“Table Fire” Finger-painting by: Ronald Raab, CSC

I mentioned yesterday in my homily on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ the spiritual reason why priests wear vestments. We preside at the altar in vesture so to protect us from the fire of love, the unbelievable reality that the God of Salvation breaks through heaven to become our food. The real presence of Jesus, the really real presence, is the explosion of fire and life, love and hope for us all.

This is a ten-minute finger-painting, with a little editing, that points into this direction. I painted this after Mass on Saturday night. It is meant to be raw, non-finished to express the reality of the fire I experience at the altar. I wanted this to capture the blood, depth of emotion and fire that comes from holding up peoples’ pain, suffering and anguish at the altar. Love comes to us through the gift of suffering. Love is real from dying and rising. Hold the fire.