Today's Gospel in Art - Jesus prayed and chose His Twelve Apostles

Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, Prayer card 1910 © Alamy / Niday Picture Library

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 7th September 2021 - Luke 6:12-19

Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them 'apostles': Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.

He then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.

Reflection on the Prayer Card

The tradition of prayer cards goes back to the 16th century. With the invention of the printing press, mass production of small devotional cards could take place and be widely dispersed. To this day, the concept of these pocket sized cards is simple. One side would carry a devotional image (such as Jesus and His Twelve Apostles on our card), and the reverse would then carry a prayer that the holder of the card would be encouraged to recite and pray. As these prayer cards were small and inexpensive to produce, they gained popularity very fast. Whilst the initial intention was for people to keep them in their pockets and be reminded throughout the day of the saint or prayer on the cards, I think most people now keep them in books or display them somewhere at home.

In our digital age, the prayer cards have somehow lost their appeal and few churches or organisations still see these cards as a worthwhile tool for evangelisation. Churches in Rome still have a lively tradition of prayer cards, with even many of the side chapels within a church having their own dedicated prayer cards, but in Northern Europe, this tradition is largely lost. I do think we should regain this simple, but yet very effective art form as part of our efforts to evangelise. There is nothing quite like giving someone a physical prayer card. Friends do appreciate the gesture and thought, even if they don't believe.

Our Anglo-Spanish prayer card, from around 1910, shows Jesus surrounded by the Twelve Disciples (with Saint Paul taking the place of Judas). The apostles are shown with their attributes, largely the instruments they were martyred with. In today's Gospel reading Jesus chose His Twelve Apostles, after praying. Prayer and making choices go hand in hand.

Note: There's a chance to see Patrick van der Vorst on Wednesday evening, when he will be giving a talk on 'Catholicism, Beauty and Art' at Holy Apostles Parish, Winchester Street, Pimlico, London SW1V 4LY - on Wednesday, 8 September at 7.15pm, Admission Free. All welcome.

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/922
Christian Art - https:/www.christian.art