Heavenly Jesus by Stephen B. Whatley

Heavenly Jesus
By Stephen B. Whatley

Heavenly Jesus - Advent 2010 by Stephen B. Whatley | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Guest post by Stephen B. Whatley

In prayer, I felt I saw Christ, in the sky....on the second Sunday of Advent, December 5th, after attending Mass. Walking across Covent Garden, London - on my way to swim, which has become a regular prayerful exercise I stopped, looking up at the clear blue sky, and was praying.

As I gazed at a single white cloud, deep in prayer- I seemed to 'feel' Jesus, a sense of his head and shoulders- within the whiteness - and a gentle blue halo. Virtually abstract. As ever, the mind questions,interferes, however deep the faith (I often ask Jesus to hear my heart, not my mind...) and the cloud changed - but His image felt imbedded in my heart.

Exhausted from swimming - and the cold winter temperatures!  I felt unable to attempt any artistic interpretation once home; but on the Monday I felt seized with an urgency to transcribe on paper a sense of what I felt; resulting in the above drawing.

Jesus Christ is there for those who seek - and His love is eternal.

Happy Christmas - Peace and Blessings on His birthday and throughout 2011.



The Holy Nativity
Painted in 2008
By Stephen B. Whatley


Copyright 2010 Stephen B. Whatley

May the Miracle of Christmas be a Blessing of Love and Peace to All!

The Birth of Jesus - Church Window
Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Wish you a Merry Christmas!

The Birth of Jesus - Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Luke 2:1-20 - The Birth of Jesus

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

***

The stained glass window detail of the birth of Jesus can be seen inside Our Lady of the Lake Church. The Catholic church is located in Sparta, NJ, USA.

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com