Last week, a painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci was sold for $450,000,000

Last Sunday, our Sunday School went to visit a painting called 'Our Last Supper' featuring men associated with Glasgow City Mission (GCM), which offers support for diasadvantaged and homeless people.  As a church, we took up our annual appeal collection for GCM, raising enough money to pay for a Christmas Dinner for fifty people.  We also collected 52 bags of chocolate coins to be distributed via the charity's family centre.

At the moment, the Dali painting is on loan overseas - sometimes it seems to be away more often than it's at home! 

In our prayers on Sunday, we used these three paintings, and some quotes from the gospels, to focus out thoughts...

One evening, a woman took a very expensive bottle of perfume and poured the lot over Jesus' feet, drawing criticism from those who saw her, one even going to far as to say it was a waste, the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor.  Jesus' reply was this: the poor will always be with you.

~

Jesus said, 'foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.'

On another occasion, a devout young man with great wealth had come to Jesus asking what he should do to inherit eternal life.  He left upset when Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor.

~

Seven sayings of Jesus from the cross have been preserved...

Father forgive them, they don’t know what it is they are doing

Today you will be with me in paradise

Behold your son… your mother… your new family…

Have you abandoned me? Why have you abandoned me? 

I am thirsty…

It is accomplished

Father, into you hands I commend my spirit.

~

I wonder what emerges for you, gentle reader, as you explore the juxtaposition of these images (or the texts, or both)?

What prayer would you pray?