This weekend, the Catholic Church celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday. Here at the monastery, we have also been celebrating the arrival of a new framed artwork titled "The Good Shepherd."
The framed piece was donated by the artist, Matt Ambre, who is an Oblate of the monastery.
"It is my way to thank the community for all they do," shared Matt. "I love the idea of bringing spirituality and Christ into the everyday realm through art."
When we asked about the origin of the painting, Matt said, "I painted this piece more than ten years ago, but now I am able to gaze upon it and see it differently than when it was commissioned. Back then my concern was design, color, perspective, etc.... Now I am one of the sheep! Which one? Some days I am the baby lamb snuggled in my savior's firm grip, other days I am at His feet, uneasy and nervous, looking for security, and many days I am far out in the field going about my day without much thought of my Good Shepherd."
Like Matt, many of our sisters have enjoyed gazing at the new artwork as part of our prayer. We invite you, too, to use the photo above for your own short meditation. May you feel near to the Good Shepherd this week!