Year A - Good Friday - Passion service

Good Friday - Passion Service - Year A

Isaiah 52, 13 - 53, 12

Psalm 30

Hebrews 4, 14 - 16 ; 5, 7 - 9

John 18, 1 - 19, 42

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Details

- The blue rabbit (representing the Christ) is resolutely walking towards his Passion. The mountain is grey, the sky is somber.

- On the other side, wealth (money on the buildings), luxury (sports car), glory (camera in front of the castle, orange colour), easiness (castle life), immediacy (fast plane), pleasure (blue sky), ...

- Right in the middle, a simple sign "give your life" with an arrow pointing towards the difficult side

- The cross is higher than everything else (money, plane, ...)

Questions

-In the Bible verse, it is question of "achievement". "My servant will prosper". Indeed he managed to give his life for you. We should put achievement on the left side of the picture. That's not what achievement is. The grey rabbit who's going towards the town can see the other resolute rabbit go past. You can tell he's questioning it. Is he also going to give his life ? What about me ?

Year A - Good Thursday - Mass of the Last Supper

Good Thursday - Mass of the Last Supper - Year A

Exodus 12, 1 - 14

Psalm 115

1 Corinthians 11, 23 - 26

John 13, 1 - 15

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Details

- Foot washing was a job for slaves, for servants. Jesus wants to show his disciples that you must put yourself at the other one's service, that you must consider them as being above yourself. Therefore, he's on his knees, he's "beneath", contrary to St Peter who is "above".

- The only time when Jesus is "above" is when he's being put there, when he is "put up", on the cross, in a state of total despoliation

- Saint Peter is completely stuck in the way he sees Christ. On the picture, he's in a corner and can't move

- What will make him move is when he will disown Jesus three times. Sometimes, to get back on earth, we don't come down, we fall down

Questions

- There's a good thing about falling : you get to see misery. When you've fallen down, you experience the mercy of God who picks you up. When you've fallen down, you become more merciful and more humane towards those who fall. How does that meet my experience ? On which points do I never forgive ? Why ?

- Jesus, to come and meet me, never stops putting himself down. If I try to put myself up, I may miss him. Where are the places or the moments where he can meet me ? How do I encourage these meetings with him in my life ? In my week ? In my day ?

Year A - Sixth Sunday of Lent - Palm Sunday

Sixth Sunday of Lent - Palm Sunday - Year A

Matthew 21, 1 - 11

Isaiah 50, 4 - 7

Psalm 21

Philippians 2, 6 - 11

Matthew 26, 14 - 27, 66

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Details

- The grey rabbit (classically dressed, with neutral colours), wants to melt into the crowd.

- As for the blue rabbit, he has everything to be noticed : pink glasses, red hat, he's screaming in bright colours, to make sure he gets seen. He doesn't look like he has a model lifestyle because he's just drunk a bottle and his teeth show that his food is not healthy. Yet here he is, compromising the other one with unflattering words.

Questions

- The grey rabbit ignores him by a gesture (he turns his back on him and swears with his hand) as well as by his words (I don't know this man)

- How many times do I look like the grey rabbit when conversation starts about Christ, the Church, the Pope, ... in a hostile land ? I don't like to be ignored. Have I ever wondered about Christ's feeling when I behave as such towards him, despite the fact he's perfect and no one can reproach him anything ?

Year A - Fifth Sunday of Lent

Fifth Sunday of Lent - Year A

Ezekiel 37, 12-14

Psalm 129

Romans 8, 8-11

John 11, 1-45

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Details

- This rabbit who's all wrapped up is Lazarus in his grave who Jesus has come to resurrect. He is embalmed and his bandages make him trip over a branch that is growing inside the grave.

- This picture could be a representation of the purgatory. The purgatory is a state (not a place)where we've made the choice of God instead of death ... except we're not quite ready enough to see it straight away. Him, his absolute Holiness (on the picture, he's the light on the right).

- The rabbit is stretching forward, ears included (the light is the resurrection), his desire to see God is there, and it will be granted after this time of purification. He looks quite impatient.

- Some things are still holding him back (the bandages) which are mainly unforgiveness or the awareness of everything wrong he has done during his existence on Earth. Here, it's close to nothing that prevents him from going further, but there's still something ... 

Questions

- Jesus is asking for him to be released but he doesn't do it himself. Maybe we'll have to ask for forgiveness to those who we've hurt, therefore repairing an insult, and we will then be the instrument that will release and free the other ...

Year A - Fourth Sunday of Lent

 Fourth Sunday of Lent - Year A

1 Samuel 16, 13

Psalm 22

Ephesians 5, 8-14

John 9, 1-41

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Details

- The rabbit giving the  unction is the prophet. The one receiving it will become the king.

- The horn has the colours of a flame. Fire and oil are symbols of the Holy Ghost which resides in the king. The king is praying.

- The oil is being poured in abundance, just like God's grace which flows abundantly.

- The other rabbits are unstable on their legs, they're slipping. The oil is also what wrestlers put onto their body to escape from their opponent. In the spiritual field, it's the oil unction (the baptism, as there are the symbols of water and oil) which allows us to fight against evil forces.

- Oil is also used for lamps (oil lamps ... of course), symbol of foresight and fidelity ("keep your lamps on" Jesus tells us)

- And finally there is an aspect of "permanence". Oil penetrates (try and get rid of an oil stain ...). Unction is indelible, permanent.

-The horn, in the Bible, is a symbol of power.

Questions

- Of all the meanings, which is the one that talks to me the most when I think about the action of the Holy Ghost in my life ? Why ?

Year A - Third Sunday of Lent

Third Sunday of Lent - Year A

Exodus 17, 3-7

Psalm 94

Romans 5, 1 ... 8

John 4, 5-42

 

To go further

Details

- The rabbit makes multiple efforts :

• he's climbing (the mountains in the background accentuate the climb)

• he's carrying something heavy (and quite useless because his jug seems to be 99% empty

- Where God is (we can see his hand) there is no need for water because everything is green, nature is luxuriant

- But between what Jesus says and what we understand, there is sometimes a big difference, for instance when he talks to Francis of Assisi asking him to rebuild his Church. Francis goes to get his tools and works with his hands to rebuild the chapel although the Lord is talking about his Church (the people that it is made of). It's obvious that had he had a fax machine, he wouldn't have made a mistake thanks to the spelling ...

Questions

- Here, Jesus is asking for a drink, he's thirsty to be loved, to be loved for what he is, him the creator of love.

- He's thirsty for my presence, not for my jug. When I'm invited, it's not the flowers, the bottle or the chocolates that I offer which will be at the centre of the evening, it's my presence in front of the other one.

- I can make considerable efforts and realise that they were misplaced. What I think I can hear God say "rebuild my Church" can use up all my energy and close my ears. It's only once I will have accomplished what I thought was God's work (but in fact, it was rather my idea) that I will finally be available to open my ears. But how difficult it is to let go of our idea ...

- What about me ? What is the idea (or the project) which I wouldn't want to let go of ? Something or someone which I care for and that I wouldn't want the Lord to get involved into ? (what image do I have of him if I think that way ?)

Mind your back, that is a real question of Lent !

Year A - Second Sunday of Lent

Second Sunday of Lent - Year A

Genesis 12, 1-4

Psalm 32

2 Timothy 1, 8 - 10

Matthew 17, 1-9

To go further

Details

- Obviously no one has ever seen the reality of such a picture : it NE-VER happens.

- After the Booted Cat, the Booted Rabbit (or Pooted), unaware, hands in his pockets, one ear facing front one facing back, whistling. He has a revealing role. His passage reveals what we really think.

- There are a lot of revealing agents along our way. We are also revealing agents for others, without necessarily knowing.

Questions

- The words "I will bless those who bless you" are words from God adressed to Abraham. At that moment, he doesn't really know God.  

- God's blessing passes through mediations, mediators.

- Today, I have the power to bless (to say nice things or to wish them). Blessing is easy when the sun is shining, when all is well, when I am loved.

- Maybe I believe that the blessing is a consequence of all these causes if they are all happening (all is well so I'm blessing). It's quite the opposite : if I bless, then all may be better. Carfeul, there's no magic. It's only because we decide to put ourselves in a situation where we're not at the centre of ourselves.