“Icon of Charity” will travel to all the communities of the Daughters of Charity Province in Siena, Italy as part of the 150th anniversary of its founding.
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The Company of the Daughters of Charity of the Province of Siena (Italy) is celebrating the 150th anniversary of foundation. As a Province, it was canonically erected on the 11th of September 1867.
The Commission has proposed two initiatives: one, a community journey & two, a missionary journey. It is in the second initiative that the “Icon of Charity” will travel to all the communities of the Province. In September 2006, “this year of grace” will conclude solemnly and happily, in the presence of Mother General, Sister Evelyne Franc.
We now present the translation of the explanation of the Icon.
“ART AND LIFE: ART LIVES”
(Explanation of the artistic icon)
by Franco Corradini
Painter
“The Icon of Charity”
The artistic icon is born from the reading of a section of the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, which gives us the parable of the Good Samaritan and the demand to make the Vincentian Charism known.
“Go and do likewise”: these are the words that Jesus says at the end of the parable and are di-rected today to each one of us (the face of Jesus in the center).
Where do we begin to be like the Good Samaritan who, without fear, got down from his horse, leaving his comforts, for love of neighbor as part of himself? (center tableau of the painter).
The answer is given us in the representation at the left (the insignia of the Daughters of Charity) because only from the love of Jesus Crucified flows the true charity that is kindled to fire for the good of humanity.
Jesus, on this road, has taught us to choose love as a style of life and to convert service into an arena where charity is practiced.
St. Vincent and St. Louise accepted the invitation of Jesus — “Go and do likewise” — giving it their original and creative contribution; they formed themselves by listening to and serving their neighbor, above all the most poor (face of the saints).
Vincent and Louise knew how to give a great impulse to works of charity and even today, in the Church, their charism lives, thanks to the Company of the Daughters of Charity that promotes their mission of serving and loving the poor (scene at the bottom left). The scene that represents the Daughter of Charity with an attitude of service is only sketched because charity does not belong to one historic time but is in a dynamic mode that brings the love of Christ to the poor always discovering new roads and new ways of coming closer.
Colors to “speak of God”
(simple explanation of the colors)
White: signifies the innocence of purity.
In Jesus, all is beautiful and pure! It is found around the face of Jesus and in the clothing of the Good Samaritan. It also signifies the good Samaritan in Jesus.
Gold: signifies the royalty of Jesus.
Jesus does not accompany us only from Jerusalem to Jerico but rather towards the Kingdom. Jesus wants to be the King of our hearts to help us discover our true identity by means of service: “to serve is to reign”.
Next to the gold color is yellow which directs us in a very direct way to the outline of the heart which serves as the background of the crucified one: Jesus on the cross is on his real throne. “Regnavit e lingo Deus” — God reigns from the cross.
Blue: signifies the divinity of Jesus.
Jesus is God and reveals to us the love and mercy of the Father.
The color blue is in the sky and the clothing of the Good Samaritan and at the base of the principal scene to make us understand that only by cultivating a very deep union with God can we serve and help the neighbor. The force to love comes to us from on high! From on high comes grace!
Red: signifies the charity of Jesus.
We find red highlighted, next to the face of Jesus, to the right, in the heart of Jesus Crucified, to the left in the scene of service of the Daughter of Charity, and we find it in the fruit of grain over the principle cover of the closed icon.
True charity is born of the heart of Jesus Crucified who gave his life for us. When we give any-thing, we don’t give ourselves rather we give the love in which we have been wrapped and by means of which we have been saved: we have it here because in the scene of the service of the Daughter of Charity are present the colors of red, yellow, the same colors of the section on the right with the inflamed heart of Jesus Crucified.
The grain with its abundant seeds carries us to the warmth of generosity because service, in true charity, is complete dedication…is the fullness of giving and is also the guarantee of fecundity.
Attitude of the Good Samaritan
The attitude with which the Good Samaritan has been represented is an attitude of nearness. Help to one who has less than we have is not accomplished from top to bottom but rather is done by placing oneself near the other, at his/her same level. Christ has come down, has been incarnated, has made himself one of us in order to elevate and save us.
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul — Province of Siena
E-mail: segretariato.si@libero.it
Web site
Translation courtesy of Fr. John Kane, CM St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Opelika, Alabama.
