The Virgin Adoring the Host by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1852. In The Virgin Adoring the Host, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres places Saint Helena to the left of Mary and King Louis IX to the right. Tradition holds that Saint Helena, the mother of the emperor Constantine, discovered the True Cross and the nails of the Crucifixion, and later prompted her son to build basilicas throughout the Holy Land. King Louis IX was similarly known for his piety and devotion. He commiss

The Supper at Emmaus by Matthias Stom; ca. 1633-1639 Doubt, division, and distortion are among the various words often used to describe the journey of the two disciples whom Jesus met as they were on their way to Emmaus. In the Gospel of Luke, we read that the two were conversing and debating. Doubt often brings about a sense of division. At times, doubt creates an internal division between our mind and heart. The internal division we experience can further cause external div

The Holy Family at Table, 17th century, made in Spain While the painting of the Holy Family at Table is a vivid representation of the importance of the family as the basic cell of society, here, we also receive a profound invitation: to heal our family wounds, which shed light on our identity. Jesus, who sits at the center, invites us to enter into the brokenness of our family. A subtle detail reveals this invitation: the uncovered bread placed before Jesus. While the loaves

Icon of St. Philip the Apostle by Cecilia Lawrence. Website: deviantart.com In a previous reflection, I mentioned that Cecilia Lawrence wrote an icon of our congregation's founder. Here, she depicts St. Philip the Apostle holding a basket of loaves and fish, the book of the Gospels, and a cross -- the instrument of his martyrdom. These objects embody Philip’s journey from being shown who God is to knowing who God is. In John 14:7, during the Last Supper, Jesus says, “If you k

In this portrait, Sr. Yen Van Nguyen captures Christ's countenance turned toward the viewer with a piercing and profound gaze. His eyes reveal a twofold interior emptiness: his self-emptying love and the emptiness he experiences by our absence. The first emptiness portrayed in Jesus’ eyes depicts the mystery of kenosis – Christ's profound desire to empty himself out of love for us. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul states, “though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did n

https://theabbotscircle.com/lp/story In the Gospel for the second week of Lent, we find Jesus taking Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. We hear that Jesus’ “face shone like the sun” and a voice saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” These words and imagery remind me of a hidden gem located amidst the Southern California mountains, St. Michael’s Abbey. The Abbey, located in Orange County, was recently built due to an increase in g

Antonio Ciseri's Sacred Heart painting. In The Spirit of the Liturgy, Benedict XVI states, “Through the appearance of the beautiful we are wounded in our innermost being, and that wound grips us and takes us beyond ourselves; it stirs longing into flight and moves us toward the truly Beautiful, to the Good in itself.” (pg. 126) Antonio Ciseri’s depiction of Jesus revealing His Sacred Heart to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque reminds us that when we encounter true beauty, it doesn

Caption: Images and facts of Jim Quillen displayed at Alcatraz. “Before man are life and death, good and evil" (Sirach 15:17). These words reminded me of the “artwork” displayed at Alcatraz. The artwork displayed towards the end of the prison tour is not exactly in the style of the great Renaissance or Baroque period. Rather, it is the artwork of God in the life of prisoner Jim Quillen. The display at Alcatraz explains that, due to his difficult childhood, Jim Quillen became

Icon of Bishop Lambert created by Cecilia Lawrence for LHC-LA. Our congregation, the Lovers of the Holy Cross of Los Angeles, commissioned Cecilia Lawrence to create an icon of our founder, Bishop Pierre Lambert de la Motte, a 17th-century French Bishop. To break with the patronage system, which had bound missionaries to a particular country, the Holy See sent him as the first Apostolic Vicar to the Far East to evangelize. The crucifix, which he holds in one hand, and the b

The second reading for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time , 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, reminds me of a reflection given by Erin Obrien on The Chair of Hope. I came across the chair and her reflection as I strolled through the Spanish Village Art Center at San Diego’s Balboa Park. In her reflection, she explains that the “battered chair was abandoned”. After seeing it for some days, she decided “to pour love and attention into the chair.” As I read her words, I thought about how G

Luca Giordano, Painting, 1690 Matthew 4:12-23 always reminds me of the moment I felt called to religious life. As the song, "Pescador de Hombres", or, "Lord, You Have Come", by Fr. Cesareo Gabarain, played during communion, I remember looking up at the Crucifix and feeling called by Christ Crucified to follow Him. Although I was only ten years old when I felt the call, I did not understand what that would mean for my parents, my family, or me. Years later, in speaking to my f

Artist: Sr. Yen Van Nguyen, LHC-LA Each person is like a chapel filled with stained glass windows. It is most beautiful when sunlight pierces through the glass. One cannot fully see the beauty of the windows or the chapel unless one enters inside; from the outside, there is only a partial glimpse at certain times of the day. Likewise, the soul of each person can be fully seen and appreciated only by God and by the individual themselves. No one can completely grasp the beauty