Prayer Gallery
Painting and Reflections
by Fr. Jim Hasse, S.J.

This site is a quiet space intended to share for a few minutes a painting and a reflection on that image. Based on St. Paul’s statement “You are God’s Work of Art” these images express the artist’s conviction of the sacredness of each individual. You and other every-day people are appropriate images to aid us in expressing our relationships with our Creator, with our Biblical Ancestors, and with the Risen Christ and the Holy Spirit.

This is not an art gallery. It is a prayer gallery. It is not a words kind of prayer gallery, but a “Contemplative Prayer Gallery.” What does that mean? Contemplative prayer is simply looking with deep love at whatever it is we are looking at. It is the experience before words. It is like a mother looking with deep affection on her sleeping child. She may or may not say a few words. They are not as important as the quiet loving looking presence. Ideally that is the prayer I hope you experience with these paintings. Look at them, but try to feel God’s love. Skip the words if they make you move from your heart to your head.