Out of Sight--Out of Mind--Out of Heart...Loss of Iconic Spirituality

 
Today, rare are the Catholics who maintain ample, visible signs of the Faith such as crucifixes over bedroom doors, an image of the Sacred Heart in the family room,  and a Rosary post by an open prayer space.  They shy from rebuke of their home displays, from not only non-Catholics, but baptized members within their circle of friends and family.  

 
The Catacombed Heart

 
Recently I heard of a senior woman scorched for simply reciting her Rosary.  She had already refrained from displaying any Catholic images within the house she shared with family, but then felt compelled to pray aloud outdoors.   In another situation, a close family friend admitted discomfort over an image in the guest bedroom.  I assure readers that it was a most inviting one that should have actually consoled the guest.  Though taken back, the hostess removed the image for the duration of the visit.   

Whether occasional acquiescing is appropriate is a subject for a different article, but, nonetheless, not so easily answered given the many mixed-faith families and friendships, often already strained, and whereby financial circumstances dictate co-habitation.  However, there can be no doubt that too many Catholics over the past three generations have almost eagerly conceded the high ground—literally—with respect to tactile and sensory impressions of our true heavenly home.  

 
In the beginning…

 
The earliest Christians developed pictures, carvings, statues, and other representations to maintain a reminder of God and those ethereal persons most precious to them.  Historians attribute four icons of Mary to St. Luke who has been esteemed as the original iconographer.  The proliferation of such was astounding and edifying.  

 
However, by the seventh century, iconoclasm threatened to extinguish any physical interpretation or depiction of God and holy ones.  Inspired sculptures and art that brought people to their knees in awe were still frequently deemed, at best, distractions, and at worst,  leading to idolatrous or blasphemous behavior.  Even the Second Council of Nicea failed to completely quell this heresy and future attacks on icons.  Then the Reformation evolved into Protestantism that still bemoans the multiple visual variations of Jesus Christ, the veneration of Saints, in cards and statues, and most notably, what they consider to be a disproportionate emphasis on Jesus’ mother.  

 
And so the struggle persists gushing and ebbing, but, overall proving the maxim:  Out of sight; out of mind; out of heart.

 
In Our Time…

 
Much can be accomplished though to re-establish sacred space, and signs of hope abound.  Yet, this must be accompanied by sound teaching.  Careful study of Scripture, the early Church (Fathers and Doctors), and later holy biographies could lead skeptics to understand not just the acceptability of these spiritual expressions but cherishing them.  

 
As Protestants lean on the Bible almost exclusively, pew Catholic evangelists can brush up and help lead them to truth on this matter.  Many seem to ignore, at best,  the Real Presence of Jesus, not just in the Eucharist but as evidenced in and between the Resurrection and Ascension.  The Shroud of Turin has been increasingly acknowledged as genuine and imaging the “moment” of Resurrection.  Afterwards Jesus appeared to his disciples several times.  He cooked and ate with them.  He admonished Thomas to touch his wounds.  While Jesus entered the upper room in a supernatural manner, he stood before them, fully physically.

Bottom line, Jesus Christ, a real person stood before them, albeit true God, as well as true man.  As history’s most extraordinary figure,  how could he not become an artist’s subject though unattainable by our earthbound senses.  (More on that in a moment.). Almost irresistible is the natural response to recreate those moments of his presence, to embrace the reality and mystery of what occurred and hold on to the memories of all  wonderful holy ones.  Love requires expression!

 
Acknowledging the imperfect… 

 
Though our efforts, even by the most gifted artisans will fall short of the actual image of the Divine or sainted, certainly no offense is intended.  Perhaps thinking about it a bit differently would help.  Have you ever received a child’s drawn “portrait” of you?  Maybe it was from a son or daughter, a student, or child of a friend or relative.  How did you respond?  Most likely, you gushed about the artistic ability of the young person and thanked him or her profusely.  Maybe you attached it to the refrigerator door to show off to visitors.

 
Did it look anything like you?  Most assuredly not.  Unless your child artist is a creative genius, the crayon drawing likely showed enlarged heads, with curly hair, funny faces, and stick arms and legs. Yet, you were thrilled that little ones earnestly wanted to re-create you in art.   The fact is that parents are an essential image in their children’s intellect, memory, and imagination even if they cannot well transpose that actual appearance to paper.  

 
(In like manner, only metaphorically speaking, Jesus Christ promptly affixes our well intended icon images to heaven’s refrigerator door.)

An Example of Perfect Love:  Drawing Us to Draw His Perfect Grace 
My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.(2 Corinthians 12:9)

 
One of the most impactful images emerged in the early 20th Century when Our Lord Jesus Christ communicated to then Sister Faustina the mission to produce the Divine Mercy depiction of himself with two rays (Precious Blood and Water) emanating from his Sacred Heart.  She met doubt, fainthearted misinterpretation of that inner voice, discouragement, and outright delay and rejection.  Always, Jesus assured her that all was occurring according to his will and to persevere.

 
Furthermore, it was also later evidenced after exhaustive investigation that Jesus Christ  contextualized the image with respect to his divine will for its existence, reproduction and dissemination throughout the world.  Sister Faustina was his instrument. 

 
What the vast majority of the world may not know is that it in her mere humanity, St. Faustina very much desired the actual image of Jesus Christ, as He revealed Himself to her through visitations. Most importantly she thought that this is what He desired, and she worked with the artist in that hope that the world would see the real Jesus. 

 
St. Faustina was crestfallen by the final depiction. After many trials and suffering related to the image, when it was at last presented, St. Faustina wept and lamented to Jesus Christ, “Who will paint you as you really are?” (Diary 313).  In response to her disappointment, St. Faustina heard the words of Jesus, “Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush, lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace.”   

 
If only all Christians would contemplate these words and wisdom when viewing the treasures and prayer instruments of the Church.  “Grace” appears hundreds of times in the Bible, threading through both the Old and New Testament because Agape is the central communication of God’s relationship with us. 

 
In all conscientiously produced imagery of the Divine, it is “not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush”—one could add “nor the stroke of the chisel”— but that all such inspired works are created by God’s grace to convey Perfect Love.

The distinction, then,  that should inform and benefit wary Catholics and Protestants, is that, like children, we will imagine God but always fail to wholly capture his wondrous beauty.  That is never the point, though, but we will ever seek to develop those love “notes.”  Too, God wills for us to remember Him and his entourage in Heaven. All authentic creativity underscores this truth.  Moreover, this extends to his Mother Mary (our mother), St. Joseph,  and all the saints who followed.

 
Our homes should robustly reflect goodness, truth, and beauty, reminding us of God’s ever presence and to emulate his faithful disciples throughout the day,  prompting us to prayer and fostering learning and understanding more, daily.