Monday, December 19, 2011

Trust

In connection with the Annunciation, the priest spoke yesterday on the theme of trust. He referenced this beautiful painting by Domenico Veneziano, saying that it departed from the canonical representation of the scene by focusing on Mary's reaction, which he described as "troubled, but trusting." I think this is one of the loveliest images of the Annunciation I have ever seen, but the priest must have been thinking of a different painting, as the painting is very canonical in its "mise en scène." The larger point, however, is correct: we trust, even though we may be troubled by what we are being asked to trust in.

Picture credit: artbible.net

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing this intimate moment. It encourages others, like yours truly, to look within for a second or two. After that it's "time to get busy." Trust can be one of the hardest things if not the hardest thing in the world. Depending on one's background, one is confronted with a certain degree of in-built reserve or lack of trust. The Bible urges us to be wise in all things. It also encourages us to take "baby steps" towards something new...especially this time of year. It's a great time to go ahead and be still and try to enjoy the present moment in a certain degree of trust. But I don't think there's any way of getting around the grieving in the dark even with lights all around. In any event trusting, certainly believing, is a constant struggle. This morning online I went to "Holy See" and read a recent papal "Audience" on prayer. It was incredible. I am still grieving the loss of a brother on December 12, 2009.