Art/ Heritage

O FISH! : ‘Miraculous Draught of Fish (es)’ by Raphael Sanzio da Urbino (1515)

 Out of the creative energy that exploded 16th century Renaissance was born Raphael Sanzio da Urbino. It is from his father that he learnt the art of painting and experienced intellectual court life in the native town of Italy. However the sudden demise of his father compelled him to enter into the workshop of Urbino’s leading contemporary artist Pietro Perugino. Raphael soon surpassed his master in skill and technique and joined Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo to form the ‘traditional trinity’ of the Renaissance. His impeccable work earned him the title ‘The Prince of Painters.’

This painting, in consideration dwells on the ‘Prince of Peace’.  The scene is set across Lake Gennesaret also known as the Lake of Galilee. As Jesus treads along its sandy shores, he spots the fisherman Peter amidst his daily grind. Jesus gets into his boat and preaches to the crowds. Next He invites Peter to sail beyond the shallow waters into the deep for a catch. At first the seasoned fisherman hesitates ‘for they had worked all night and had caught nothing.’ However later, Peter in his goodness, hearkens to the words of the peculiar preacher and the rest was history.

The nets were so full that they began to break, the boats were so full that they began to sink. It was an invasion of grace. Overwhelmed with wonder and filled with awe, Peter at once senses the Divine at work in His humble ark. Trembling, he falls to his knees and says “Leave me, Lord for I am a sinful man.”

Raphael captures this adorable moment with utmost integrity in his cartoon titled ‘Miraculous Draught of Fish (es)’. In 1515 Pope Leo X commissioned Raphael to design ten draperies intended to decorate the lower parts of the walls of the Sistine Chapel. Raphael thus created cartoons to be replicated on the wool and silk draperies which were manufactured in the workshop of Pieter van Aelst’s in Brussels. Seven cartoons survive till date and form a part of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

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Faith

Baaaad shepherds, baaaad sheep? Saturday, 4th week in ordinary time- Mk 6:30-34

Everything in Mark’s Gospel happens ‘immediately’ or ‘at once’ (eutheos in Greek). These words found in the Greek text of Mark’s Gospel appear forty times and gives us a sense of how fast paced Mark’s Gospel is and how urgent the ministry of Jesus was. A quick look at chapter six revels how much is happening and how quickly it does. Jesus is rejected in Nazareth after which he commissions his disciples to mission. Sadly at this time King Herod has John the Baptist executed. By the time we are done with chapter six, Jesus would have fed five thousand, walked on the water and healed the sick at Gennesaret.

It is in this hurried context that Jesus invites His apostles who have just come back from mission to rest a while. The Lord is no stranger to the joys of solitude in the wilderness. He had spent forty days in communion with His father before He began His mission and now He stresses the need for His followers to rest too. It is no wonder that he chooses a ‘deserted place’ for them to rest.

It is evident that the ministry of the twelve has been successful for they are followed by the masses who seek guidance from Jesus and the apostles. Scripture tells us that the twelve had “no leisure even to eat,” and they followed Jesus and the twelve on foot beating them to the other side of the lake of Galilee.

While the Lord recognizes the need for rest (as should all ministers who work) His heart melts with compassion as he sees the ‘great crowds’ who are like ‘sheep without a shepherd’. There are several things to ponder about here. If you notice, this text was preceded with the narrative of Herod’s execution of John the Baptist. Herod was the ‘shepherd’ over his people but he is too busy celebrating his birthday party with his “courtiers, officers and leaders of Galilee” if not executing a prophet. It is evident that the secular shepherds had failed the people.

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Opinion

Simple truth – You have a right to be loved.

The simple truth is this; you have put up too long with people in your life that just won’t make an effort to improve the relationship you share with them. The operative word is, ‘put up’ and perhaps you have ‘put up’ because you convinced yourself that even what you get you won’t receive if you demand more. Even worse, you have now come to believe that this is what your worth.

The truth is that we have surrounded ourselves with people who don’t respect who we are and who care little for our emotional needs while constantly demanding more for themselves. You don’t have to think hard for I am sure a name is just going to come up as you read this.

I am one of those people, who constantly put a lot into reaching out to others, relationships are important to me. For me, human touch and personal interactions are important. I constantly find myself making time for friends and loved ones often at the cost of my own needs. If I know that someone is in pain I will ensure that I reach out to them in some way or the other. I am sure that many of you who are reading this identify with me.

On the flip side I find myself enveloped by some people who constantly receive much and give very little. Their excuse, “this is who I am”! The truth is this is not who they are, for if motivated to their own needs and pleasures they will be up and running like a half crazed lover heading on his first date. Yet to those around them from whom they receive much their excuse is always, “this is who I am” or “accept me as I am.”

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Opinion

Simple truth – You can’t slow dance with the devil.  

Here is the simple truth; many people have a relationship of tolerance with sin! The fact of the matter is that this statement won’t set off any spiritual alarm bells because we have come to accept this reality.

I have picked my words well; we have a relationship of tolerance with sin! So the simple truth is that sin exists in our lives and sadly most of us think that our sin situation is not ‘so bad’. We think it is not an issue because it is not really harming us.

Let’s take the example of the sin of telling a lie. Note, I called it a sin because that is exactly what it is. But to most people telling a lie is OK and to assuage our conscience we classify them into ‘white lies’ and ‘coloured ones’. The rationale being, if it has not caused serious harm to anyone then why make a fuss about it?

Here in lies the first problem; you cannot be the perpetrator of the crime, the judge and the jury. It is not up to you to determine the hurt or pain that your ‘white lie’ has caused to the other. If we use such a justification, then all sin can be rationally wiped away as having a ‘good reason’.

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Opinion

Simple Truth- Are options opportunities for anxiety?

The truth is that we are spoilt for choices; people who don’t have choices treasures what they have and in reality end up being happy. Don’t confuse basic necessities for choices.  We all need bread to eat and that is a necessity; but when we begin to ask ourselves if we need a brown bread or whole wheat, plain bread or a baguette, brioche or a croissant, then we are spoilt for choice.

I grew up confusing brand names as generic terms and I think you might have done the same. Did you know that zipper and escalator were brand names? Growing up, a Cadbury for me was any sweet treat. So when I wanted something sweet I asked for a Cadbury and received nothing more than a boiled sweet or what is also called a hard candy. With this I was satisfied and my world could not have been better. Today I stand at the duty free store at the airport and can’t figure out where to begin.

While choices and options present us with a world of variety, we must become aware that options also become opportunities for anxiety. It is this unstated reality that really bothers me, for choices and options are paraded as positive values when in reality they are pseudo values.

Let me take this to a whole new dimension of relationships. While I don’t believe that marriage should be taken glibly and without due thought and consideration, I find it a bit off, to say the least, that so many young people continue to be dissatisfied with what they see in others, especially when it comes to marriage.

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