St. Francis lived in the Holy Spirit

St. Francis lived in the Holy Spirit

St. Francis lived in the Holy Spirit.

Indeed he was in love with life and all of God’s Creation.
Hence he brought the Light of Christ to a darkened world!

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St.Francis lived in the Holy Spirit
“St. Francis of Assisi” ceramic sculpture by A.Vonn Hartung, commissioned by Ramón Rivera and Julie A. Thomas

St. Francis lived in the Holy Spirit. In a Gothic arch, a sign of the times in which he lived, St. Francis stands among the fallen and broken timbers of the abandoned San Damiano Church, scattered building blocks at his feet and the Cross of Damiano above, surrounded by his beloved birds and animals: the doves, songbirds, the lamb and the wolf symbolizing peace and harmony… the wolf tamed and throating harmony to Francis’ melody played on his lute and sung as Prayer.

St. Francis lived in the Holy Spirit. As such, he stands robed in his tattered garment, shoulders and knees worn through by the Cross he bore and the prayers he prayed. Indeed, his exaggerated sized ear becomes a symbol of his heightened spiritual power of observation. Hence his sensitivity to the Beauty and needs of others which make up the whole of our Sacred Community.

Additionally, the beehive, symbolizes the sweetness and unity of the communities he brought about wherever he spread the word and deed of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

St. Francis lived in the Holy Spirit

St. Francis lived in the Holy Spirit. Hence he was in love with life and all of God’s Creation. Indeed, he like Jesus healed the sick, cleansed the unwashed and served the poor as symbolized by the washbowl and pitcher.

Above all, it was with this love in the Holy Spirit that he answered the call he heard to rebuild Christ’s church, indeed not only physically but spiritually through sacrifice together with love in the form of compassion, creativity and extremely hard but joyous work, as well as an awe-inspiring self denial by a former youth who was spoiled and self-indulgent. In fact it was a change so profound that it brought about an astonishing miracle of renewal to Christianity through Divine Intervention as seen by the Stigmata in his hands and feet.

Saint Francis of Assisi brought the Light of Christ to a darkened world!

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light; and
Where there is sadness, joy…
Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born
to eternal life.

Buy a giclee print of this ceramic sculpture

 

1 Response

  1. He tenido la oportunidad de ver mucho arte en mi vida, me gusta y lo aprecio; las obras de Vonn me son, particularmente, queridas pues me recuerda la ingeniosidad de los grandes maestros que eran osados en la utilizacion de la perspectiva, los colores y los símbolos. Los artistas son cronistas de su tiempo, en sus obras reflejan los elementos sociales y culturales de su entorno. Pienso en los retablos de muchas iglesias europeas en las que ilustran la Pasión de Nuestro Señor con soldados romanos vestidos como los milicianos de esa época en la que vivian los autores; pienso en las imagenes de san Pedro y san Pablo, en los primeros años del cristianismo en las catacumbas nadie los pintó y mucho menos los retrataron, sin embargo los artistas pintan a Pedro como a un senador y a Pablo como un filósofo…..esto era fruto de la reflexión de los artistas, del mensaje que querian transmitir.

    Podemos ver muchos artistas que se quedan en lo clásico, que no es malo, pero que es más cómodo pues siguen un patron del que fue ingenioso solo el primero que lo creó. Hay pocos osados, atrevidos que sepan crear su propio estilo pero alimentados, siempre, de la tradición artística. Esto es lo que le da valor, a mi entender, al trabajo de un artista.

    Este proyecto de san Francisco de Asis, aunque de pequeñas proporciones, presenta muchos elementos importantes que caracterizaron la vida del santo y que todavía estan presentes en la vida de la iglesia (por ejemplo, las vigas y escaleras que están representadas en los lados del santo pueden hacen alusión al sueño del Papa Inocencio III en el que veía como las columnas de la Iglesia se tambaleaban y estaba san Francisco tratando de sostenerlas, como tambien nos puede hacer pensar en los puentes que su testimonio han producido, ya sea con los pobres o en la evangelización. Podemos pensar en la alegría del anuncio y la vivencia del Evangelio cuando vemos al santo en la obra tocando un instrumento musical).

    En fin, ésta y todas sus obras encierran un cúmulo de reflexiones, de oración y de mensajes que te interpelan siempre que las aprecias y esto sí es arte; aquello que dice y te dice algo.

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