Participants share their experiences below
About
Over 75 prints of James Tissot, depicting Jesus and his ministry, are part of the public domain and are on display in the Narthex during the weekends of January. Each weekend parishioners from a particular Mass are invited to peruse the art show and borrow a work for the week and pray with it in their own home!
Each work is 10 inches by 14 inches, in a light-weight frame, labeled, and easy to transport.
What is the Goal of This Project?
Praying with imagery is a powerful (and often under-utilized tool) available to a Christian. We can each begin the new year with a new approach to the Lord’s efforts to speak to us.
Share your experience
If inclined, share with us at STM. Send an email to STMart@stmkc.com and tell us about your experience. (You can remain anonymous if you wish!) We’ll post shared experiences with the community.
How Do I Check Out a Print for the Week?
Volunteers will be in the Narthex at the select weekend Mass and will take down your name and contact info. That’s it! You’ll receive a reminder late in the week to return the work at the end of the week.
On Display and Available for Check Out
- January 6-7 at 4PM Mass
- January 13-14 at 7:30AM Mass
- January 20-21 at 9AM Mass
- January 27-28 at 11AM Mass
How Might I Pray With The Work?
- Set the painting in a place where you can comfortably gaze upon it.
- Ask the Lord to reveal: “Why was I led to this particular work?” Give yourself ample time. Linger….
- Be mindful of what arises within as you spend time with the image. Memories? Feelings? Particular People?
- Resist judging your “success or failure” in this experience, and instead keep inviting:Â “Lord, reveal what You want me to see, know, feel and recognize.”
- Conclude your time of prayer by thanking God for this time with Him, and for the ways in which Jesus continues to minister us.
What Then?
- Return to the image throughout the week to see if new insights and revelations occur.
- Share with others your experience and how the Lord spoke to you through the work. Did you receive a consolation or assurance? Was the Lord inviting you to take a step in an unexpected way? Were there memories, relationships or events that the image brought to your mind and, if so, how was Jesus using those to minister to you?
- If inclined, share with us at STM. Send an email to STMart@stmkc.com and tell us about your experience. (You can remain anonymous if you wish!) We’ll post shared experiences with the community.
- Make sure to return the work at the end of the week so more parishioners can benefit from it!
Cheryl Anderson
I pray daily for my two grandsons, ages 13 and 11, who are both in counseling, as well as for all children who are experiencing mental health issues. I knew the piece titled Suffer the little Children to Come Unto Me was the one I needed to guide my prayers. The people gathered around Jesus seem to be smiling while Jesus is bending over a small child, one hand on the top of the child’s head, the other resting on the cheek. I could feel the gentleness in that touch and the power of healing and through that image I could pray for the children. At Wednesday’s school mass, with that image of Jesus in my mind, as I looked around, I could envision the hands of Jesus on every child in the church. Truly a gift from St. Thomas More. Thank you Fr. Justin.
Susan Smith
The one that I had was based on the temptation of Jesus, Luke 4:4, and first, I will say that the painting itself gave me the creeps. I think that was intended. The devil was so massive. I was trying to figure out why he had the proportion of the devil so much greater than Jesus. Thinking and looking at Jesus’s situation, how absolutely weak he must’ve been having had no food and this being the third temptation, it took everything possible to reject the devil. Or maybe at that point he had the devils number so to speak and found it easier to reject him. I thought about that times in our lives we have to deny evil and how we actually sometimes hesitate, and and perhaps consider accepting the evil way. Jesus was so full of the Holy Spirit that I think it served as his armor and that is a lesson for all of us. But isn’t that what the Bible is all about? Isn’t that the reason we receive the Holy Eucharist? Isn’t that the reason we pray? We can’t afford to be in a situation where we are on the parapet and hesitate for one moment.
Rose Kotulic
When I first saw this picture, (039 Jesus Teaches the People by the Sea) I immediately thought that this is something I can do for Jesus: that I can share His love and the teachings of Jesus with those in my circle of influence as well as with those who the Lord brings into my daily path. I enjoyed contemplating this painting and believe it brought some new insights to my spirit.
Cathy Hair
Hello! I took the art piece # 27 - The Hemorrhaged Woman I brought it to my 4th grade classroom at Ascension Catholic School to share with my students. The first day i read the passage from the bible that went with this painting. I then had them look for what stood out to them and I had them write about it. I got many different answers. Many students noticed the people who saw the woman on the ground and the people who did not see her. We discussed how that may be like today . Some of us see those in need and some of us do not. Many of the children thought the person on the steps in white looked like an angel. They had many theories about why an angel would be there. On the 2nd day I asked the students to try to ak themselves what God is saying to them in this painting. One of the answers that touched my heart was -" Maybe we should be more like these people who want to be close to Jesus." The other answer that was a favorite was "- Maybe we should look for miracles more often in our lives" We decided as a class that we need to use Art for prayer again soon!
Georgia Auckly
The Calling of St. Matthew, 086 Tissot 1. Jesus calls Matthew, the tax collector. Jesus calls each one of us. 2. Matthew follows Jesus. We need to follow Jesus too. 3. Perhaps Matthew was unhappy with this job. Jesus knows his situation and saw the good in him. He sees the good in us also. An observation about the camels: There are many camels in this picture, two close ups of the heads of two of them lying down. They are so interesting looking. It made me think about God’s creatures and how varied, beautiful and delightful they are!