PORTRAITS:

SELF AND OTHERWISE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Wednesday in Holy Week is, “Portraits: Self and Otherwise.”

In this past year I have learned several new words. For example, “Selfie” and “Bestie”.

I asked a bride last Saturday what a “bestie” is. It was a word she used in an answer to some questions I ask couples – in order to help make my homily more personal. She looked at me – as if I was really dumb – and said nonchalantly “Your best friend – of course.” And she shrugged her shoulders. That’s how she had described her husband to be – “My bestie”.

I actually thought she wrote, “My beastie” – and I didn’t know what that meant either. I figured it was a nick name.

The title of my homily is, “Portraits: Self and Otherwise.”

Looking at my life, how would I like to be portrayed?

Am I a bestie or a beastie?

Am I the best selfie I can be?

PHOTOGRAPHS

I’ve always heard that the first person we look at in a group photo of any sorts – if we’re in the picture - is ourselves.

Is that true?

I don’t know.

I know that people when they see themselves in a photograph, they immediately make a judgment: “Not bad …. Horrible …. Good.”

Now that I know what a “selfie” is, I’ve seen lots of people taking them. Then they swing their phone – which took the picture – to see themselves in the picture. Many then delete or erase that picture and try again – and again – and again.

Do you have a decent picture of yourself?

Is there a picture of yourself that is horrible? Passport or driver’s license or what have you?

So that’s been my experience – that’s how I’ve noticed people - when  dealing with pictures of themselves.

PAINTINGS

When it comes to paintings of people – I’ve met very few people who have had a portrait of themselves made. Their children yes.

I noticed a portrait painting last year in some house I was saying Mass in. The lady in the painting looked sad. I said to the lady, “That’s you.”

She said, “And I know. I look sad.”

I said nothing.

Then she added, “My husband I were going through a tough period in our lives at the time.”

I thought. That’s a good painter – someone who caught a mood.

As to being a good portrait painter – I wondered. As in taking photographs, maybe they too should say, “Smile!”

TODAY’S READINGS

I thought of this topic when I read today’s readings.

The first reading from Isaiah 50: 4-9 has Isaiah talking about his head. He centers in on his tongue, then his ears, then his cheeks and then his beard. He mentions his back as well.

I began thinking: A sculptor or a painter would love Isaiah’s face and skull to picture and sculpt. He says in today’s text that he sets his face like flint. Solid. Face forwards. With courage. With strength. An artist could do that.

Then I began - in light of thinking about Isaiah - what would it be like to paint or picture Jesus at the Last Supper?  What a great contrast could be made with his face and the face of Judas.

Next I have to look more carefully at paintings of the Last Supper by Rembrandt and Da Vinci. I don’t know if Caravaggio did any – but I hope so – because he used light and shadow so well.

Also I don’t know off hand any paintings of Isaiah. I’ll have to type in the Google search box: “Paintings of Isaiah” – and see what comes up.

CONCLUSION

Since the title of my homily is, “Portraits: Self and Otherwise” – I assume a good thing to do is to look at pictures of myself and ask, “What was going on with me at this moment?” What was I feeling?”

To paraphrase Pope Francis from his homily last Sunday: “I can be either Judas or Jesus. Be Jesus of course?”