Visual Journal: March 2013

Theme:

Our yearning for God’s encircling presence is expressed uniquely in the traditional Lorica prayers of protection. The most famous of these prayers, St. Patrick’s Breastplate, invokes all of God’s gifts to accompany us on our journey. 

Christ beside me, Christ before me

Christ behind me, Christ within me

Christ beneath me, Christ above me

Christ within me. 

In this invocation, we are wrapping ourselves with the garment of Christ’s presence. This is the mystery of the incarnation in our own lives.

Here you can see that it's actually three pages. I tore the pages to be different sizes, then edged them with a strip of collaged bits. The edging ties the three pages together, and so does the text washi tape I used on the bottom of the pages.

I can't remember where I found this prayer, but it's been a good one for me recently. 

Page 2- 

detail pg 2: Christ behind me. I first printed a family picture from our wedding and chose a grey scale so it's a little faded. Then I put the same paper through the printer again, to print our wedding hymn on top. O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come. Our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home. 

detail pg 2: This is a card that I picked up from a Home made craft fair. My friend collects bits of paper and makes them into cards. When I made this page, we were just preparing seeds indoors, preparing for our garden. I like the way it fits with this theme. 

detail, pg 2: This is the inside of the GROW card. I added a photo I took during my Masters' year of study. I was focussing on writing and I put the pencils in beside the tender green shoots, symbolizing how our writing is growing, how it takes a long time to nourish the ground and prepare for growth. Sometimes you don't see the flowers and harvest, but the work is still being done. There are steps to take before you see the expected results. Don't be discouraged in the process. Wait and trust that the seeds will flourish in their time.
There are so many places I can apply this truth.

pg 3: Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ within me. 

detail pg 3: I was struggling with images for Christ beneath me. What does it mean that Christ is beneath me? I was drawn to the idea that when a child needs the comfort of a parent, they are willing to be carried, they surrender their strong will and find welcome in the arms. In this sense, they are carried. They still have a will and a voice and maybe even a feisty spirit, but they are willing to relax and trust the other, the one who carries them, the one who is beneath them. The larger image is from a Wycliffe calendar and the small images are all babies from New Day. New Day Foster Home's core mission is to provide life-saving surgeries and a loving home to orphans with special needs from around China.

Christ above me- what does this mean? I don't think it means the he is high and lofty, up in the sky. Sometimes we think that.  I believe Christ is the ultimate reason why we give our time and gifts to serve others. Christ above me means I keep my eyes open to the world around me. It's because of his presence within me that I am able to give anything of worth. Not high and lofty.
So I can serve because he first served me. I serve because it's him that I am serving. And by serving, I know Christ is dwelling within me.

Christ beside me, Christ before me

Christ behind me, Christ within me

Christ beneath me, Christ above me

Christ within me.