L’année Liturgique #2
EPIPHANY
(January 6th/or closest Sunday))
Three mysteries mark this holy day:
today the star leads the Magi to the infant Jesus;
today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast;
today Jesus wills to be baptized by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation.
Magnificat Antiphon for Epiphany
For all the nations of the earth, for seekers of wisdom and truth.
for the spirit of humility and reverence, for the courage to go where the Spirit leads.
for wise companions on the journey, for those who bring offerings to their God,
for mothers who see our sacred worth, for the miracles in our celebrations,
for all the mysteries revealed to us today.
Epiphany Prayer/Lutheran Festivals and Commemorations (adapted)
EPIPHANY
(January 6th/or closest Sunday))
Three mysteries mark this holy day:
today the star leads the Magi to the infant Jesus;
today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast;
today Jesus wills to be baptized by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation.
Magnificat Antiphon for Epiphany
For all the nations of the earth, for seekers of wisdom and truth.
for the spirit of humility and reverence, for the courage to go where the Spirit leads.
for wise companions on the journey, for those who bring offerings to their God,
for mothers who see our sacred worth, for the miracles in our celebrations,
for all the mysteries revealed to us today.
Epiphany Prayer/Lutheran Festivals and Commemorations (adapted)
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DIES EPIPHANIORUM
Mixed Media Totem Assemblage/2024
Patrick Ellis
Mixed Media Totem Assemblage/2024
Patrick Ellis
Totems are found in all ancient religious traditions. They are generally tall carved abstract figures that tell a sacred story. The figural elements within a totem are often minimalized to include only the physical elements needed for story line of the narrative. Totems seldom exist in isolation. The fullness of their meaning requires a sacred ritual and the skill of a shaman, storyteller, musician, or dancer, to invite them to come alive.
Like ancient totems, my work seeks an assembly, storytelling, and ritual action to bring the narrative to life and to allow the same transformative grace of a past event to be made present in the gathered community here and now. Dies Epiphaniorum reflects the three New Testament stories associated with the Feast of Epiphany: The Wise Men from the East, the Wedding Feast at Cana, and the Baptism of Jesus.
The minimalized elements of this totem are three walking crowned figures with eyes that see a star, symbols of death and new life in the waters of the Jordan River, and the wine brought for a feast. In front of the totem is the seven branched temple menorah represented as the burning bush … epiphanies found in the Hebrew scriptures. The padlocks and the row of skulls reference the spiritual and political decision of the wise men after their encounter with the infant Jesus, and the tragic aftermath of that choice … Herrod’s murder of the holy innocents. Encounters with the divine often have perilous consequences!
The monochrome gray color is intended to suggest a ghost-like, or other worldly presence of the characters in the Epiphany narratives. The color also roots the figures into the liturgical furnishings of the space in an attempt to tie them into the primary symbols of worship ... seating, table, and ambo.
The placement of the work in the liturgical space was intentional. All prayers at Thomas Chapel begin around fire. Generally, this opening ritual occurs at the firepit in the grassy plaza in front of the chapel. Winter temperatures, inclement weather, high winds, or a local burn-ban can sometimes require the ritual to be moved to the narthex inside where the assembly gathers to light a candle. While this arrangement works out of necessity, it fails to have a primal ritual power of gathering around a roaring fire. The intention of the totem Dies Epiphaniorum, as well as the menorah/burning bush, were to better augment a truncated opening rite.
The prayers that begin and conclude this reflection were part of this opening rite … along with Isaiah’s proclamation of a year of God’s favor (61: 1-11).
Works created for the liturgical environment need to find balance within a complex series of limitations: 1) the work must serve (and not interrupt) the ritual action, 2) the work must hold the weight of the mystery/story it represents, and finally, 3) the artist must fade behind the works and actions of the assembly.
So … did Dies Epiphaniorum work in the space? Probably not! The brutalist nature of my work is hard to hide … and does not readily fade into the background. The hard steel and sharp edges demand attention. With that said, I do believe they come close to holding the weight of the sacred stories it tells … but this totem is maybe better suited for another venue.
But it was a noble effort. Thomas Chapel is intended to be a “kunsthalle” … a place for new or experimental works of the creative imagination. The work and prayer at Thomas Chapel are a safe place for artists to workshop ideas. We all learn in the experiment. Thanks be to God!
God of light, today you reveal to all humanity your desire for love and justice.
Your light is strong, your love is near, your justice will prevail.
Draw us beyond the limits which the world imposes,
to the life where your spirit makes all life complete.
Opening Prayer/Roman Catholic/Epiphany (adapted)
Like ancient totems, my work seeks an assembly, storytelling, and ritual action to bring the narrative to life and to allow the same transformative grace of a past event to be made present in the gathered community here and now. Dies Epiphaniorum reflects the three New Testament stories associated with the Feast of Epiphany: The Wise Men from the East, the Wedding Feast at Cana, and the Baptism of Jesus.
The minimalized elements of this totem are three walking crowned figures with eyes that see a star, symbols of death and new life in the waters of the Jordan River, and the wine brought for a feast. In front of the totem is the seven branched temple menorah represented as the burning bush … epiphanies found in the Hebrew scriptures. The padlocks and the row of skulls reference the spiritual and political decision of the wise men after their encounter with the infant Jesus, and the tragic aftermath of that choice … Herrod’s murder of the holy innocents. Encounters with the divine often have perilous consequences!
The monochrome gray color is intended to suggest a ghost-like, or other worldly presence of the characters in the Epiphany narratives. The color also roots the figures into the liturgical furnishings of the space in an attempt to tie them into the primary symbols of worship ... seating, table, and ambo.
The placement of the work in the liturgical space was intentional. All prayers at Thomas Chapel begin around fire. Generally, this opening ritual occurs at the firepit in the grassy plaza in front of the chapel. Winter temperatures, inclement weather, high winds, or a local burn-ban can sometimes require the ritual to be moved to the narthex inside where the assembly gathers to light a candle. While this arrangement works out of necessity, it fails to have a primal ritual power of gathering around a roaring fire. The intention of the totem Dies Epiphaniorum, as well as the menorah/burning bush, were to better augment a truncated opening rite.
The prayers that begin and conclude this reflection were part of this opening rite … along with Isaiah’s proclamation of a year of God’s favor (61: 1-11).
Works created for the liturgical environment need to find balance within a complex series of limitations: 1) the work must serve (and not interrupt) the ritual action, 2) the work must hold the weight of the mystery/story it represents, and finally, 3) the artist must fade behind the works and actions of the assembly.
So … did Dies Epiphaniorum work in the space? Probably not! The brutalist nature of my work is hard to hide … and does not readily fade into the background. The hard steel and sharp edges demand attention. With that said, I do believe they come close to holding the weight of the sacred stories it tells … but this totem is maybe better suited for another venue.
But it was a noble effort. Thomas Chapel is intended to be a “kunsthalle” … a place for new or experimental works of the creative imagination. The work and prayer at Thomas Chapel are a safe place for artists to workshop ideas. We all learn in the experiment. Thanks be to God!
God of light, today you reveal to all humanity your desire for love and justice.
Your light is strong, your love is near, your justice will prevail.
Draw us beyond the limits which the world imposes,
to the life where your spirit makes all life complete.
Opening Prayer/Roman Catholic/Epiphany (adapted)
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