Gospel in Art: Jesus said: the Spirit will come and everything the Father has is mine

The Trinity, by Laurent Girardin, 1460 © Cleveland Museum of Art

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 8 May 2024
John 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:

'I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now.

But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come. He will glorify me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is mine.

Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: All he tells you will be taken from what is mine.'

Reflection on the panel

The French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre once wrote, 'Hell is other people'. There are times in our lives when we might find it easy to sympathise with that (harsh) sentiment. If we have had a very negative experience of other people over a period of time, we can long to be on our own, away from the troubles that others seem to bring us. We can begin to think of heaven as a state of glorious isolation, where it it is just me on my own. Yet, even the greatest loners among us long for human company and human companionship from time to time. At some deep level we sense that we are only complete when we are in relationship with others. Being on our own all the time just feels wrong at a deep level. We all long for some form of communion with others. If we were to call to mind the happiest moments of our lives, we would probably discover that they involved some element of communion or community, some experience of relationship. Even in our age of great individualism, we know instinctively that no one is an island.

Ok, well, this is even truer of God! At the very heart of God's own life is a community, a communion of persons who relate in perfect harmony. God is not alone and doesn't want to be. Within God there is a relationship of profound love between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That community of love within God is not closed in on itself but is open to all of us. The love between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit reaches out to embrace us all. Our Gospel reading today is such a beautiful display of this. Jesus talks about his Father and the Holy Spirit from a personal place of knowledge and love.

Our painted panel by Laurent Girardin, painted around 1460 in Lyon, France, depicts the Holy Trinity. God the Father is wearing a papal tiara. He is holding his Son, crucified on the cross, and the Holy Spirit is seen represented as a dove. Juxtaposed with the Trinity's austere depiction are cherubim bathed in radiant red light, possibly influenced by stained glass windows that Girardin also designed in Lyon. God the Father wears a liturgical vestment, a sumptuous and bejeweled cope, fastened below the neck, typically worn by clergy for processional occasions. It is made of opulent crimson velvet with gold thread forming a large pomegranate pattern.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-16-12-15-2024/