Through the year as your pastor, I’ve had the good pleasure of offering a number of prayerful reflections (“Homilies on Canvas”) upon famous works of art by the perennial Masters like Davinci, Caravaggio, Picasso, and Botticelli, and how they relate to and reflect the great mysteries of our faith, and thus, offer us a “homily” on canvas. In July of this year, 10-year-old Byron Dansereau, presented me with his original sketch of St. Anthony of Padua and the Infant Jesus which is now hanging in the narthex of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. I’ve had some time now to “sit” with this piece of art, and here is my assessment and commentary on Byron’s work… St. Anthony, proclaimed a “Doctor of the Church,” and arguably one of the top 10 most popular saints and heavenly “powerful hitters” in the Catholic Church, is depicted here in soft tones and gentle brushes, characteristic of his meek and humble demeanor despite his revered status in the Church. He is shown as a rather young man—historically accurate since St. Anthony died at the age of 36. The fact that he was canonized a saint only one year after he died, is a testament to his ministry and life. Notice how the humble and demure St. Anthony is not looking directly into the eyes of Jesus even though the infant is resting in his own arms and caressing his face, but outwards, into the viewer’s eyes—not so much in submission to the Christ child, but in his own sense of mission. St. Anthony is gazing outwards and not fixated on the vision before him. Vision without mission is useless. And what about Byron’s unique depiction of the infant Jesus? Doesn’t this young infant appear remarkably mature in his facial features? Here’s my interpretation: St. Anthony did not have an encounter with the baby Jesus in Bethlehem when he was born over 2000 years ago. Rather, St. Anthony’s remarkable vision of the Christ child took place 1200 years later after the birth of Christ. St. Anthony did not encounter the Jesus, just born and “wrapped in swaddling clothes,” but the Jesus who was crucified, died and was buried and rose again on the third day, who continues to be with us today. That is precisely how I read Byron’s depiction of the face of the “infant” Jesus—the Jesus who has already redeemed us by his sacrifice on the cross.