Tag: Jesus Christ

Art, Catholic Art, Catholicism, Christianity, Culture, Easter, Good Friday, Gospel Reflections, Gospel Teachings, Gospels of Jesus Christ, Holy Saturday, Holy Triduum, Holy Triduum, The Holy Triduum, Jerusalem, The Way of the Cross, Iconography, Icons, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, Religion, Religious Art, Religious Education, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, Sacred Art, Sacred Iconography, Sacred ImagesLeave a comment

Holy Triduum: A Video Pilgrimage to Jerusalem

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

This is a magnificent 30 minute overview of the places in Jerusalem in which Our Lord spent His last hours.  Please share with your families and others who would benefit from it. It is beautifully presented without the poor production values of other similar attempts.  This production was filmed, edited, and narrated by members of the Augustine Institute in Colorado.. Thanks. May you and your loved ones be blessed by Our Lord Jesus Christ and have a Holy and Blessed Easter season. https://watch.formed.org/holy-thursday/videos/triduum Continue reading Holy Triduum: A Video Pilgrimage to Jerusalem

Carmelites, Catholic Spirituality, Jesus Christ, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism2 Comments

St. Thérèse of Lisieux – “The Little Way” to Jesus Christ

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (of Lisieux) died, a victim of tuberculosis, at the age of 24 on September 30, 1897. Every year her Memorial is celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church on October 1st.  She was later named a Doctor of the Church because of her extraordinary spiritual insights and witness to God’s love for us. Those drawn to her life and spiritual perceptions desire to know the basics of her “Little Way” to union with Jesus. Many desire to understand her procedure to “the arms of Jesus’” love before they read her short autobiography entitled The Story … Continue reading St. Thérèse of Lisieux – “The Little Way” to Jesus Christ

Apologetics, Art, Beauty, Bible, Catholic, Catholic Art, Catholic Education, Catholic Spirituality, Catholicism, Christian Faith, Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Church History, Communication, Culture, discipleship, Easter, Evangelization, Faith, God, God the Father, Gospel Teachings, Gospels of Jesus Christ, History, Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, Hope, Icons, Jesus Christ, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Orthodox Art, Religion, Religious Art, Religious Education, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, Russian Orthodox, Sacred Art, Sacred Iconography, Scriptures, Spirituality, St. Andrei Rublev, Teaching, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Holy Trinity – Communication Through Word and Art

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Is communication just a trait of human beings? Is it a trait of God? The Dogma of the Holy Trinity is one of the great Mysteries of the Christian Faith.  All Christians acknowledge and accept that The One True God, the divine Holy Trinity, are three separate and distinct Persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity is not three separate Gods. They are one God in three Divine Persons. This is known as the dogma of the “consubstantial” Trinity: each of the three Persons is God – completely and entirely. These ideas were debated and verified by … Continue reading The Holy Trinity – Communication Through Word and Art

Art, Art Education, Artists, Beauty, Catholic, Catholic Art, Catholic Education, Christianity, Culture, Education, Evangelization, Faith, Iconography, New Evangelization, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Orthodox Art, Religion, Religious Art, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, Sacred Art, Sacred Iconography, Sacred Images, SpiritualityLeave a comment

Christian Witness and Sacred Art – The Early Church Fathers – Part 7

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

A Challenge: Are you as a Christian artist willing to internalize the message of the saint, scene, or Scripture passage you are artistically representing, and then, correctly portray it according to Church tradition? Sacred artists must have more than just an awarenesses of Jesus, His Mother, angels and  saints because their witness provides us with the foundation stones of our Faith. Sacred artists must be more than artists who propose “Art for art’s sake”. If we do this what do we become? We become evangelists to the truth, goodness, and beauty of God, through the witness of Jesus Christ and … Continue reading Christian Witness and Sacred Art – The Early Church Fathers – Part 7

Art, Artists, Catholic Art, Christianity, Iconography, Icons, Jesus Christ, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art, Sacred Iconography, Sacred Images, Uncategorized2 Comments

Jesus Our Savior – An Image that is a Work in Progress

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

I have the happy service of presenting a new workshop to interested adults from Massachusetts and Rhode Island beginning on Saturday February 14th, 2015. In an attempt to give everyone individual attention the class is currently filled at a limit of ten people. We will be pursuing our studies of painting sacred images in the Latin iconographic tradition. I hope to make the artists aware of the importance of studying the Latin and Byzantine origins of sacred images and its inevitable blossoming within the Greek and Russian civilizations. The workshop will run over a five-week period, for a total of … Continue reading Jesus Our Savior – An Image that is a Work in Progress

Catholicism, Christianity, Gospel Reflections, Gospel Teachings, Gospels of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholic Beliefs, Roman CatholicismLeave a comment

The Gospel of John 1:35-42 – An Invitation to Follow Jesus

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

In our Gospel today we hear John the Baptist proclaim “Behold the Lamb of God.” We see in our mind’s eye, Andrew and another disciple, probably St. John, listening to the Baptist say those words. Immediately after Jesus walks by they look at one another and, without saying a word, begin to follow Jesus. Jesus, sensing their presence, turns and seeing them says, “What are you looking for?” They say: “Rabbi where do you live?” They didn’t presume to say, “Rabbi we want to be your companions – we want to learn from you.” Rather they instinctually knew that this … Continue reading The Gospel of John 1:35-42 – An Invitation to Follow Jesus

Art, Artists, Beauty built on Gospel Values, Catholic Art, Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Ivan Kramskoi, Jesus Christ, Religion, Religious Art, Russian Artists, Russian Orthodox, Sacred Art, Sacred Artists, Temptation and Sin5 Comments

Christ in the Wilderness, a Russian Artist, and a Challenge

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

In the late 19th century a Russian painter, the noted portraitist, draughtsman, and teacher Ivan Kramskoi painted a haunting image of Jesus alone in the desert. It is a painting which expresses the internal struggle of the flesh versus the spirit. It portrays Jesus, in the early morning hours and the cold air of the dawn, with the sun rising over His back. He is surrounded by small boulders and sits on a rock, hands in front of him, eyes filled with anguish and pain. This portrait of Christ in the desert is not one of victory; looking closely at His … Continue reading Christ in the Wilderness, a Russian Artist, and a Challenge

Art, Art Miniatures, Artists, Beauty, Catholicism, Christian Spirituality, Christian Unity, Christianity, Iconography, Orthodox Art, Orthodox Christianity, Orthodox Church, Religious Art, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Sacred Art, Sacred Iconography, Sacred Images, Wood carving13 Comments

Evgeny Baranov’s Miniature Icons and Rashid and Inessa Azbuhanov Icon Carvings

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

My sincere thanks to Jonathan Pageau at the Orthodox Arts Journal,  http://www.orthodoxartsjournal.org/, for permission to repost his wonderful presentation of the sacred icon miniatures of Russian artist Evgeny Baranov and the spectacular icon wood carvings by Rashid and Inessa Azbuhanov. We must take care when we paint/”write” large icons, yet, to complete an icon miniature or a wood carving, with such grace and spiritual truth, demands in my humble opinion, even more skill and patience! Enjoy, and be filled with astonishment! To see all of Baranov’s miniatures please visit their site:www.orthodoxartsjournal.org/miniature-icons-by-evgeny-baranov/ . To see the lovely icon wood carvings of the Asbuhanov’s please … Continue reading Evgeny Baranov’s Miniature Icons and Rashid and Inessa Azbuhanov Icon Carvings

Catholic Spirituality, Catholicism, Christianity, Conscience, Gospel Teachings, Gospels of Jesus Christ, Healing by Jesus Christ, Lent, Roman Catholic, Uncategorized4 Comments

The Meaning of Lent: Repentance and Renewal

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

The following is a homily that was delivered at St. Francis of Assisi Church and St. Romuald Chapel in Wakefield, Rhode Island USA by Deacon Paul O. Iacono on the weekend of the 5th Sunday of Lent –  March 16/17, 2013. Last week’s Gospel related the story of the prodigal son; this week the prodigal daughter stands before us. These two people start with dissent against authority and its commands. Their actions led to life altering, almost near death experiences. They end their self-destructive journey with a conversion that speaks to all repentant sinners of the availability of the astonishing … Continue reading The Meaning of Lent: Repentance and Renewal

Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Ethics, Gospel Reflections, Gospel Teachings, Greek Orthodox, Jesus Christ, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Orthodox Christianity, Popes, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Saints, Uncategorized1 Comment

Saints Pontian and Hippolytus and Our Call to Duty

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today we celebrate the martyrdom of Saint Pontian, who was the lawfully elected successor pope to St. Callistus during the early 3rd century. St. Pontian was considered a criminal by the emperor Maximinius and banished to the silver mines in Sardinia – an exile which meant certain death. We also celebrate today a saint by the name of Hippolytus, who was a priest in the Church of Rome at this same moment in time. Saint Hippolytus is recognized because of his brilliance and profound scholarship. He is considered to be one of the finest theologians of the 3rd century, and is the source … Continue reading Saints Pontian and Hippolytus and Our Call to Duty

Christianity, Gospel Reflections, Gospel Teachings, Jesus Christ, Roman Catholic, Sacred Iconography Guild, Sacred Images, Saints, UncategorizedLeave a comment

St. Peter Chrysologus’ Appeal By Christ To Be Transformed

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today is the memorial of Saint Peter Chrysologus. Peter was born in the late 4th century in northern Italy. In 424, after serving as a deacon and priest in Emilia, he became bishop of the Italian city of Ravenna. Little reliable information about St. Peter’s life survives, except that he successfully drove heresy and the remnants of Roman paganism from his diocese by doing two things: providing exceptional pastoral care to the people and by giving practical yet passionate sermons. St. Peter’s brief sermons were so inspiring that he was given the title “Chrysologus” which means “of golden speech.” He was declared a Doctor … Continue reading St. Peter Chrysologus’ Appeal By Christ To Be Transformed

Art, Artists, Beauty, Catholic Art, Christianity, Gospel Reflections, Iconography, Icons, Jesus Christ, Orthodox Art, Religious Art, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art, Sacred Iconography11 Comments

A Sacred Image – The Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

You are probably thinking, the poor old fellow has made a mistake in his spelling. Shouldn’t the title read “Son” of Justice? One evening a passage from Evening Prayer in the Divine Office caught my attention. It was the final prayer and it read: “Father, yours is the morning and yours is the evening. Let the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ, shine for ever in our hearts and draw us to that light where you live in radiant glory.” That phrase provided this image’s title: Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ. My intent was to have the image direct the prayerful observer … Continue reading A Sacred Image – The Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ

Art, Catholic Art, Christianity, Gospel Reflections, Jesus Christ, Roman Catholic, Sacred Artists, Spirituality, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Shaped By The Potter’s Hands

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

All of us struggle with the reality that the experiences of our life may harden our hearts and deafen our ears to God’s truth. We may be similar to the  disciples in this past Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 24: 35-48), who were filled with anxiety – until – – the moment “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” Jesus shows them the nail wounds in His hands and feet. He explains to them that the Scriptures teach that we cannot have glory and honor without the willingness to suffer and die to our own sinful will and perceptions. He teaches them … Continue reading Shaped By The Potter’s Hands

Art, Artists, Catholic Art, Christianity, Hope, Jesus Christ, Joy, Orthodox Art, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art5 Comments

Our Living Hope: The Tomb Cannot Hold Us

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants  – we are all an Easter people. For two thousand years we have – through faith in historical documents and human witness – been invited to believe in a divine act of revelation: the Easter resurrection of our Lord and Savior; for it is in that act that our God shows us who He truly is. We believe that the resurrection of Jesus is a historical and spiritual fact; and that the resurrection of Jesus not only explains the truth of His promises but it demonstrates what has been promised to us. On the first Easter … Continue reading Our Living Hope: The Tomb Cannot Hold Us

Art, Catholic Art, Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Jesus Christ, Meditation, Prayer, Religious Art, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art, Sacred Images, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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

Art, Catholic Art, Catholic Spirituality, Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Good Friday, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Prayer, Roman Catholic, Spirituality, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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

Art, Artists, Catholic Art, Christianity, Jesus Christ, Orthodox Art, Religious Art, Roman Catholic, Sacred Artists, Spirituality, Uncategorized2 Comments

What Does The Silence Of Christ Say To Us?

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

In the passage from the first Epistle of Peter known as the Canticle of Peter (1 Peter 2: 21-24) Peter describes Jesus’ acceptance of His passion. He explains: “Christ suffered for you, and left you an example to have you follow in His footsteps. He did no wrong; no deceit was found in His mouth. When He was insulted He returned no insult. When He was made to suffer, He did not counter with threats. Instead He delivered Himself up to the One who judges justly. In His own body He brought your sins to the cross, so that all … Continue reading What Does The Silence Of Christ Say To Us?

Art, Artists, Beauty, Catholic Art, Catholicism, Jesus Christ, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art, Sacred Artists1 Comment

Whose Star Do We Follow?

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

St. Thomas, in his Summa Theologiae, has a wonderful meditation on today’s Solemnity of the Epiphany. He says that “Salvation was to be through Christ and apply to all sorts and conditions of men because in Christ Jesus there cannot be Greek or Jew, slave and free man. In order that this should be foreshadowed in Christ’s birth, he was made known to men and women of all conditions, because as St. Augustine says, the shepherds were Israelites, the Magi were Gentiles, the first were near, the latter from afar: both hastened to Christ the cornerstone…. The Magi were wise … Continue reading Whose Star Do We Follow?

Catholic Art, Iconography, Jesus Christ, Mary, Orthodox Art, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art Guild, Sacred Images, The Blessed Virgin Mary1 Comment

The Triumph of the Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows by Jed Gibbons

Deacon Paul O. Iacono

Today we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation – or Triumph – of the Holy Cross. The early Catholic Church was intensely persecuted during the first 280 years of its life – so the symbol of the Cross – the symbol of public humiliation and excruciating death – was rarely used in our Christian iconography. But this doesn’t mean that the early Christians were reluctant to express their devotion to the Cross. Writing in the year 204, the Christian theologian Tertullian said: “At every going in and out, when we put on our clothes, when we sit at table, in … Continue reading The Triumph of the Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows by Jed Gibbons