The Creator of the Woodblock Print titled ‘The Agony’ (Agonia)
As an Artist, spiritual places are so inspirational for my work. On a trip to the Holy Land in September 2014, I visited many sacred sites, and was greatly moved on this journey of ‘Walking in the footsteps of Jesus’.
A woodblock print, carved from Asian Birch and printed on Japanese paper, measuring 35×31 cm, in Black watercolor. It was alongside two similar woodblocks prints ‘Baptism’ (Baptismus) and ‘Calvary'(Calvarium).
The Artist, Patricia Curran Mulligan is a regular visitor to Holy Hill Hermitage, Skreen, Co Sligo and presented a copy of this limited edition print ‘The Agony’ to hang in this sacred space.
A Reflection on The Agonia as the Icon for Friends of Carmel
From The Passion and the Cross by Ronald Rolheiser
It’s significant that this agony should take place in a garden. In archetypal literature, a garden is …the place of delight, the place of love the place to drink wine, the place where lovers meet in the moonlight, the place of intimacy…
So, it’s no accident that Jesus ends up having to sweat blood in a garden. And it’s precisely as a lover that he’s in agony there. It is Jesus the lover—the one who calls us to intimacy and delight with him who is alone, misunderstood, isolated, without support. His suffering is as a lover. Jesus already anticipates the hatred, the brutalization, the murder.
Agonia means an ordeal that an athlete experiences as he anticipates his contest. It was a way of working up sweat to prepare oneself to overcome any obstacles.
The disciples are in the forefront of this woodcut to help us identify with them. How will we respond to Jesus ordeal? Will we fall asleep or tune in? How can we move from a place of self-pampering to a place of self-sacrifice? From living in fear to acting in courage? From cringing before the unknown to taking the leap of faith, without first, like Jesus in Gethsemane, readying ourselves through a certain agonia, that is, undergoing a painful sweat that comes from facing what will be asked of us if we continue to live the truth. We, too, must learn to die before we die. We must prepare ourselves like Oscar Romero, who was by nature timid, but who let the poor baptize him with strength so that he was no longer afraid to speak the truth no matter what.
We may be sincere and good but we’re also fearful-of pain, of losing loved ones, of misunderstanding or opposition, of sickness, or shame, of discomfort of all kinds, of death. Therefore, we need to train like an athlete to give our lives away in real courage. Training means taking time each day for strengthening exercises.
