Lent: To Deny Oneself & Take Up Your Cross
 
This exquisite image is full of biblical and devotional insights that is not only beautiful to behold, but also intriguingly captivating. It is a perfect piece to display during the Lenten Season as you prepare for Easter and the Resurrection of Jesus, as well as year-round as a reminder to pick up your cross, bear your trials with patience, and to follow Jesus in His very Own footsteps.
 
This image of Christian Art, would be an excellent source of education for all people young and old, but also a reminder and encouragement to embrace the repeated messages of the Old and New Testament to repent, do penance, fast, abstain, give alms, increase our prayers, and practice self-denial, so we may be quick to call upon the Name of the Lord and rebuke the temptations of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil.
 
Image Explanation
 
Matthew 16:24-26
"Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?"
 
In summary, this image is Lent. The “40 Day Period of Preparation” for the Resurrection of Jesus. Lent has been practiced since the time of the Apostles as a preparation and remembrance of Jesus's Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
 
How can we prepare? We make acts of reparation for our sins and the sins of the whole world through extra prayers, acts of mortifications, denying ourselves certain freedoms, comforts, food, etc., fasting, and abstaining from meat.
 
Through the Church Jesus founded, the Catholic Church has instituted various forms of fasting and abstinence through the last 2000 years, and this image shows a historical approach to fasting and abstinence.
 
The Central Scene with Jesus and the devil shows the temptation of Our Lord in the desert after His fast of forty days. The devil knew Our Lord was hungry, so he tempts Him to turn the stone into bread.
 
Jesus replied, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the Mouth of God." This means that while we need earthly bread for physical sustenance, we most importantly need spiritual nourishment from God's Word and from the Eucharist, the "Living Bread from Heaven".
 
The Top Right Scene shows Eleazar refusing to eat meat in honor of the emperor Antiochus, which would have resulted in disobeying God's Commandment to abstain. Eleazar preferred the glorious death of martyrdom than spiritual death and eternal separation from Heaven.
 
The Top Middle Scene and Scene Below Christ in the desert depict a feast and party which represents people who refuse to fast and abstain on the days Commanded by the Church, especially during Lent. If they continue on this path without repentance, they will perish into hell.
 
The Bottom Left Scene shows Jonah preaching to the people of the City of Nineveh of their impending doom, unless they repent and do penance.
 
The Bottom Right Scene shows St. John the Baptist preaching to the Jews to repent and do penance, for the "Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
 
The Large Path shows the Four Seasonal Days of Fasting and Penance: Ember Days of Summer, Ember Days of Fall, Ember Days of Winter, and Ember Days of Spring.
 
You can see people on the inner path closest to hell, who are wearing fine clothing and, on the outside, appearing to be very happy and well-off. However, because they continue on indulging in their own choice of pleasures without denying themselves, they eventually, without repentance, fall into hell.
 
You can see people on the outer path during their 40 Day Preparation of Lent in imitation of Our Lord. Many of them have their own crosses to carry, just as Our Lord carried His Cross. They are stopping at the circular and rectangular images along the way, which represents the different Vigils of the Liturgical Year.
 
Contrary to the appearance of the people on the inner path, these people may look dreary and full of suffering on the outside, but on the inside, they are joyful and full of Love for their God, Who suffered so much for them.
 
The Scene to the Right shows Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.