V. The unspeakable joys of the Beatific Vision.
R. Filled with the holy gaiety of the saints
A Reading
We are part of each other. So anything that happens to any part of us, we all feel. But the thing is, we think that we’re doing something to somebody ‘over there’ who’s different from me,” he said. “Actually what we’re doing is doing something to ourselves through that person. So if we do an injury to that particular person, we’re hurting. And if something happens to that particular person, we feel it. That probably accounts for, you might say, the extreme and sharp pain that a lot of us feel. We’re thinking we’re doing to somebody else, but it’s happening to us. That, in my opinion, is the real tragedy. Allan Crite
A collect
Eternal God, light of the world and Creator of all that is good and lovely:
We bless your name for inspiring Allan Rohan Crite
and all those who with images and words
have filled us with desire and love for you;
through Jesus Christ our Savior,
who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Blessed Allan, who helps us see the Holy, pray for us.
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Feast Day September 6
March 20, 1910– September 6, 2007 Allan Crite was a Boston-based artist born in North Plainfield, New Jersey. For thirty years Crite worked as an engineering draftsman at the Boston Naval Shipyard.
Allan Crite’s work, both religious and of the broad African American experience, have the shared desire – I’ve only done one piece of work in my whole life and am still at it. I wanted to paint people of color as normal human beings. I tell the story of man through the black figure.
The holy gaiety of the saints
Allan Crite’s 1948 Three Spirituals from Earth to Heavenis his artistic reflection on three spirituals. His written explanation of the spiritual “Heaven” includes this --
In these last drawings the saints are in solemn procession before the throne of Our Lord, who is vested as a prelate and king, having all authority both in heaven and in earth. Surrounding Our Lord are the hosts of heaven: the winged wheel-type angels are the Thrones, whose duty it is uphold the throne of God; closest to Our Lord are the Seraphim, reflecting the love of God; And further away are the Cherubim, reflecting God's wisdom; thus the highest hierarchy of the nine choirs of angels shown. The entire character of this hymn reflects faith in the unspeakable joys of the Beatific Vision; it is filled with the holy gaiety of the saints
The Church Awakens Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Compassion & Justice Award God is in the Neighborhood
Icon writer: Christine Simoneau Hales Web