By George P. Matysek Jr.
The woman stood before the blackened figure of Christ on the cross, staring intently at the sorrowful image for a long time before her tears began to flow.
The abstract figure revealed no face – only a dark shape of Christ’s body with red splotches suggesting blood shed during the passion. A bright yellow halo surrounded the figure’s wounded head, indicating a sense of hope and life beyond death.
No matter how much humanity hurts God, the woman said, the painting shows the bleeding Christ still loves to the point of dying on a cross.
Joel O. Bugas, a seminarian at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, who painted the image, said the woman’s reaction was an inspiration. The artist held an exhibit last month of his work. Twenty of his works were displayed, with most of them focused on the cross as a central theme.
“It’s very rewarding and amazing to hear people talk about their faith reflections after they look at the paintings,” said Mr. Bugas. “If I can touch the lives of people in some small way with my art, it’s worth it. It’s a way of evangelizing.”
Other than the art class he took as a fourth-grader in his native Philippines, Mr. Bugas has no formal training. He taught himself by reading books, talking to other artists and visiting galleries.
He works with acrylic paints on canvas and tries to convey a deep love for Christ and the church through his paintings, Mr. Bugas said. He paints during breaks from his studies at the seminary – using his free moments to pray as he applies the brush to the canvas.
“Putting the paint on isn’t just smashing it on,” said Mr. Bugas, a former mayor of the Filipino city of Nabunturan who will be ordained for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in four years.
Mr. Bugas said he often explores the cross as a topic for his paintings because the cross “conveys how we know God.” His paintings, although abstract, are simply expressed.
One of his most popular paintings at the art show was titled “The Family of God,” an image of a gold cross on a striking multi-colored backdrop.
“It tries to show that the purity of God is like gold,” Mr. Bugas said.
Visitors purchased 17 of the 20 paintings displayed. The seminarian said he will use the money to pay for a laptop computer for his theological studies.
Mr. Bugas hopes to have free exhibitions of his work at other parishes. “I’d like to share some of my inspirations from my journey with Christ,” he said.
(This article courtesy of the The Catholic Review.)
