ORIGINAL CHRISTIAN OIL PAINTINGS

Interpretation of the painting: This painting is correctly viewed from the view point that I have spiritually died to this world and am born again to a new reality, which is a life in Jesus Christ. The painting is a considered prayerful response to the disciples’ request that Jesus (Our Lord) teach them to pray.

​

Background: I have always pondered this question. Why did the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray?  When I was growing up I used to ask leaders in our Church and friends how to pray. The response would always be: there is no particular way of praying but just talk to Jesus as you would a friend. Jesus, however, responded differently. He taught them the ‘Our Father’ also known as the Lords’ Prayer. Others were quick to point out that the Holy Mass is a prayer. But this was the whole point we know different prayers but do we know how to pray? So what was I to make of this? The Lords’ prayer is a wonderfully structured prayer and has been studied in every age. I am not going to regurgitate these studies but instead I am going to give you a prayerful observation and experience that taught me how to pray.

​

The journey: My first response was to go to God in prayer and ask him to reveal to me what prayer really is. How did I know a person was prayerful? So in my daily activities I looked about me and observed others. There were all sorts of people hurrying about. Some calm others busy. I then looked at the monks, nuns and priests. I saw the same thing. Some busy others calm.

But as I spoke to people about there prayer life I soon realised that some loved to pray, whilst others saw it as a task that needed to be done and was very tiresome and draining.

When I spoke a little more in-depth with others I found that the people who were calm were the ones who loved prayers like the rosary, psalms, going to Mass and the reading of scripture on a daily and regular basis. They always seemed to look forward to spending time with God and meditating upon his word. I was very fortunate in my search as I have a wife who is one of those people who love to pray. So I asked her what she finds so uplifting about prayer. Her answer was so simple.

She said: In spending time with God I give all my troubles to him and he gives all his love to me. I feel so loved and at peace with him that I just love to be in his presence and I can’t wait to just to sit quietly with him. He loves me and gives me peace.

 

The meaning of the painting: This painting is not hard to interpret. It is a woman praying the rosary. But she is not only praying the rosary, she has her eyes focused on God. His light is illuminating her and holding her gaze. She is at peace. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray ‘thy will be done’. This is a total abandonment to God. God desires us to give ourselves totally to him. A complete trust that he will care for us and never gives us more than we can bear. So in this image I try to impart a complete abandonment of self and allowing oneself to be completely given to the presence of God. It is only by continual prayer that we can achieve this transforming peace that comes from prayer. So prayer is us focussing our entire being on his word. It is reading of scripture, meditating on the gospels (like in the rosary) and just simply spending time with only him and allowing him to talk to us through scripture where he is the focus and not man or actions. Praying to God is, loving God and allowing him to love you in return.