unveiling at st ignatius
all our lives we wait for a certain moment.
2 ½ months of painting all boiled down to the unveiling n blessing of my painting at the church of st ignatius.
after the 6pm mass fr heng said a few prayers n blessed the painting with holy water and incense...also adding a few words about the meaning of the work.
perhaps to an ordinary parishioner its just another simple and ordinary ceremony. but its a different feeling when the artist sees his work sanctified and offered up. its something you really can’t express in words. its indescribable, and at the same time, its bittersweet and uplifting. tonight was a validation of the two and a half months of work. it made the blood, sweat, tears and frustration all the more worth it.
as fumes of incense curl up into the air, i’m reminded of how incense is so rarely used these days. mostly left to the discretion of the priest. so to me its the highest and most fitting tribute. to have one’s work incensed makes me feel truly honored... and to have so many people witness this event. which is why i say its a very simple ceremony, but sometimes less is more and there’s beauty in simplicity.
seeing so many of them staring and staring at the painting, i feel truly humbled and appreciated . it is a joy to paint and its an even greater joy to share my art with other people... to know that its all truly for the greater glory of God.
alvin ong dozed and watched the sawdust trampled night @ 12:44 AM
