Art of the Redemption 8: Altarpiece Mural, Courtfield
969
This rather striking piece by Joanna Jamieson, former Abbess of Stambrook can be found in Courtfield, the former retreat house of the Mill Hill Missionaries in Hertfordshire. At the center we see the risen Christ. His glory spreads out to the scenes surrounding him The scenes depicted include the sacraments of baptism and the anointing of the sick; they show people praying (the figure in the bottom left is Eliza Vaughan mother of the Mill Hill Missionary Herbert, later Cardinal, Vaughan) and there is a scene from the Easter Vigil, but there are also less ‘churchy’ scenes showing people working, eating, teaching, and relaxing. At the bottom the tabernacle-doors are incorporated into the Alpha and Omega banners. This mural shows that Christ’s resurrection is not just a historical event but an event that reverberates ,touching all time; and it continues to do so. It is the new creation! Through the Pascal Mystery, the risen Christ is present in all we do and this is especially true in the sacraments, most notably in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. In recognizing this we truly stand up, as the Easter people that we are and walk in His light
