Visio Divina for women: Thursday, April 8

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Visio Divina for women: Thursday, April 8

In the midst of Covid 19 Petra Berment found herself responding to tweets by Pope Francis on Twitter, then one day she got an inbox message asking her, what intentions would she like the Pope to offer up for her…. And in that moment of decision she asked the Pope to pray for three things that were dearest and most important to her, one of which was that she could use her art to be of greater service to the Catholic church in Trinidad and Tobago.

Petra did not really believe that Pope Francis himself was tweeting her, but soon after she was asked to submit one of her pieces for Visio Divina, then another call came asking her if she could do a backdrop for St Peter’s RC Church in Orange Valley. “Where is Orange Valley?” she asked. Being from Brazil (in Trinidad) she soon found out that Orange Valley was an approximate 2 hour drive from her home and she would trek there to begin making her masterpiece. In the end she painted the most stunning work of art, which now hangs at the back of the altar. It was revealed to the parishioners on Easter Sunday morning and all of the congregation stood in awe at the fantastic work of art.

That is the story behind this week’s Visio Divina done by Petra Berment. Petra was previously featured; she is actually a parishioner of St Raphael RC Church and amongst other things works tirelessly in her roles as wife, mother and daughter. This piece that is now the backdrop at St Peter’s RC Church in Orange Valley but can also be found (in a different format) as part of Art Society’s Religious art exhibition which is presently ongoing.

So here is how we are going to do it.

1. Set aside 20 minutes in the day for the guided prayer experience

2. As you begin to prayer take a few minutes to open your heart and mind to God.

3. When you are ready, slowly look and notice the image, taking your time to let feelings and thoughts come to you as you take in forms, figures, colors, lines, textures, and shapes. What does it look like, or remind you of? What are your initial thoughts? What feelings are evoked?

4. Now, return to the image with an open heart and mind again. You may now experience new thoughts, meanings, and feelings. Start, exploring new meanings and feeling that come to you associated with the image. Be aware of any assumptions or expectations that you bring to the image. Regardless of your response to the image — delight, disgust, indifference, and confusion — contemplate prayerfully the reason for your response and what these responses might mean for and about you.

5. As you go deeper in this prayer, open yourself to what the image might reveal to you. What does the Spirit want to say, evoke, make known, or express to you in quiet meditation? What are your feelings, thoughts, desires, and meanings evoked by the image and how they are directly connected to your life?

6. Now, take the time to respond to God. Jot down in a journal the insights you want to remember, actions you are invited to take, wisdom you hope to embody, or any feelings or thoughts you wish to express. Bring your prayer to a close by resting in God’s grace and love.

Please email us as at forwomen@catholictt.org on the impact this activity may have had on your day, and be sure to share the artist’s image on your social media feeds.

Source info: https://www.patheos.com/resources/additional-resources/2009/07/praying-with-art-visio-divina