Introduction

This mural was painted in the second half of 2006.
• The old mural was composed as a jigsaw puzzle pattern, with a Cross in the centre and the youth fill in each individual "piece".
• The youth were asked what symbols and elements they would like to have in the new mural.
• Josh H. composed the design based on the youth's thoughts and comments.
• This mural is based on a typical stain-glass symmetrical structure.
• The most obvious elements are Our Lord Jesus Christ in the centre and the Dove intertwined with the Cross descending from the top.

Click here to download notes (pdf).

Water

• The Sacrament of Baptism is the first thing which comes to mind. The outpouring of water and blood from the Right Side of Jesus after piercing of the lance points to this.
• Life-giving Water.

John 4:13-15 (Douay-Rheims)
13 Jesus answered, and said to her: Whosoever drinketh of this water, shall thirst again; but he that shall drink of the water that I will give him, shall not thirst for ever: 14 But the water that I will give him, shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into life everlasting. 15 The woman saith to him: Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw.

Apocalypse 22:16-17 (Douay-Rheims)
16 I Jesus have sent my angel, to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and stock of David, the bright and morning star. 17 And the spirit and the bride say: Come. And he that heareth, let him say: Come. And he that thirsteth, let him come: and he that will, let him take the water of life, freely.

• Other references to water as a source of nourishment/life:

Psalm 45:5 (Douay-Rheims)
5 The stream of the river maketh the city of God joyful: the most High hath sanctified his own tabernacle.

Proverbs 18:4 (Douay-Rheims)
4 Words from the mouth of a men are as deep water: and the fountain of wisdom as an overflowing stream.

Apocalypse 22:1-2 (Douay-Rheims)
1 And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street thereof, and on both sides of the river, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruits every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

• Other references to water include Genesis 1:2, "the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (NIV).

Tree

• With water, it naturally and logically connects to a that which needs water to live and grow.
• Various species of trees (and other plant life for that matter) have different meanings.
• The Vine, for example, is used to represent the Church (the Mystical Body of Christ).
• Tree can also symbolize growth and maturity and character.
• Christian Love (Charity) which reaches out can also be symbolized by a large tree.
• The Tree is an extension and/or an allusion to the wood of the Cross, obviously an instrument to the Passion.
• The Tree were meant to have fruits painted as well. Below are some references and uses of the tree and its fruit:

Matthew 12:33 (Douay-Rheims)
33 Either make the tree good and its fruit good: or make the tree evil, and its fruit evil. For by the fruit the tree is known.

John 15:1-5 (Douay-Rheims)
1 I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now you are clean by reason of the word, which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine: you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.

• Another obvious reference to the Tree is the Tree Of Life versus the Tree Of The Knowledge Of Good & Evil (also known as the Tree Of Death). According to some mystics, the Tree Of Life is the Soul of Christ.

Apocalypse 22:1-2, 13-14 (Douay-Rheims)
1 And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street thereof, and on both sides of the river, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruits every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. 14 Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb: that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.

Rainbow

• The first image which comes to mind is often God's covenant to Noah after The Flood.

Genesis 9:11-15 (Douay-Rheims)
11 I will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh shall be no more destroyed with the waters of a flood, neither shall there be from henceforth a flood to waste the earth. 12 And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I give between me and you, and to every living soul that is with you, for perpetual generations. 13 I will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of a covenant between me, and between the earth. 14 And when I shall cover the sky with clouds, my bow shall appear in the clouds: 15 And I will remember my covenant with you, and with every living soul that beareth flesh: and there shall no more be waters of a flood to destroy all flesh.

• The Rainbow is a sign of God's Faithfulness, his promise and mercy towards Noah and family during the chastisement and His promise to never destroy the world by flood again. He did not say He would not use something else(!)
• The Rainbow can represent Christ's Glory and Final Universal Judgement. In certain pieces of art, the Rainbow with Christ can be seen in the clouds or above the throne.

Heart

• The Heart is obviously a physically vital organ, it pumps blood ("life") through the body.
• What else does the heart represent or remind us of? It is clearly connected to the emotional and spiritual aspect of life, symbolically and metaphorically. Love is perhaps the first thing that comes to mind.
• It is because of the love of Christ and the Mother of God that there are devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Why these devotions? Christ, out of love, suffered (physically and otherwise) for our salvation. As True God and True Man, it is not inappropriate to revere the Heart of Jesus in the material sense. However, his physical wounds, especially that one of the heart, is a material and sensible sign of His love. Thus, while there is a distinction between the Sacred Heart as a physical object and as a symbol of His love, the devotion is to both to His Heart (and to Him as a Person) and His love and one cannot be detached from another, much like the Hypostatic Union.

John 19:34-35 (Douay-Rheims)
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water. 35 And he that saw it, hath given testimony, and his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true; that you also may believe.

As for the Mother of God, the devotion to the Immaculate Heart is, as the name suggests, directly relates to the Virgin Mary and Her Immaculate Conception (which is another topic in itself). The most obvious reference from Scripture regarding the Immaculate Heart of Mary is Simeon's prophecy on the Virgin's own suffering at Her participation in the Passion.

Luke 2:34-35 (Douay-Rheims)
34 And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; 35 And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.

Fire

• Fire is mostly associated to the Pentecost.

Acts 2:1-4 (Douay-Rheims)
1 And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.

Matthew 3:11 (Douay-Rheims)
11 I indeed baptize you in the water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire.

Luke 24:29-32 (Douay-Rheims)
29 But they constrained him; saying: Stay with us, because it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent. And he went in with them. 30 And it came to pass, whilst he was at table with them, he took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him: and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to the other: Was not our heart burning within us, whilst he spoke in this way, and opened to us the scriptures?

• Fire represent the power of the Holy Spirit, purging, cleansing, refining.

1 Peter 1:6-9 (Douay-Rheims) 6 Wherein you shall greatly rejoice, if now you must be for a little time made sorrowful in divers temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith (much more precious than gold which is tried by the fire) may be found unto praise and glory and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, you love: in whom also now, though you see him not, you believe: and believing shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorified; 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

• Religious zeal and religious fervor. In some art, fire accompanies the Dove and/or the Saint portrayed.
• Last but not least, fire is used to describe Hell or the torments of Hell. There are many references in the Gospels, probably more than most other subjects. (Please feel free to verify that and comment.) Below are just a few:

Matthew 3:10 (Douay-Rheims)
10 For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.

Matthew 13:49-50 (Douay-Rheims)
49 So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall go out, and shall separate the wicked from among the just. 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Apocalypse 20:15 (Douay-Rheims)
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the pool of fire.

Dove

• The Dove represents the Holy Spirit, in this case, descending from Heaven. Rays of light shining down from Heaven are also shown.

Matthew 3:16 (Douay-Rheims)
16 And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him. 17 And behold a voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Mark 1:10 (Douay-Rheims)
10 And forthwith coming up out of he water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit as a dove descending, and remaining on him.

Luke 3:22 (Douay-Rheims)
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, as a dove upon him; and a voice came from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

John 1:32 (Douay-Rheims)
32 And John gave testimony, saying: I saw the Spirit coming down, as a dove from heaven, and he remained upon him.

• The Dove, especially when shown in series of seven, represents the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2-3): Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord.
• In Genesis 8, Noah sends a dove as a test. This usually represents hope and peace.
• Martyrdom, where the Holy Spirit sustains those who are undergoing trials.
• The hope of the Resurrection.
• A Dove in flight represents the Ascension of Christ or even the elevation of Saints and Martyrs.

Psalm 123:6-8 (Douay-Rheims) [Psalm 123:6-8 (NIV)]
6 Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us to be a prey to their teeth. 7 Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the followers. The snare is broken, and we are delivered. 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

• The history of the use of the Dove is uncertain but there are references to the use of the Dove on sacred vessels as early as the 3rd century, possibly the 2nd century.

People

• People who are Christians are part of the Church, also known as the Mystical Body of Christ.
• It is difficult to represent Christians as people in visual arts. So the most simple (albeit corny) approach was taken: drawing figures holding hands to give a sense of community and unity under Christ. This is depicted very literally. This is not meant to be interpreted as support for humanism.
• With regards to unity: How is unity and oneness achieved? Or to put it differently, what should unity be based on? In Truth or something else?
• And of course, Prayer is a significant part of the Christian life, individually and as a community where there is a multiplication of graces to each individual in group prayers.

Matthew 18:19-20 (Douay-Rheims)
19 Again I say to you, that if two of you shall consent upon earth, concerning any thing whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to them by my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Christ The Pantokrator

• The image of Christ is taken from a Byzantine icon "Christ The Pantokrator".
• "Christ the Pantokrator" can be translated as Christ the "Almighty" or "Ruler" or "Judge Of All Things".
• Icon (εἰκών) is derived from Greek, meaning "image".
• Despite the first two Commandments and the all the dispute through the ages (such as the Iconoclastic eras between 730 to 843), the veneration of images is defended and encouraged. This is justified by the Incarnation itself, that the Invisible God became flesh and thus very much visible.

Philippians 2:7 (Douay-Rheims)
6 Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. 8 He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.

• Icons are abstract art and in that sense, hold more information and theology than a drawing.
• Icons are meant to hold theological and scriptural truths.
• Icons is an aid or a tool to Prayer, Devotion, Meditation and Contemplation.
• An icon is not so much a portrait but a "window" to Eternity where Christ (or the Mother of God or a Saint) is.
• In the Incarnation, God's Mercy is shown, becoming flesh to order to carry out his Salvific Mission.
• In iconography, Christ's look is merciful but simultaneously, His look is also uncompromising since His demands for commitment are absolute.
• Facial features are idealized, ears and eyes are enlarged, thus being aware of God's Will. The mouth is shut since the mouth is what gets people into trouble, spiritually or otherwise.
• Icons are 2-dimentional and the portrayal is usually frontal, the one shown is facing the viewer. In this case, Christ is also blessing us.
• Related to the previous point, there is a sense of presence of the one depicted in an icon. One prays through the icon and not to the icon. We venerate the one portrayed and not the image itself which is idolatry.
• Icons are supposed to be labelled with the name of the one portrayed. For Christ, it is usually a monogram, in this icon, IC XC (IHCOYC XPICTOC, literally "Jesus Christ"). Others are IHS and XP. IHS is also an abbreviation for Iesus Hominum Salvator, meaning "Jesus, Savior of men". A name is not only for the sake of identification but that the name has power, thus we can invoke the one depicted. To put it differently, and to use God as an example: what does the name of the LORD mean?

Exodus 34:5-7 (Douay-Rheims)
5 And when the Lord was come down in a cloud, Moses stood with him, calling upon the name of the Lord. 6 And when he passed before him, he said: O the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient and of much compassion, and true, 7 Who keepest mercy unto thousands: who takest away iniquity, and wickedness, and sin, and no man of himself is innocent before thee. Who renderest the iniquity of the fathers to the children, and to the grandchildren, unto the third and fourth generation.

• For the mural, we simply never got around to writing down IC XC.
• In this icon of Christ, the Book is opened. In some versions, it is closed. Some common verses used for when the Book is opened:

Matthew 11:28-29a (Douay-Rheims)
28 Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you. 29 Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me...

John 1:1 (Douay-Rheims)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 16:13 (Douay-Rheims)
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak; and the things that are to come, he shall show you.

 • For this mural, the verse is written in Greek:

John 14:6 (Douay-Rheims)
6 Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me.

Some general concluding thoughts...

What is good art? Or what should good art contain and achieve?
Is this purely judged by aesthetics?
Technique and style? Composition, color, tone, scale, shape and form.
Emotional impact? Is it moving?
Anything else?

Consider the following:
Is it consistent with Christian morals in its expression and message?
Does it move the viewer or point the viewer in the right direction (i.e. towards God and Christ)?
Does it imbue and drive the audience to repent, to strive for holiness and to living a virtuous life?
Does it enlighten the viewer with some truth (even if it is subtle and indirect)?