About the U Encounter

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Help us expand the depth and breadth of this exhibition on what it means to be human through a tax-deductable (in Canada only for now) charitable gift.


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Your generosity will help us add more first- tier works of art (our goal is 100), produce corresponding avenues of exploration (the contemporary story, the reflection, the music, etc.), and enhance interactivity and exploration. It will also help us in the ongoing development of this online exhibition into a formal physical exhibition in a first tier art gallery in North America.

We thank you for your support.

Our Story

The U Encounter invites you to join a conversation with friends and colleagues that has been going on throughout the past decade. Behind so many contemporary issues that garner public attention — militant action done in the name of religion, seeking perfection or healing through the new genetic science, how we define and respond to wealth and poverty, our care for creation and stewardship of resources to name a few—is the question of what we think it means to be a human being. We respond to these current issues, knowingly or not, based on our answer to this question.

At the heart of Western culture, its art and letters, is a treasure trove of images and stories inviting us to consider our understanding of who we are. Our capacity to engage and respond to public conversations may take on greater depth through what the poet called “the surprised delight in discovering what we did not know we knew.”

The U Encounter is brought to you by the Humanitas Group, which was founded for this purpose.

A Curatorial Statement

In his A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts in 1995, the preeminent American philosopher of art Arthur C. Danto suggested that the experience of art requires knowledge of a different order from what was common in people who attend galleries. It is a knowledge that opens the possibility for experiences that “belong to philosophy and to religion, to the vehicles through which the meaning of life is transmitted to people in their dimension as human beings.” What we thirst for, Danto argues, “is meaning: the kind of meaning that religion was capable of providing, or philosophy, or finally art.

Art was constructed as a fount rather than merely an object of knowledge.” Who do you say I am? It is an ancient question spoken in a haunting moment of trial. Who are you? Who am I? The U Encounter invites each of us to join with classic artists who explored this fount of meaning through the narratives of the Hebrew Bible and the Gospels, narratives that remained “ever ancient and ever new” as they joined human beings over the last two thousand years in grappling with the questions that focus on what it means to be human.

Contact Us

We’d love to hear from you.

Acknowledgements

Humanitas Group

David Jennings,
Director Dean Williams,
Director Gregory Pennoyer David J. Goa,
Chief Curator

Curatorial Group

David J. Goa,
Chief Curator

Hanna Chuchvaha,
Researcher Terry Cook,
Researcher Della Dennis,
Ethnomusicologist Linda Distad,
Researcher & Editor Sarah Mills,
Researcher Rebecca Warren,
Editor Greg Pennoyer,
CEO, Humanitas

Dossier Creative

Don Chisholm,
Creative Director Patrick Smith,
Design Director Barry Duncan,
Director of Design Ceri Rees,
Strategy Brand Creation
IA and UX Design
Content Strategy
Website Design
Creative Direction

Domain7

Website Development

Curatorial Board

Joan Greer,
Professor, Art History, University of Alberta Thomas A. Papademetriou,
Professor Helene Dionne,
muse de la civilization, Quebec Karen Mulder,
University of Virginia David Hawkinson,
Hebrew and Jewish resources Archbishop Lazar Puhalo,
OCA Geoffrey Evans,
Curator of Scottish Treasures,
National Museum of Scotland John Franklin,
Imago Canada Patrick Henry,
Director, Saint John’s College and Ecumenical Centre Michael Higgins,
St. Jerome’s University College Adrian Leske,
Professor, Concordia University College Walter McLean,
Presbyterian Church of Canada Dittmar Mundel,
Augustana Faculty, University of Alberta Charles Nienkirchen, 
Professor

Patrons

Jean and Vivian Cloutier
Hugh and Sharon Little
Dean and Shirley Williams
Dan and Marilyn Klemke
Brian and Ellen Relph
Geraldine Wilson
Leslie Bernardo
Scott and Mary Cameron
Rick Christiaanse
Geoff and Karen Cowper
David and Laura Jennings
Ellen Geisbrecht
Doug and Barbara James
Paul Hellyer
Jack and Shirley Kiervin
Dave Krysko
Dean Martin
Mark and Elaine Maxwell
The Bridgeway Foundation
Bob and Evi Rolston
Oswald Smith Foundation
Spaenaur Inc.
Ella Suen
Peter and Deb Wall

Bibliography

Home Page

Hopkins, Gerard Manley. "God's Grandeur." Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins. London: Humphrey Milford, 1918.

 

What does it mean to be human?

The Thinker, (Le Penseur), 1880-82. Auguste Rodin, 1840-1917. Bronze. 71 x 40 x 58 cm. Musée Rodin, Paris, France. © Vanni Archive / Art Resource, NY

Schmemann, Alexander. "On the Nativity of the Mother of God." Celebration of Faith: The Virgin Mary. Vol. 3 of the Sermons of Fr. Alexander Schmemann. Trans. Fr. John Jillions. St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1995.

Alter, Robert. "Psalm 8:4-7." The Book of Psalms. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.

Einstein, Albert. "An Ideal of Service to Our Fellow Man." N.D.

"Ad offertorium: Ab aeterno ordinata sum." Claudio Monteverdi, Monteverdi: Mass of Thanksgiving, 1631, Richard Wistreich, bass, Taverner Consort, Taverner Players, Andrew Parrott, director. CD 2, track 1.

"Strange Universe." Mahogany Rush, led by Frank Marino. Strange Universe, 1975.

"O quam mirabile est." Hildegard of Bingen, Hildegard von Binge: Symphoniae; Spiritual Songs; Sequentia, Sequentia, Margriet Tindemans, director, Barbara Thornton vocalist. Harmonia Mundi, 1983. Track 1.

 

Is origin destiny?

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? 1897-98. Paul Gauguin, 1848- 1903. Oil on canvas. 139.1 x 374.6 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, United States of America. "Photograph © [1897-98] Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Percy, Walker. Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book. New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1983.

The Five Books of Moses: The Schocken Bible. "Genesis 1:26-28a, 31." Trans. Fox Everett. Vol. 1. New York: Schocken Books, 1995.

Hawking, Steven. A Brief History of Time. New York: Bantam, 1988, 174-175.

Gauguin, Paul. Paul Gauguin: Letters to His Wife and Friends. Ed. Maurice Malingue. Boston: MFA Publications, 2003.

"I still haven't found what I'm looking for." U2, The Joshua Tree, 1987.

"The Circle of Life." Elton John, with lyrics by Tim Rice, The Lion King; Classic Disney, Vol. 1: 60 Years of Musical Magic. Opening Zulu vocals are by Lebo M, the English lyrics sung by Carmen Twillie. Disney 1995. Track 2.

"And Am I Born to Die?" Ananias Davisson, music, Charles Wesley, text, Cold Mountain, Tim Ericksen, vocals and fiddle, DMZ/Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax 2003. Track 7.

 

In each birth, a new being?

Nucleus of Creation, (Moses, Birth of the Hero), 1945. Frida Kahlo, 1907-1954. Oil on masonite. 60.96 x 76.2 cm. Private Collection. © (2013) Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / SODRAC.

Ferlinghetti, Lawrence. "Christ Climbed Down." A Coney Island of the Mind. New York: New Directions, 1958.

Alter, Robert. "Psalm 139:1-14." The Book of Psalms. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.

Le Leche League International website www.llli.org

Chicago Tonight's feature video for Le Leche League International's 50th Anniversary in 2006. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3-YGLnoELQ YouTube video.

Tibol, Raquel. Frida Kahlo: An Open Life. Trans. Elinor Randall. New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, 1993, 72-76.

"Landing Gear." Ani di Franco, Red Letter Year, Righteous Babe Records 2011. Track 10. Used with permission.

"Mi al har Horeb." Obadiah the Proselyte, The Sacred Bridge, John Fleagle, baritone, Joel Cohen, director, Erato 1990. Track 4.

"O God, You Search Me." Bernadette Farrell, Sisters in Song, Rejoice! Sr. Jeannine Hershiser, OSF, soprano, National Choir of Catholic Sisters, Christopher Walker, director, Sisters in Song 300 2000. Track 11.

 

Death, a mystery beyond measure?

Beata-Beatrix, 1864-70. Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1828-1882. Oil on canvas. 86.4 x 66 cm. Tate Gallery, London, United Kingdom. Tate, London / Art Resource, NY.

Cummings, E.E. "Dying is fine)but Death." E.E. Cummings: Complete Poems, 1904-1962. Ed. George J. Firmage. New York: Liveright, 1994.

Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis. "Psalm 77." Healing of Soul, Healing of Body: Spiritual Leaders Unfold the Strength & Solace in Psalms. Ed. Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub. Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1994, 67-69.

  • This Psalm is drawn from The Ten Psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali: The Complete Remedy prepared Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. In the late 18th century, the Hasidic master Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, (1722-1810) designated ten of the 150 entries in the Book of Psalms as "healing psalms" able to bring about the healing of spirit and body. They are Psalm 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, and 150.

Mattingly, Terry. "A Soulful Voice on a Capitol Hill Sidewalk." October 1, 2012. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/tmatt/2012/10/a-soulful-voice-on-a-capitol-hill-sidewalk/ Used with permission.

Wilton, Andrew, and Robert Upstone, eds. The Age of Rossetti, Burne-Jones and Watts: Symbolism in Britain 1860-1910. Paris-New York: Flammarion, 1997, 155.

"Out of the Night (Alleluia)." John Tavener, Out of the Night, Leigh Nixon, tenor, Jane Atkins, Viola, Sony 1999. Track 15.

"Deep River." traditional, Ballad for Americans, Paul Robeson, bass, Vanguard Records 1991. Track 2.

"Dante's Prayer." Loreena McKennitt, The Book of Secrets. Quinlan Road CD19404 1997. Track 8. Excerpt from "Behold the Bridegroom," Russian Easter, St. Petersburg Chamber Choir, Nikolai Korniev, conductor, courtesy of Philips Classics Productions.

 

Why do I exist?

The Consecrated One, (The Chosen One), 1893-94. Ferdinand Hodler, 1853-1918. Tempera and oil on canvas. Kunstmuseum, Berne, Switzerland.

Mancini, Italo. Tornino I volti [Back to the Faces]. Genova: Marietti Editrice, 1989.

The New English Bible. "Luke 1: 26-36, 38." New York: Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1970.

Coles, Robert. The Call of Service: A Witness to Idealism. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993, 51-53. Copyright © 1993 by Robert Coles. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Hirsh, Sharon. Hodler's Symbolist Themes. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1983, 67.

Morhardt, Mathias. "Salons du Champ-de-Mars II: Les Artistes Suisses." Semaine Littéraire, 5 May 1894, p.207.

"Jesus Christ the Apple Tree." Elizabeth Poston, Christmas at King's, King's College Choir, Cambridge, David Wilcocks, conductor. EMI 2008. Disc 2, Track 13.

"O Spross aus Isais Wurzel." Arvo Pärt, Out of the Night, Taverner Choir, Andrew Parrott. conductor, Sony 1999. Track 5.

"Es ist ein Rose." Traditional German, arr. Hugo Distler, Christmas with Chanticleer, Joseph Jennings, director, Teldec Classics 2001. Track 4.

 

Who robs me of life?

Migrant Mother, (Nipomo, California, February 1936). Dorothea Lange, 1895-1965. Gelatin-Silver Print. The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C, United States of America. The Art Archive at Art Resource, NY.

Auden, Wystan Hugh. "Musée des Beaux-Arts." Another Time. New York: Random House, 1940.

The New English Bible. "Matthew 2:13-14, 16-18." New York: Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1970.

Doblmeier, Martin (director). The Power of Forgiveness. South Carolina Educational Television, 2008.

Kraybill, Donald, Steven Nolt, and Daniel Weaver-Zercher. Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2007.

Lange, Dorothea. "The Assignment I'll Never Forget: Migrant Mother." Popular Photography. February 1960.

Auden, Wystan Hugh. "For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio (1941-1942)." Collected Poems. Ed. Edward Mendelson. Random House, 1976, 354.

"The Flight into Egypt." John Harbison, The Flight into Egypt and Other Works, The Cantata Singers and Ensemble, Roberta Anderson, soprano, Sanford Sylvan, baritone, David Hoose, conductor, New World Records 1990. Track 1. Used with permission.

"Vox in Rama." Eya Mater: Chant grégorien-Polyphonies des XI-XII siècles, Discantus, Anne Guidet, mezzo-soprano, Brigitte Lesne, director, Opus 111 1995. Track 5.

"God Bless the Child." Billie Holliday, God Bless the Child - The Very Best Of Billie Holiday, Columbia/Legacy 2006. Track 1.

 

Do tears restore?

Christ in the House of Simon the Pharisee, 1460. Dieric the Elder Bouts, 1415-1475. Oil on oak. 40.5 x 61 cm. Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin, Germany. Bpk, Berlin / Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen, Berlin, Germany / Joerg P. Anders / Art Resource NY.

Kennedy, X. J.. "A Scandal in the Suburbs." In a Prominent Bar in Secaucus: New and Selected Poems, 1955-2007. pg. 145. © 2007 X.J. Kennedy. Reprinted with permission of Johns Hopkins University Press.

The New English Bible. "Luke 7:36-50." New York: Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1970.

Appleton, George, ed. "Ojibway Prayer." The Oxford Book of Prayer. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985, 1068.

"Flow, My Tears." John Dowland, Dowland: Flow My Tears and Other Lute Songs, Steven Rickards, counter tenor, Dorothy Linell, lute, Naxos: Early Music 2000. Track 2.

"Fix You." Coldplay, X & Y. Parlophone Records Ltd. 2005. Track 4.

"Redemption Song." Bob Marley, Legend, Tuff Gong 2002. Track 12.

 

Forgiven, a return to life?

The Return of the Prodigal Son, 1668. Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, 1606-1669. Oil on canvas. 262 x 205 cm. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. Album / Art Resource, NY.

Sedar, Leopold. "Return." Divine Inspiration: The Life of Jesus in World Poetry. Eds. Robert Atwan, George Dardess, and Peggy Senghor Rosenthal. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997, 248.

The New English Bible. "Luke 15:11-24." New York: Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1970.

Appleton, George, ed. "Ravensbruck Prayer." The Oxford Book of Prayer. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985, 367.

Nouwen, Henri J. M. The Return of the Prodigal Son A Meditation on Fathers, Brothers, and Sons. New York: Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1992, 62, 129-130.

"Paraphrase 30-Kedron." traditional, arr. Hugh S. Robertson, Psalms of Scotland, Scottish Philharmonic Singers, Ian McCrorie, director, SCS Music 1988. Track 3.

"I Believe I'll Go Back Home/Lordy, Won't You Help Me?" traditional, arr. Charles Lloyd, Jr., Spirituals in Concert, Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman, orchestra conducted by James Levine, Deutche Grammophone 1990. Track 6.

"I Believe I'll Go Back Home." traditional, arr. Gregg Allman and T-Bone Burnett, Low Country Blues, Gregg Allman, Rounder Records 2011. Track 8.

 

Why do I suffer?

The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, 1891. Franz von Stuck, 1863-1928. Oil on canvas. 415 x 80 cm. Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France. © RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY.

The Five Books of Moses: The Schocken Bible. "Genesis 3:1-13, 23." Trans. Everett Fox. Vol. 1. New York: Schocken Books, 1995.

Smith, Mary Olive, (director). A Walk to Beautiful. Engel Entertainment, 2007.

"This Is the Truth Sent from Above," English Traditional, arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams, adapted by Joseph Jennings, Christmas with Chanticleer, Dawn Upshaw, soprano, Chanticleer; Joseph Jennings, director, Teldec Classics 2001. Track 1.

"Is That All There Is?" Mike Stoller, Jerome Lieber, lyrics "Is That All There Is?" Peggy Lee, vocalist, Capital Records 2011, remastered 2003. Track 1.

"Modimo." Soweto Gospel Choir, African Spirit, Shanachie Entertainment 2006. Track 14.

 

Satan, the rumor monger?

Christ in the Wilderness, 1873. Ivan Kramskoi, 1837-1887. Oil on canvas. 180 x 210 cm. The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia. Scala / Art Resource, NY.

Pelikan, Jaroslav. Jesus through the Centuries, His Place in the History of Culture. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1985, 207. (Quoting Dostoevsky's The Grand Inquisitor 1879-80.)

The Orthodox New Testament. "Matthew 4:1-11." Buena Vista, CO: Holy Apostles Convent and Dormition Skete, 2004.

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Trans. Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990, 254-55, 257.

Brook, Peter, (director). The Grand Inquisitor (play). Adapted by Marie Hélène Estienne, from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. 2008. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDvLRlcsYnQ YouTube.

Kramskoi, Ivan. Pis'ma. Leningrad: Gosudarstvennoe izdatel'stavo izobrazitel'nykh iskusstv, 1937, 219-222.

"Ud: Variations on Syriac Melodies." Maronite tradition, Chant Traditional Maronite, Elie Kesrouani, ud, Harmonia Mundi 1991. Track 15.

"A Companion to Stiff." Shaker traditional, Simple Gifts: Shaker Chants and Spirituals, Daniel McCabe, Joel Cohen, director, Erato 1995. Track 10.

"It's Up To Me." Pennywise, Land of the Free? Epitaph 2001. Track 10.

 

Naked beauty?

Bathsheba, 1889. Jean-Leon Gérôme, 1824-1904. Oil sketch on canvas. 61 x 100 cm. Private collection.

von Balthasar, Hans Urs. The Glory of the Lord, a Theological Aesthetics, Volume 1: Seeing the Form. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1982, 18.

The New English Bible. "2 Samuel 11:2-5." New York: Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1970.

Campolo, Tony. "The Agnes Story." Let Me Tell You a Story. Nashville: Word Publishing, 2000, 216-220. (Used by Permission of Tony Campolo's Speaking Office, December 2, 2013.)

Campolo, Tony. "Compassion: Hope for the City and People." Lifework Leadership sermon in Orlando, Florida on February 9, 2012. (Used by Permission of Tony Campolo's Speaking Office, December 2, 2013. www.TonyCampolo.org)

"I Beheld Her Beautiful as a Dove." Healey Willan, Healey Willan: Missae Breves 4 & 11, Motets, Choirs of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Robert Hunter Bell, conductor, Virgin Classics 1994. Track 16.

"Bathsheba Smiles." Richard Thompson, Mock Tudor, Capitol Records 1999. Track 3.

 

Why not despair?

Job, 1880. Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat, 1833-1922. Oil on canvas. Bonnat-Helleu Musée des Beaux-Arts, Bayonne, France. RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY.

The New English Bible. "Job 13:15, 20-26." New York: Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1970.

MacLeish, Archibald. J.B.: A Play in Verse. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1956, 9-11.

Kazan, Elia (director). J.B. (play). Written by Archibald MacLeish. Starring Christopher Plummer and Raymond Massey. 1958.

"Psalm 13." Franz Liszt, Sir Thomas Beecham: The Later Tradition, Walter Midgley, tenor, Beecham Choral Society, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Thomas Beecham, conductor, EMI Classics 2011 Disc 5. Track 4.

"I've Been 'Buked." traditional, Where the Sun Will Never Go Down, Chanticleer, Joseph Jennings, director, Teldec 1990. Track 8.

"Nothing Left to Lose." The Alan Parsons Project, The Turn of a Friendly Card, Eric Woolfson, lead vocals, Artista 1980. Track 9.

 

May I become whole?

Crucifixion with Two Thieves, mid-16th century. Theophanes the Cretan, 1527-1559. Fresco. Stavronikita monastery, Mount Athos, Greece.

Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1958, 237.

The Orthodox New Testament. "Luke 23:33-44a." Buena Vista, CO: Holy Apostles Convent and Dormition Skete, 2004.

CNN's Larry King interview with Karla Faye Tucker. (January 14, 1998) http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1998/tucker.execution/transcripts/trans.1.14.html Used with Permission.

"The Good Thief." M. Burmagin, Credo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, baritone, St. Petersburg Chamber Choir, Nikolai Korniev, director, Philips 1996. Track 2.

"Kyrie eleison." from Mass in E Minor, Anton Bruckner, Bruckner: Mass in E Minor/Motets, CBSO Chorus and Wind Ensemble, Simon Halsey, conductor, Conifer Records 1990. Track 1.

"The Beatitudes." traditional, Vox de Nube: Voice from the Cloud, Nóirín Ní Riain and the Monks of Glenstal Abbey, Sounds True 1996. Track 13.

 

Where are my accusers?

Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery, after 1532. Lucas Cranach the Younger, 1515-1586. Oil on copperplate. 84 x 123 cm. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia / HIP / Art Resource, NY

Gibran, Kahlil. "Joanna: The Wife of Herod's Steward." Jesus, the Son of Man. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1928.

The Orthodox New Testament. "John 8:3-11." Buena Vista, CO: Holy Apostles Convent and Dormition Skete, 2004.

Card, Orson, Scott. Speaker for the Dead. 2nd ed. New York: Tor Books, 1991, 277-278.

Christensen, Carl. C. Art and the Reformation in Germany. Ohio and Michigan: Ohio University Press, Wayne State University Press, 1979, ix-xi, 310-19.

"Si iniquitates observaveris." Samuel Wesley, The Worlds Above, The Choir of Grace Cathedral San Francisco, John Fenstermaker, director, Gothic 1996. Track 9.

"Justice." Bruce Cockburn, Inner City Front, Golden Mountain Music 1981, remastered by Rounder Records 2002. Track 7.

"Forgive Them Father." Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill, Ruffhouse Records 1998. Track 10.

 

May I snatch life from death?

Noli Me Tangere, 1581. Lavinia Fontana, 1552-1614. Oil on canvas. 80 x 65.5 cm. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy. Scala / Art Resource, NY

Ward, Benedicta. "Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 1 xxiv, PL 52, col. 409." Harlots of the Desert: A Study of Repentance in Early Monastic Sources. Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications Inc., 1987, 14. Copyright 1987 by Benedicta Ward. A Cistercian Publication published by Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN. Used with permission.

The New English Bible. "John 20:11-17a." New York: Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1970.

"Stop and Hear the Music." YouTube video by The Washington Post. January 12, 2007. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnOPu0_YWhw Used with permission.

Weingarten, Gene. "Pearls Before Breakfast." Article from The Washington Post. Sunday, April 8, 2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html Used with permission.

"Ov bardeezban." traditional chant and text, arr. Archbishop Z. Aznavorian, Joyous Light, Isabel Bayrakdarian, soprano, Elmer Iseler Chamber Orchestra, Raffi Armenian, conductor, CBC Records SMCD 5215 2002. Track 17.

"I Know That My Redeemer Liveth." George Frederic Handel, Messiah, Susan Gritton, soprano, Gabrieli Players, Paul McCreesh, conductor, Archiv 1997. CD 2, track 12.

"I Don't Know How to Love Him." Andrew Lloyd Webber, Love Changes Everything: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, Vol. 2, Sarah Brightman, soprano, Verve 2005. Track 8.

 

In my health is my disease?

The Sermon on the Mountain, 1896. Károly Ferenczy, 1862-1917. Oil on canvas. 135 x 203 cm. Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary.

Auden, Wystan Hugh. "In Memory of W.B. Yeats." Another Time. New York: Random House, 1940.

The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition. "Matthew 5:1-12." Toronto: Canadian Bible Society, 1993.

Yevtushenko, Yevgeny. A Precocious Autobiography. Trans. Andrew R. MacAndrew. New York: Penguin, 1963, 26-27.

"Tubwayhun layleyn d'khafnin." Dead Sea Scrolls, text; arranged by Christopher and Covita Moroney, Ancient Echos: Music from the Time of Jesus and Jerusalem's Second Temple, SAVAE [San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble], World Library Publications 2002. Track 10.

"The Beatitudes." Arvo Pärt, Sanctuary, Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury, conductor, Virgin Classics (1994) 1998. Track 3.

"Christmas in the Trenches." John McCutcheon, Winter Solstice, Rounder Records, 1984. Track 4.

 

Am I loved?

The Baptism of Christ, c.475. Detail of the ceiling dome mosaic. The Baptistery of Neon, Ravenna, Italy. Scala / Art Resource, NY.

Glatzer, Nahum N. Franz Rosenzweig: His Life and Thought. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, 1998, XXIV.

The Orthodox New Testament. "Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:23-24a, 38." Buena Vista, CO: Holy Apostles Convent and Dormition Skete, 2004.

CBC Radio's The Current with Anna Maria Tremonti. "Interview with Malala Yousafzai." (Broadcasted Wednesday, October 19, 2013.) Used with permission.

"Behold the Lamb of God." George Frederic Handel, Handel Messiah, The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra, Harry Christophers, conductor, Hyperion 1997. CD 1, track 23.

"Antienne Ton 6/ Celi aperti sunt." Peter the Venerable, Cluny: La Transfiguration-Chants de Pierre le Vénérable, Ensemble Venance Fortunat, Anne-Marie Deschamps, director, L'Empreinte Digitale (Harmonia Mundi, distribution). Track 14.

"...Which was the son of..." Arvo Pärt, Triodion, Polyphony, Stephen Layton, conductor, Hyperion 2003. Track 3.

 

Who is my neighbour?

The Good Samaritan, (After Delacroix), 1890. Vincent van Gogh, 1853-1890. Oil on canvas. 73 x 60 cm. Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands. Album / Art Resource, NY.

Cayley, David. The Rivers North of the Future: The Testament of Ivan Illich. Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2005.

The Orthodox New Testament. "Luke 10:25-37." Buena Vista, CO: Holy Apostles Convent and Dormition Skete, 2004.

Zwick, Mark and Louise. Mercy without Borders: The Catholic Worker and Immigration. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2010.

Greer, Joan, E. "'Christ, this great artist' - Van Gogh's socio-religious canon of art", Vincent's Choice: the Musée imaginaire of Van Gogh, Chris Stolwijk et. al. eds., Van Gogh's imaginary museum: exploring the artist's inner world, New York : Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2003, 61-72 (in: Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Russian).

Greer, Joan, E. " 'Een man van smerten ende versocht in krankheyt'. Het christologische beeld van de kunstenaar in Van Goghs Stilleven met open bijbel" ['Man of Sorrows and Acquainted with Grief'. The Christological Image of the Artist in Van Gogh's Still Life with Open Bible], in Jong Holland, no.3, 1997, 30-42 (in Dutch).

Greer, Joan, E. "A modern Gethsemane: Vincent van Gogh's Olive Grove." Van Gogh Museum Journal, 2001, 106-117.

Homburg, Cornelia. The copy turns original. Vincent van Gogh and a new approach to traditional art practice. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 1996.

Kōdera. Tsukasa. "Christianity Versus Nature. A Study of van Gogh's Thematics." Praeger Publishers. Westport, Conneticut 1996, 231-2.

Meedendorp, Teio. "The Good Samaritan (after Delacroix)", The Paintings of Vincent van Gogh in the Collection of the Kröller-Müller Museum, mus. cat., Otterlo: Kröller-Müller Museum, 2003, 347-350.

Van Gogh, Vincent. "Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo, letter 805, Sept. 1889," Vincent van Gogh - The Letters. Eds. Leo Jansen, Hans Luijten, and Nienke Bakker. Version: December 2010. Amsterdam & The Hague: Van Gogh Museum & Huygens ING. http://vangoghletters.org .

"A New Commandment." Thomas Tallis, The Tallis Scholars Sing Thomas Tallis, The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips, conductor, Gimell 2004. CD 1, track 10.

"He Ain't Heavy." Bob Russell and Bobby Scott, The Hollies Greatest Hits, The Hollies, Capitol Records, 1967. Track 7.

"He Reached Down," Iris DeMent, Lifeline, Flariella Records 2004. Track 9.

 

May the other be mine?

Jacob Blessing Joseph's Sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, 6th-7th Century. Detail of the miniature from the Ashburnham Pentateuch. 37.2 x 32.1 cm. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des Manuscripts, NAL 2334, folio 50r.

Levinas, Emmanuel. Totality and Infinity An Essay on Exteriority. Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1969, 22.

The New English Bible. "Genesis 48:1, 8-21." New York: Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1970.

Thurman, Howard. With Head and Heart: The Autobiography of Howard Thurman. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1979, 79. Copyright © 1979 by Howard Thurman. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

"Yemeni Shema." traditional, Life of the Worlds: Journeys in Jewish Sacred Music, Richard Kaplan, Five souls Music, 2003. Track 17. Used with permission.

"Sabbath Prayer." Jerry Bock with lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, Fiddler on the Roof, Robert Merrill, baritone, Decca 1968. Track 3.

"Where is it Written?" Michel Legrand, Yentl, Barbara Streisand, vocalist, Columbia 1963. Track 1.

 

Am I blessed?

Christ Blessing Bartholomew, (St. Sergii of Radonezh), 1890. Mikhail Nesterov, 1862-1942. Oil on canvas. The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, Sergiev Posad, Russia.

Blake, William. The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake. Ed. David E. Erdman. New York: Anchor Books, 1988.

The New English Bible. "Matthew 19:13-14." New York: Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1970.

O'Donohue, John. To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. New York: The Random House Group, 2008.

"Psalm 131." John Michael Talbot, Troubadour for the Lord, Sparrow 1996. Track 17.

"Gospel." Dudley Philips, Huw Warren, Martin France, Extempore II: A Modern Mass for the Feast of St. Michael based on the medieval melody L'homme armé, Donald Grieg, baritone, Orlando Consort, Perfect Houseplants, Harmoni mundi 2002. Track 10.

"The Prayer of the Children." Kurt Bestor, Baylor University Men's Choir, 2013. Used with permission.

 

May I live to love?

Holy Trinity, (Troitsa), 1425-27. Andrei Rublev, 1360-c.1430. Tempera on wood. 141.5 x 114 cm. The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia. Scala / Art Resource, NY.

Mancini, Italo. Tornino I volti [Back to the Faces]. Genova: Marietti Editrice, 1989.

The Five Books of Moses: The Schocken Bible. "Genesis 18:1-15." Trans. Everett Fox. Vol. 1. New York: Schocken Books, 1995.

Kiser, John. The Monks of Tibhirine: Faith, Love, and Terror in Algeria. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2002.

Beauvois, Xavier, (director). Of Gods and Men. Sony Pictures Classics, 2010.

"Eftach sefatai." Carpentras traditional, The Sacred Bridge, Michael Collver, counter tenor, Anne Azéma, soprano, Joel Cohen, director, Erato 1990. Track 8.

"Ubi caritas." from Quatre motets sur des thèmes grégoriens, Op. 10 (1960) [Four Motets on Gregorian Themes], Maurice Duruflé, Gloria: Sacred Choral Works, Elmer Iseler Singers, Elmer Iseler, conductor, CBC Records 1993. Track 1.

"The Heavenly Banquet." Samuel Barber, traditional text translated by Seán Ó Faoláin, from Hermit Songs, Leontyne Price, soprano, Samuel Barber, piano, Leontyne Price Sings Barber, RCA Gold Seal 1993, BMG Music 1984. Track 4.

 

Most favored one?

The Annunciation, (Cortona Altarpiece), 1432-34. Fra Angelico, 1387-1455. Tempera on panel. 175 x 180 cm. Museo Diocesano, Cortona, Tuscany, Italy. Scala / Art Resource, NY.

Auden, Wystan Hugh. "For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio (1941-1942)." Collected Poems. Ed. Edward Mendelson. Random House, 1976, 419.

The New English Bible. "Luke 1:26-35." New York: Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, 1970.

CBC Radio Idea's The Chosen "Part 2" with Frank Faulk. (Broadcasted June 19, 2013.) Used with permission.

"The Angelus." traditional, A Day in the Cloister, Daughters of Mary, 2010. Track 12.

"Angelus ad virginem." John Rutter, and English traditional, adapted by John Rutter, Dancing Day, Toronto Children's Chorus, Judy Loman, harp, Jean Ashworth Bartle, director, Marquis Classics 1990. Track 2.

"Cuncti simus concanentes." Llibre Vermell de Montserrat: Cantigas de Santa Maria, Brigitte Lesne, Catherine Sergent, et. al. with members of Choeur d'enfants de la Maîtrise de Notre-Dame de Paris William Anger, Raphael Mas and Emmanuel Pousse, Opus 111 1995. Track 10.

 

All will be well?

Julian of Norwich, 1964. Moira Forsyth, 1905-1991. Benedictine staned glass window. Bauchon Chapel, Norwich Cathedral, Norwich, England. Photo by Mike Dixon used with permission.

Colledge, Edmund and James Walsh. Revelations of Divine Love. London and New York: Paulist Press, 1978, 315.

The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition. "Revelation 21:1-5." Toronto: Canadian Bible Society, 1993.

Van der Post, Laurens. Patterns of Renewal. Wallingford, Pennsylvania: Pendle Hill Pamphlet Number 121. 1962, 4-5.

"The Twenty-Third Psalm (Dedicated to my Mother)." Bobby McFerrin, Medicine Music, Capitol Records, 1990. Track 12.

"Rejoice in the Lamb, Op. 30: For I will Consider my Cat Joeffry." Benjamin Britten, Christopher Smart, text, Britten: Choral Edition, Carys-Anne Lane Soprano, Andrew Lumsden, Organ, Chandos Records, 1997. Track 8.

"All Will be Well." Daniel Dodd Wilson and Gabriel Dixon, The Gabe Dixon Band, Concord Music Group, 2008.

 

Mine is the sunlight?

The Wolf of Gubbio, 1437-44. Sassetta, (Stefano di Giovanni), 1390-1450. Egg tempera on poplar. (Panel from the San Sepolcro Altarpiece.) 87 x 52.4 cm. The National Gallery, London, United Kingdom. © National Gallery, London / Art Resource, NY.

St. Francis of Assisi. "Canticle of Brother Sun." c.1224

Alter, Robert. "Psalm 104." The Book of Psalms. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.

Lane, Patrick. Video of convocation speech at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan Campus on June 6, 2013. YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBL55TUkNyM Used with permission.

Pelikan, Jaroslav. Jesus through the Centuries, His Place in the History of Culture. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1985, 134.

"All Creatures of Our God and King." tune Lasst uns Erfreuen, Geistliche Kirchengesang, 1623, arranged by John Rutter, text W. H. Draper based on Francis of Assisi, Te Deum and Other Church Music, The Cambridge Singers, John Rutter, director, City of London Sinfonia, John Scott, conductor, Collegium Records, 1990. Track 6.

"Triptic de Mossen Cinto: III. Sant Francesc i la cigala (Triptych of Mossen Cinto: St Francis and the Cicada)." Raquel Lojendio, soprano, Rodrigo: Songs and Madrigals (Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 10), Naxos 2001. Track 12.

"Morning Has Broken." tune, "Bunessan," Gaelic traditional, text by Eleanor Farjeon, Cat Stevens, Cat Stevens: Greatest Hits, Universal Island Records, 1979. Track 11.

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