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Art Notes: Eric Gill’s Mercy Seat Trinity

In this issue of The Sower we contemplate two ‘Mercy Seat’ images. This particular engraving is from 1914 by Eric Gill.

At the Last Supper, Philip said to Jesus, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘He who has seen me has seen the Father.’ (John 14:8-9) The Sower has recently had an issue on Christ-centred Catechesis, and this engraving made in 1914 by Eric Gill, is an extremely profound exploration of this theme, examining as it does the linked Mysteries of the Father, the Trinity, the Eucharist and our Redemption. The engraving is loosely based on the traditional representation of the Mercy Seat Trinity, in which the Father, shown as the Ancient of Days, supports the crucified Son, with the Holy Spirit hovering between them, but it contains a number of original departures of considerable theological interest.

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Dr. Lionel Gracey is an international speaker and writer on art and Catholicism, and a Fellow of Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, UK.

This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]

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Catechizing with Art

Issue:

33.1

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About Franciscan Catechetics

The Catechetics Degree Programs and the Catechetical Institute (CI) at Franciscan University of Steubenville work in concert to prepare clergy, religious and laity to join the “army of catechists” called for by St. John Paul II, eager to help the Church in her mission of making all nations joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. We combine a thorough formation in Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and Magisterial documents with training in effective pedagogical techniques to help those we serve to grasp the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Father’s plan, and to bear witness to others faithfully of the wonderful life of grace in the Holy Spirit.

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