All Souls

The celebration of All Souls follows that of All Saints. Today thousands of people visit cemeteries to pay their last respects towards their loved ones. In my home country of Malta in particular, families decorate tombstones with flowers, candles and photos. These 2 photos show one of the old tombstones and an overview of a section of the cemetery, which, as you can see, is very crowded. The church today honors the canonized, the living and those suffering in purgatory, known better as the Triumphant Church, the Militant Church and the Suffering Church. 

Mother and son by Gregorio Zappala

Let us pray especially today for those who have left us this year, especially those closest to us, and the thousands killed in Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan and as a result of other tragedies and accidents. Eternal rest grant unto them o Lord, and may the perpetual light shine on them.

As I'm posting today, I realize that there have been 999,353 hits so far since I started this blog. So, sometime today, I will hit the one millionth hit. Congratulations to all visitors, and continue to visit daily for some food for thought, inspiration and something to reflect on.

All Saints

Johann König - All Saints

The church celebrates today the Solemnity of  All Saints.  This paintings shows Jesus presiding over a gathering of all those saints, known and unknown.  We recognize Jesus from other representations we have seen of him.  He is Christ of the fair skin, bearded, long haired, cloaked in the red that is a symbol of his resurrection.  He sits in a cloud-filled heaven, surrounded by a halo of soft light shot through with gold, a halo that confirms that he is divine.  His arms reach out toward all those around him.  His feet rest on a blue globe, a symbol of unity and completeness. His mother Mary sits by his feet, a little below him in the hierarchy.  She is dressed in white and blue, colors symbolic of purity and spirituality.  A dove flies in the halo above him, a symbol of the Holy Ghost.  The third halo above them all completes the Christian trinity. The saints are gathered around him, resting on clouds.  Some of the figures are familiar to those who know their stories – like Moses with his tablets, Noah with his ark, King David with his harp. Above them the angels hover.  They hold other symbols – a cross, symbol of Christ’s crucifixion; a column, symbol of Christ’s flagellation; a ladder, symbol of his transcending the human condition. When Johann König painted this luminous work sometime in the early 17th century he was following many of the conventions of his time. We are drawn to the painting by the way it is composed. Our eyes take in the lively figures in the ranks of the saints and angels and follow their looks and gestures toward the figure of Christ and the halo of light around him. His outward gesture leads our gaze back again to look at those around him.  It helps that the figures look natural and full of life, and that the colors have a richness and beauty of their own. We remember today also our loved ones, many of whom are certainly saints in heaven. Some others may still be waiting for admittance into heaven, those whom we remember tomorrow, All Souls.