Tintoretto helps us fix our eyes on what truly matters, says Bishop Robert Barron
I was in Washington DC last week for meetings of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Since formal proceedings didn’t begin until the evening, I found myself with a little free time. So I made my way to one of my favourite places in the city, the National Gallery of Art, which I frequented when I was a student at The Catholic University many years ago.
At the close of a long session of walking and musing, I was drawn by an empty and comfortable-looking couch situated at the end of one of the galleries. Plopping down to rest, I looked up at the picture right in front of me. At first glance, given the colour scheme and the peculiar modelling of the figures, I thought it was an El Greco, but closer examination revealed that it was Tintoretto’s depiction of Christ at the Sea of Galilee. The drama at the centre of the composition is the Apostles’ boat, buffeted by choppy waves, and St Peter taking a gingerly, tentative step on to the bounding main at the invitation of the Lord who beckons to him. My seated posture was conducive to contemplation, and I spent a good deal of time with this painting, first admiring the obvious technical skill of the painter, especially in the rendering of the water, but eventually moving to a deeper perception of its spiritual theme, of particular resonance today.
