NY Times Best-Selling Author
Dear Everyone,
Passionflix has told me that the “Gabriel’s Rapture” DVDs are back in stock now. You can purchase them through the Passionflix store. Also, Passionflix is running a Mother’s Day promotion, and so you will save 15% on all purchases if you use code PASSIONMOM now through Sunday, May 14.
All the best and thanks for watching,
SR.
Dear Everyone,
I’m pleased to report that, after selling out, the “Gabriel’s Rapture” DVDs are now back in stock in the Passionflix store.
Thank you for your support and thank you for reading,
SR
Happy Belated Easter to all those who celebrated. I hope you had a blessed celebration.
Thank you to everyone who joined me in this year’s Lenten Read-along. I really enjoyed your comments and reflections and was glad to have your company on this journey.
I learned a lot from Sister Wendy’s remarks on each piece of art, particularly with respect to her appreciation of abstract art. There were a few surprises in her choices and I looked forward to each daily reading. She emphasized the importance of taking time to look and to appreciate each piece of art. I think her vocation as a contemplative enabled her to see what many of us would overlook or rush past.
I’m looking forward to my next visit to an art gallery so I can put into practice what I have learned.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
Dear Everyone,
I hope that you will join me in a chat this Saturday, April 1, at 9AM Eastern (New York). The All Things SR Podcasts hosts, Pam and Leslie, will be hosting the chat. I’m looking forward to discussing “The Art of Lent” by Sister Wendy Beckett and hearing about your favourite paintings.
You can join the chat here. It will not be live until 9AM sharp Saturday morning.
In the meantime, I welcome your reflections and comments on this week’s paintings. I’m struck by the beauty of “Diana the Huntress,” and Sister Wendy’s reflections on the nature of joyful confidence. Truly, she sees things that I do not see. I really appreciate the depth of her understanding.
All the best and hope to chat with you on Saturday,
SR
Dear Everyone,
As I continue reading “The Art of Lent,” by Sister Wendy Beckett, I’m struck by the range of works she’s including in her discussions.
I’ve never been moved by abstract art, but Sister Wendy found beauty in the abstract and has shared her insights with us. Take, for example, Rebecca Salter’s painting “J1 1994.” In this painting Sister Wendy sees what I do not – silence and the bliss of silence.
But as I take my time and study the painting, eventually I can glimpse what I think Sister Wendy is referring to. I have to be patient. I have to take my time. And I have to be open to the experience.
Part of my Lenten journey this year has been focused on developing patience, and finding silence, and engaging in contemplation. These are spiritual as well as mental disciplines. Sister Wendy has linked them to art appreciation and the enjoyment of beauty.
In her commentary on Sandro Botticelli’s “Annunciation” (1489), Sister Wendy writes, “There is no lasting peace that does not rest upon a sense of life having meaning.” Again, she has seen something profound in this painting and tied it to a wider theme – the faith of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Finding silence, engaging in contemplation, and taking time for beauty are ways in which we can reflect on what gives our lives meaning. This is both profound and sacred, and it takes time.
I welcome your reflections on any of the artwork or readings below.
Peace be with you all,
SR
I am honoured to have had all three of my novels appear on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists. I was a Semifinalist for Best Author in the 2011 and 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards. {More About Sylvain}
