Christian.Art, 47 Cumberland Street, London (2026)

03/06/2026

St. Kizito being baptised by St. Charles Lwanga at Munyonyo,
Stained glass at Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine,
Modern
© Wikimedia

Saints Charles Lwanga and his Companions, Martyrs

Matthew 5:1-12

Scroll down to read the Gospel & Art Reflection or click this link to read on the Christian.art website

🔗 https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-5-1-12-2026/

At that time: Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’

Reflection on the stained glass window

Saint Charles Lwanga and his Companions were a group of twenty-two Catholic martyrs, killed for their faith in Uganda between 1885 and 1887. They were part of a wider persecution of Christian converts (both Catholic and Anglican) under the rule of King Mwanga II of Buganda. The king, fearing the growing influence of Christianity in his court and angered by the Christians' opposition to his immoral demands, especially toward young male pages, began a brutal campaign against the Christian converts. Charles Lwanga, a court official and a devout Catholic, courageously protected the younger boys from the king’s abuses and continued to instruct them in the faith, even after the murder of the Catholic missionary Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe.

On 3 June 1886, Charles and twelve of his companions were burned alive at Namugongo, having refused to renounce their faith. Their martyrdom became a powerful witness, inspiring the growth of Christianity throughout Uganda and beyond. Pope Paul VI canonised them in 1964, recognising not only their heroic virtue but also the extraordinary witness of a young, indigenous African Church. Today's feast holds special significance in Africa, especially in Uganda, where they are national heroes and spiritual intercessors.

Among those martyred was Saint Kizito, the youngest of the group, who was just 14 years old at the time of his death. Our stained glass window from the Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine. A page at the royal court, Kizito was deeply influenced by the example and care of Charles Lwanga. On the night before their ex*****on, at Munyonyo, Charles secretly baptised Kizito, knowing that their deaths were imminent. It was an act of immense courage and love, a final gift of faith from one saint to another! That moment, in the darkness of persecution, symbolises the light of Christ passed from one soul to another, and the enduring strength of belief in the face of terror. Today, Munyonyo is a place of pilgrimage, where the memory of their sacrifice continues to inspire generations of believers.

Today we pray especially for our brothers and sisters in Africa, where the Catholic Church is growing with extraordinary vitality and joy. In many African countries, the faith is flourishing with vibrant Christian communities and a remarkable number of priestly and religious vocations. Today, nearly one in five Catholics in the world lives in Africa, and the Church there continues to grow rapidly year after year. While many parts of the Western world experience declining church attendance, African churches are often overflowing with worshippers, filled with singing, prayer, and youthful energy. Yet alongside this growth, many Christians in Africa also face immense hardship: poverty, political instability, violence, persecution, and lack of resources. Today we pray that the Church in Africa may continue to be a radiant witness for the whole universal Church..

02/06/2026

First Portrait Denarius of Julius Caesar,
issued in January 44 B.C.,
Silver struck coin
© Image courtesy of Classical Numismatic Group

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s

Mark 12:13-17

Scroll down to read the Gospel & Art Reflection or click this link to read on the Christian.art website

🔗 https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/mark-12-13-17-2026/

At that time: They sent to Jesus some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?’ But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, ‘Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.’ And they brought one. And he said to them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ They said to him, ‘Caesar’s.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they marvelled at him.

Reflection on the Roman Silver Coin

Julius Caesar was the first Roman politician to strike coins bearing his own portrait during his lifetime. Before him, such self-promotion was widely regarded in Rome as an act of dangerous political arrogance. Yet by the time of Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC, silver denarii carrying his image were circulating widely throughout Rome and across the empire. Our illustration above shows precisely the kind of coin Jesus refers to in today’s Gospel reading when He says: “Hand me a denarius and let me see it,” before continuing, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.”

One side of the coin depicts Julius Caesar crowned with a laurel wreath, a symbol of triumph and victory. The reverse shows him riding in a chariot, celebrating his military successes. Earlier Roman coins had often featured chariots too, but these were usually driven by the supreme god Jupiter, often accompanied by the winged figure of Victory. Caesar, however, boldly replaces Jupiter with himself. Clothed in the draped Roman toga, the political dress of the age, he presents himself with an almost divine authority. The coin is therefore more than currency: it is propaganda in silver, proclaiming Caesar’s power wherever the coin travelled.

In our Gospel reading, although the Pharisees approached Jesus with flattering words, He immediately recognised that He was being tested. Yet Jesus responds with extraordinary wisdom. He begins His argument strategically by asking for a coin: “Hand me a denarius and let me see it.” Probably Jesus Himself carried no such coin. That may well have been the case. But by asking one of His challengers to produce a Roman denarius from his own purse, Jesus subtly exposes something important: those questioning Him were already deeply entangled with the Roman system. They benefited from the very imperial economy they outwardly resented. In simply producing the coin, they revealed their own collaboration with the earthly powers of Rome.

For collectors today, ancient coins hold a unique fascination. Long before the coins of Julius Caesar circulated through the Roman Empire, early forms of money already existed in the ancient world. Civilisations in Mesopotamia and Egypt often traded using weighed amounts of silver, barley, or other valuable goods, but these were not yet true coins. The first real coins are generally believed to have appeared in the kingdom of Lydia, in western Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), around the 7th century BC. These small stamped pieces of electrum (a natural alloy of gold and silver) carried official marks guaranteeing their value. The Greeks quickly adopted and refined the practice, producing beautifully designed coins bearing gods, animals, and civic symbols. The Romans later inherited and expanded this tradition, eventually creating a vast monetary system that spread across their empire..

01/06/2026

A bearded Justin Martyr presenting an open book to a Roman emperor,
Etched by Jacques Callot (1592-1635),
Published by Israël Henriet, French, 1632-1635,
Etching on paper

Saint Justin Martyr

Matthew 5:13-19

Scroll down to read the Gospel & Art Reflection or click this link to read on the Christian.art website

🔗https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-5-13-19-2026/

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.’

Reflection on the etching

Saint Justin Martyr was one of the most important thinkers of the early Church, a man who helped Christianity find a language to speak to the intellectual world of the Roman Empire. Born around AD 90–100, probably in Flavia Neapolis in Samaria (modern Nablus), he was raised in a pagan environment and spent much of his youth learning philosophy. He studied especially the Greek philosophers. One day, while walking by the sea, he encountered an elderly Christian who challenged him. The old man told him that the prophets of Israel and the teachings of Christ revealed a wisdom greater than that of the Greek philosophers. Justin later wrote that after this conversation, “a fire was kindled in my soul.” It was a turning point in his life. A simple, old man had touched his heart with only few words. He converted to Christianity, yet continued to wear the philosopher’s cloak, seeing Christianity not as the rejection of reason, but as its fulfilment.

Justin became immensely important for the development of Christian theology because he was among the very first Christians to explain the faith systematically using the language of philosophy. At a time when Christians were often mocked as irrational or dangerous, he argued that Christianity was the true philosophy. One of his greatest contributions was his teaching on the Logos - the divine “Word.” Drawing on both the Gospel of John and Greek philosophical ideas, Justin taught that Christ is the eternal Logos through whom all truth is known. He even suggested that seeds of truth could be found in pagan philosophy because every human being participates instinctively yet imperfectly in the divine Logos. This was revolutionary. It allowed Christianity to engage with culture rather than simply reject it, and it laid foundations for later theologians such as Saint Augustine of Hippo and the great Cappadocian Fathers.

Justin is also enormously valuable because his writings give us one of the earliest descriptions of Christian worship. In his First Apology, written around AD 155, he describes Christians gathering on Sunday, reading the memoirs of the apostles, listening to a homily, praying together, exchanging the kiss of peace, and celebrating the Eucharist with bread and wine. Reading his words today is astonishing, because the structure he describes is recognisably the Mass still celebrated in the Catholic Church. In this sense, Justin becomes a precious witness to the continuity of Christian worship from the earliest centuries until today.

His courage eventually led him to martyrdom. Moving and living in Rome, Justin openly debated pagan philosophers and defended Christians before the authorities. According to tradition, he was denounced by a rival philosopher named Crescens, who resented Justin’s influence. When ordered to sacrifice to the Roman gods, Justin refused. The Roman prefect threatened him with death, but Justin answered calmly: “Our desire is to suffer for Our Lord Jesus Christ, and so to be saved.” Around AD 165 he was scourged and beheaded with several companions.

Our small etching by Baroque engraver Jacques Callot, depicts Saint Justin Martyr standing before the Roman authorities, not with weapons or political power, but with a book in his hands. Around AD 155, Justin wrote his First Apology, a courageous defence of Christianity addressed to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius, as well as to the Roman Senate. In this work, he pleaded for justice for Christians, who were being persecuted simply for bearing the name “Christian.” He is handing over this First Apology in our engraving.

31/05/2026

Fr. Patrick van der Vorst revisits the artworks, places and experiences that shaped his journey from the art world to the priesthood. Interwoven with testimonies from priests, religious sisters and consecrated men and women, the film explores how God calls each person uniquely through beauty, faith, experience and the search for vocation.

🔗 Click the link below to watch

https://youtu.be/K-StMVmKQtA?si=B3rigo9Mkquwv4gw

31/05/2026

Holy water distribution on Holy Saturday morning,
Published La Ilustración Española y Americana, 15 April 1876,
Photogravure on paper
© Alamy

Solemnity of The Most Holy Trinity

John 3:16-18

Scroll down to read the Gospel & Art Reflection or click this link to read on the Christian.art website

🔗 https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-3-16-18-2026/

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Reflection on the magazine illustration

From a very early age, one of the first gestures many of us learned in the Christian faith was how to make the Sign of the Cross. Small hands slowly guided by parents or grandparents, we were taught to touch our forehead as we said, “In the name of the Father,” then move down to our heart or chest, “and of the Son,” and finally across our shoulders, “and of the Holy Spirit.” It is such a simple gesture that we can easily perform it without thinking. Yet hidden within it is one of the deepest professions of faith in all Christianity. Every time we bless ourselves, we proclaim our belief in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. The movement itself is beautiful and deeply symbolic: the hand moves from mind to heart, from thought to love, and outward across the body, as though the whole of our being is being gathered into the love of God.

Many Catholics today no longer bless themselves while passing a church, as earlier generations often did instinctively. Yet countless people still dip their fingers into the holy water font upon entering a church and make the Sign of the Cross. Doing so quietly brings us back to the beginning of our Christian life: our baptism. Each one of us was baptised with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Every time we touch holy water and trace the Sign of the Cross upon ourselves, we are, in a small but beautifulful way, renewing that baptismal identity. We remind ourselves who we are and to whom we belong. And that is precisely what we celebrate today on Trinity Sunday: the mystery of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at the very heart of our faith.

Our charming 19th-century print, published in La Ilustración Española y Americana on 5 April 1876, captures a tender moment of church life. We see little children carefully blessing themselves with holy water, their small gestures echoing practices learned from parents and grandparents. The image in fact illustrates a wider Spanish tradition connected especially to Holy Saturday, when newly blessed holy water from the Easter liturgies would be distributed to the faithful. Families would bring containers to church and carry the holy water home with great reverence. Once home, it would often be placed near the entrance of the house in a small font or vessel so that family members could bless themselves upon entering or leaving the home. In this way, the house itself became an extension of the Church: a domestic sacred space marked by prayer.

The magazine in which this image appeared, La Ilustración Española y Americana, was one of the great illustrated publications of 19th-century Spain. Founded in the nineteenth century, it combined journalism, literature, cultural commentary, and detailed engravings that documented religious customs, political events, and scenes of ordinary life across Spain and beyond. Before photography became widespread in print culture, such illustrated magazines helped shape the visual imagination of society. What is so lovely about this particular image is that it reminds us how naturally faith once flowed into the rhythm of daily life.

30/05/2026

Devolved Parliament,
Painting by Banksy (born 1973),
Painted in 2009
Oil on canvas
© Banksy / Alamy / Sotheby's London, Sale 3 October 2019, lot 28, sold £9,879,500

I will tell you by what authority I do these things

Mark 11:27-33

Scroll down to read the Gospel & Art Reflection or click this link to read on the Christian.art website

🔗 https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/mark-11-27-33-2026/

At that time: Jesus and his disciples came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the Temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.’ And they discussed it with one another, saying, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say, “Why then did you not believe him?” But shall we say, “From man”?’ — they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’

Reflection on the painting

The question of authority has always been one of the great tensions within human society. Who truly possesses authority? How should it be exercised? When does authority serve others, and when does it become self-serving? These questions arise constantly in politics, institutions, families, and even within religious life. In today’s Gospel of Mark, the issue of authority stands at the very centre of the confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders in the Temple. After driving out the merchants and overturning the tables of the money changers, Jesus shocks those who considered themselves guardians of the Temple. They immediately challenge Him: “By what authority are you doing these things?” Beneath their question lies accusation. In their eyes, Jesus has stepped beyond His place. He has acted with an authority they believe He does not possess.

Yet the deeper irony is that Jesus acts precisely because he has the authority. His authority does not come from political appointment, religious status, or human approval, but from His communion with the Father. The religious leaders cannot recognise this because their hearts have already become closed. Jesus points out that they had similarly rejected the mission of John the Baptist, refusing to see that his ministry too came from God. And perhaps this Gospel still speaks powerfully to us today. Human authority is always limited and fragile. Look at what is happening in the world today politically. For us Christians, the deepest authority must always remain Christ Himself!

Of course, worldly authority itself is not something negative. No society could function without it. We entrust leaders, governments, judges, and institutions with authority so that order, justice, and the Common Good may be protected. Without some form of authority, society would quickly descend into chaos. Most politicians, I believe, serve their public lives with sincere intentions: a desire to improve society, to serve others, and to contribute something meaningful to the nation. Yet in recent decades a deep cynicism has grown toward politics and authority figures generally. Suspicion, sarcasm, and mockery often dominate public conversation, and the art world has frequently reflected this mood through works sharply critical of political leadership.

One striking example is today's painting 'Devolved Parliament' by Banksy, painted in 2009. The enormous canvas depicts the chamber of the House of Commons, yet instead of politicians seated on the green benches, we find chimpanzees passionately debating and gesturing toward one another. The scene is amusing, yet unsettling. Painted in Banksy’s characteristic satirical style, the work mocks the chaos, noise, tribalism, and perceived absurdity of political life. Whilst the humour is sharp and undeniably clever, perhaps the painting also risks becoming unfair. To reduce political life entirely to foolishness and animal chaos overlooks the countless individuals who genuinely try to serve the public with integrity, often under enormous pressure and scrutiny.

And perhaps this is where today’s Gospel becomes so important. Human authority will always remain imperfect because human beings themselves are imperfect. Governments, institutions, and leaders all have their place and responsibility within society. Yet Christ reminds us that above every earthly authority stands a greater authority: the authority of God Himself. Political leaders, religious leaders, and indeed all of us remain accountable before God.

29/05/2026

The Purification of the Temple,
Painting by El Greco (1541–1614),
Painted circa 1600,
Oil on canvas
© The Frick Collection, New York

Jesus overturned the tables of the money-changers

Mark 11:11-26

Scroll down to read the Gospel & Art Reflection or click this link to read on the Christian.art website

🔗 https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/mark-11-11-26-2026/

With the acclamation of the crowd, Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard it.

And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the Temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the Temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the Temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, ‘Is it not written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”? But you have made it a den of robbers.’ And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city.

As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea”, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses’.

Reflection on the painting

In today’s Gospel from the Gospel, Jesus enters the Temple in Jerusalem and performs one of the most dramatic actions of His public ministry. Overturning tables and driving out the merchants, He cries out with words taken from the prophet Isaiah: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” Those final words are deeply important: "for all peoples". The Temple was never meant to belong only to one group alone. Within the Temple complex there was even a special outer court reserved for the Gentiles, for non-Jews, for foreigners, for those standing at the edges seeking God. Yet this very space had been overtaken by noise, commerce, bargaining, and distraction. The place where outsiders were meant to pray had become a marketplace.

That is why Jesus reacts so fiercely. His anger is not random outrage; it is born from love for the Father and love for those being excluded. The Temple had begun serving human interests rather than divine purpose. And perhaps this remains a warning for every generation of believers. Religious institutions, however sacred, can always risk becoming too occupied with power, systems, money, reputation, or self-preservation. When that happens, they cease to reflect the heart of God. Christ reminds us today that the Church, like the Temple, must always remain a place where people can truly encounter God, open to all, a house of prayer, welcome, mercy, silence, and openness for all who seek Him.

Our painting today, Purification of the Temple by El Greco, is one of the most electrifying depictions of Christ cleansing the Temple. El Greco returned to this subject many times throughout his life, especially during the Counter-Reformation, when the scene came to symbolise the purification of the Church from corruption. At the centre of the composition stands Christ, tall and commanding, His arm sweeping dramatically through the air as He drives out the merchants and money changers. Around Him the scene erupts into chaos. Bodies twist violently. Traders stumble backward in fear. Tables collapse. Movement surges across the canvas like a storm. Yet Christ Himself remains strangely calm amid the turmoil, almost like the still centre of a whirlwind. El Greco intensifies the drama through daring colour contrasts: acid yellows, deep reds, greens, and burning oranges.

The painting is filled with symbolic detail. On one side are the frightened sinners and merchants being driven away; above them El Greco includes a sculpted relief of Adam and Eve expelled from Paradise. On the opposite side stand quieter believers observing the scene, above whom appears the Sacrifice of Isaac. These Old Testament scenes deepen the meaning of the painting: sin leads to exile, sacrifice leads toward redemption.

What is extraordinary is how many people tell em how much they love El Greco. It is true, El Greeco feels very contemporary to us today, even though these paintings were created more than four hundred years ago. Part of this comes from the radical distortion of his figures and space. Bodies elongate unnaturally; proportions stretch; light behaves strangely; colours burn with emotional intensity rather than realism. In many ways, he anticipates modern expressionism centuries before it existed. Pablo Picasso and many later modern artists saw in El Greco a painter who dared to distort reality in order to reveal deeper truths.

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