"Let’s go to the mall tomorrow,” my husband told me last Good Friday.
I looked at him befuddled: “On Black Saturday?”
“My cousin says the kids will enjoy the sunset view from the rooftop.”
I eventually agreed, ignoring the tinge of guilt I felt.
The next day, walking through the corridors lined with shops, I noticed a circular area labelled “The Sanctuary,” and surrounded by stained glass windows.
“Is this a chapel?” I wondered.
When I drew closer, I saw it was not. Instead, it housed an exhibition space. The exhibit on display was of sacred art, titled “The Only Begotten Son.”
“Oh perfect!” I thought. “My invitation to pray.”
Stumbling into it was a surprise. But also, it wasn't.
Manila is full of such invitations. From Sacred Heart images plastered on Jeepneys to “With God nothing is impossible” stickers on most cars, reminders of faith abound in our crowded metropolis. What made this exhibit unusual was its emphasis.
Instead of traditional, ornate Catholic imagery or common slogans, most of the pieces on display were contemporary portraits of Jesus. There were paintings drawing the viewer to contemplate his piercing, radiant gaze.
There were also pieces bringing to life key moments from the gospel: Christ’s agony in the garden, blood streaming down his somber face crowned with thorns, the infant Jesus resting peacefully against the Blessed Mother.
Every work in this exhibit is an invitation not only to prayer and reflection, but to an intimate encounter with Jesus. Each portrait makes it easier to imagine what it must have been like when the first disciples met him for the first time. Each composition invites you to meet his gaze and find oneself completely changed by that moment.
When I spoke to the priest-curator of the exhibit, Fr. Rolando F. Limjoco, Jr., CM, he explained to me that the idea behind the exhibit actually came from the mall’s owners.
The priests that were invited to collaborate agreed to guide the project because they wanted Filipinos to rediscover the beauty and truth of Catholicism. They were concerned that, because of the growing popularity of Protestantism, many Filipinos no longer see value in remaining within the Church.
Walking through the exhibit, I saw that the pieces on display all converged on a single point: Jesus is the center of human experience. He reveals to us the depth, purpose, and glory of being made in God’s image and likeness. He reveals to us that life’s meaning culminates in following Him.
These ideas might sound like basic catechesis, but in a culture where Protestants often describe themselves as “Christian” to distinguish their churches from the Catholic Church, this statement is a powerful one.
It reminds Catholics that we too are Christian. Moreover, through the pieces that feature our Blessed Mother embracing her son, we are reminded that devotion to Mary can only bring us closer to Jesus, perhaps more effectively than if we approached him without her.
What makes the catechesis compelling is that it is communicated by way of beauty. We rediscover the strong commitment Catholicism has always had to beauty, setting it apart from Christian groups that misread iconography as idolatry.
In short, this exhibit represents a laudable attempt at a counter-reformation for the Philippines. What it showcases can re-energize the faith of those who, perhaps, have lost sight of the richness hidden in our inherited creed.
In so doing, its panels bring to life these words of the great theologian of beauty, Hans Urs Von Balthasar::
We can be sure that whoever sneers at her (beauty’s) name as if she were the ornament of a bourgeois past – whether he admits it or not – can no longer pray and soon will no longer be able to love.
These paintings and sculptures promise to achieve precisely this: entice every viewer to pray more attentively, and to love more faithfully.
Said another way, faith needs beauty, especially the beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ. Although there are many ways to glimpse his radiance, it is particularly moving when we are able to do so through quality works of sacred art.
The priest-curator informed me religious exhibits are scheduled throughout the year.
This mall-sanctuary demonstrates that religious art can still appeal to contemporary sensibilities. Hopefully, its generous offering of welcoming the public to sacred art free of charge will nudge other public spaces to display more works of sacred art, especially pieces that draw the faithful to a personal encounter with Jesus.
This possible revival might also rekindle Marian devotion among Filipino Catholics, as well as a renewed reverence for the sacraments – features that distinguish Catholicism from other Christian denominations. Most importantly, love for the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and the Blessed Mother are how the Church brings the human heart to God in the most intimate ways.
