The Vine and the Branches
by Sheila Diemert
Original - Sold
Price
Not Specified
Dimensions
40.000 x 60.000 x 0.750 inches
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Title
The Vine and the Branches
Artist
Sheila Diemert
Medium
Painting - Acrylic On Canvas
Description
This painting was commissioned for St. Andrew's Cathedral in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is a titled, "The Vine and the Branches"; and a detailed description of the painting, reflecting on that scripture, is below...
The Vine and the Branches
This painting is a reflection on the scripture,
“ I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
God, The Son--The Vine
Jesus is the vine. The papal crucifix is the central image of the painting, and it represents Jesus, the vine.
God, The Father—The Pillar of Fire
The pillar of fire symbolizes God, The Father, in the pillar of fire that led the people out of Egypt in Exodus; and in the burning bush, where God spoke to Moses
“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.” (Exodus 3:2)
“And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night; the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.” (Exodus 13:21, 22)
God, The Holy Spirit—The Dove
The dove represents God, The Holy Spirit. In scripture this representation is recorded in the gospels.
“…and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, ‘Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.’ ” (Luke 3:22)
“And John bore witness, ‘I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him…’ ” (John 1:32)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed—The Kingdom of Heaven
Another parable he put before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-35)
Surrounding the crucifix are the branches, the saints. Also shown are stylized vine branches surrounding the saints. The saints are those who abide in God, and God in them. They are branches connected to the vine. When they are connected in this way, the Holy Spirit makes a home in them, just as the birds built their nests in the branches of the tree which symbolized the Kingdom of God.
The Communion of Saints
The branches which are connected to the vine are also, therefore connected to each other in the communion of saints, everyone deriving their life from that connection to God. The Communion of saints includes those in heaven, those in purgatory, and those on earth.
Those in heaven are part of the Church Triumphant. They include the saints depicted in the painting… St. Faustina, St. Padre Pio, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and Pope St. John Paul II. We can ask these saints to intercede for us here on earth.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Mary, pray for us.
Saint Faustina, pray for us.
Saint Padre Pio, pray for us.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us.
Pope Saint John Paul II, pray for us.
Uploaded
April 30th, 2022
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