacrifice: An Evening Meditation

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St. Teresa of Avila – On Love

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

On October 15th we celebrate the Memorial of the great Spanish saint and the first woman declared a “Doctor of the Church” – Teresa of Jesus, also known as Teresa of Avila. Saint Teresa grew up in the early 1500’s and at the age of 20, entered the Carmelite convent in Avila. She freely admitted that for twenty years she had a very difficult time with prayer and distractions. Compounding the problem was the lifestyle of her fellow nuns. In the 16th century, Spanish convents were very relaxed places since a festive, vain, and worldly attitude was prevalent. The idea of strict discipline, … Continue reading St. Teresa of Avila – On Love

Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Faith, Gospel Teachings, Hope, Motherhood, Mothers, Prayer, Religion, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art, Saints, Uncategorized6 Comments

Saint Monica – Patron of Mothers

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today is the memorial of St. Monica, the extraordinarily faith-filled mother of St. Augustine. In the year 321, Monica was born in Algeria into a family that was devoutly Christian. As a child she was baptized a Christian and was raised to be a dutiful wife. She was given in marriage to a bad tempered, adulterous pagan official, by the name of Patricius. In examining the life of Saint Monica one is struck by the extent of the abuse she and other women endured throughout their marriage. Under the laws of the time Monica’s husband could physically and emotionally abuse … Continue reading Saint Monica – Patron of Mothers

Aidan Hart, Anna Gouriev Pokrovsky iconographer, Art, Artists, Greek Orthodox, Iconography, Marek Czarnecki iconographer, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Orthodox Art, Peter Pearson iconographer, Prayer, Religious Art, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Sacred Art, Sacred Artists, Sacred Iconography, Spirituality, Vladimir Grygorenko iconographer3 Comments

Icons, Icon Painters, and Praying With Sacred Icons: PART 3

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

My favorite sacred icon of  Our Lord Jesus Christ is the 6th century encaustic icon of Christ Pantocrator (Christ The Almighty One) from St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula. This sacred image was a paradigm shift in the way early Christians viewed and portrayed Jesus Christ. This icon (shown below) is not the thin young  Messiah of the Catacombs, or the Roman nobleman presentation of the first four centuries of Church art (for examples confer Pierre du Bourguet’s book on Early Christian Painting). The Sinai Christ Pantocrator is portrayed as a robust Semitic man, who knows exactly what He is about, what His … Continue reading Icons, Icon Painters, and Praying With Sacred Icons: PART 3

Art, Greek Orthodox, Iconography, Orthodox Art, Prayer, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Sacred Art, Sacred Artists, Sacred Images6 Comments

Part Two: Icons, Icon Painters, and Praying With Sacred Icons

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

The sacred icon is a visual aid that helps the person enter into a conversation with God, an angel, or a saint. If a sacred icon is to be painted with this purpose in mind then it it is a major responsibility of the sacred artist to construct the icon so that it may serve, rather than interfere with or destroy, that purpose. Thus, it is necessary for the sacred artist to curb the desire for ornateness, since it might detract from the prayer itself by focusing the viewer’s eyes on embellishment versus Person, or saint.  Of all the physical … Continue reading Part Two: Icons, Icon Painters, and Praying With Sacred Icons

Art, Artists, Catholic Art, Christianity, Greek Orthodox, Iconography, Orthodox Art, Prayer, Religious Art, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Sacred Art, Sacred Artists, Sacred Images, Uncategorized11 Comments

Icons, Icon Painters, and Praying With Sacred Icons: Part One

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

A few issues have come up in discussing some basic terms with people. I would like to be clear on how I have come to understand these words because it may affect how we view our “ministry” to be painters of sacred icons and or sacred images. From my understanding, the word icon in English, Greek, and Latin, is the word for image. In our usage as sacred artists, it refers to a sacred image of Our Lord, Our Blessed Mother, angels, or specific saints. The purpose of a  sacred icon is that, as a piece of sacred art, it … Continue reading Icons, Icon Painters, and Praying With Sacred Icons: Part One

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ORO et CREO: I Pray – I Create – Part Two – A Wonderful Idea For Your Church

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

This is the second part of a three part series with Jamie Medeiros, an artist whose parish is in Tiverton, Rhode Island, and Deacon Tom Lambert, a Permanent Deacon within the Diocese of Chicago, and whose parish is Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Chicago, Illinois. Please be sure to read Part One of this two part interview in order to obtain a complete understanding of what the Lambert/Medeiros model of prayer and the creation of art is trying to accomplish. It is a model easily applicable to any Christian parish, within any Christian denomination, in the world. The Interview: … Continue reading ORO et CREO: I Pray – I Create – Part Two – A Wonderful Idea For Your Church

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ORO et CREO: “I Pray – I Create” – Part One

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Soon after an article appeared in our Diocesan newspaper (The Rhode Island Catholic) in June 2011 on the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts, I spoke on the phone with a talented artist by the name of Jamie Medeiros. We talked about the mission and goals of the Fra Angelico Institute and then she explained to me the mission of a group that she started at her parish in Tiverton, RI. Her group’s name is Oro et Creo (I Pray – I Create). I was fascinated by her description since it clearly was another example of the Holy Spirit’s … Continue reading ORO et CREO: “I Pray – I Create” – Part One

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Holy Saturday Meditation: Something Strange Is Happening

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

“Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on the earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear. He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone … Continue reading Holy Saturday Meditation: Something Strange Is Happening

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Good Friday Meditations

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

It was about nine in the morning when they nailed Jesus to the cross. From noon until three o’clock there was darkness over the whole world. At three o’clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? It is finished. When we were His enemies, God reconciled us to Himself by the death of His Son. Realize that you were delivered from the futile way of life your fathers handed on to you, not by any diminishable sum of silver or gold, but by Christ’s blood beyond all price: the blood of … Continue reading Good Friday Meditations

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The Artist As Contemplative – Part 4 – A Meditation on the Scourging of Christ

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

In this series on the Artist As Contemplative it is my hope that you are exposed to some different techniques that may assist you in your prayer relationship with Our Lord. The last post in this series specifically mentioned that we do not need to use many words during prayer. This may be uncomfortable for us at first since we have developed into a species that appears to constantly need some type of noise, talk, music, or in some cases, cacophony going on inside our mind. I am not a social psychologist so I will not venture a reason for … Continue reading The Artist As Contemplative – Part 4 – A Meditation on the Scourging of Christ

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The Artist As Contemplative – Part 3 – Prayer Tips

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today, we are asking our good friend, St. Teresa of Avila to help us in the process of thinking clearly about prayer.  She is a worthy mentor – for she cuts to the heart of the matter in a practical and meaningful way. In her Book of Foundations, she makes many important observations that will help us become more focused on what we are doing in prayer. This focus will in turn help us with our artistic creativity. A few examples of her perceptive thoughts: “The first thing I wish to discuss, as far as my limited understanding will allow, … Continue reading The Artist As Contemplative – Part 3 – Prayer Tips

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The Artist As Contemplative: Part 2: A Simple Step Into Prayer By St. Teresa of Avila

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

In our last post, The Artist as Contemplative – Part 1: The Proper Approach, we discussed the need to have the proper approach to prayer. One of the assumptions that I have is that if you are reading these posts you are a creative person. You may be an actual working artist, or, you may be attracted to art in one of the various forms it takes and are considering taking the first step in its exploration. Even if you are just beginning to explore a specific art form it is important for you to consider yourself an artist. This is … Continue reading The Artist As Contemplative: Part 2: A Simple Step Into Prayer By St. Teresa of Avila

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Making Room In Your Heart for God, Prayer, and Creativity

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

The Gospel of St Mark, chapter 9: 14-29, challenges us to ask ourselves the question “How does the effective disciple of Jesus live his or her life?” Clearly the ineffectiveness of Jesus’ disciples in doing His work is evidenced when the father of the possessed boy complains to Jesus that His disciples were unable to help his son, and even questions the power of Jesus to intervene on his son’s behalf. Jesus responds with disappointment tinged with anger over the actions of some of His disciples; people who took it upon themselves to act in Jesus’ name but were not … Continue reading Making Room In Your Heart for God, Prayer, and Creativity

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The Joy Filled Christian – A Sermon on Survival in the Face of Tribulation

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today is Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means “Rejoice!” The Church has us  visualize this by the rose colored candle in the Advent wreath and the rose colored vestments. Gaudete Sunday appears at the midpoint of the Advent season, and we pause to rejoice and reflect on the marvelous work of God and His plan of salvation for us. Our readings show us Isaiah speaking of the splendid work of God – – St. Paul telling us to “give thanks and rejoice always,” not just in good times, but in all circumstances, and our Gospel describes St. John the Baptist testifying that the Light of … Continue reading The Joy Filled Christian – A Sermon on Survival in the Face of Tribulation