A SCULPTOR'S SANCTIFICATION
Jean
Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875) was one of the most renowned sculptors and
painters of France. His works were praised globally but one sculpture, "La
Danse" was labeled as obscene, immoral and lewd and attacked by some
people. This upset the great artist. His wife deserted him with his three sons.
He never lost his faith but was for years, a stranger to the practices of the
Catholic Church. He suffered from cancer and hopelessness. He once lamented,
"I am too guilty. God cannot pardon me."
Prince Stirbey, one of his
admirers met him at the French city of 'Nice'. He was a devout Catholic and
wanted to transform the gifted sculptor. When all attempts failed, the prince
sent a little girl, to win him over. Carpeaux loved children. The child could
easily win his heart. She had just received her First Holy Communion at Paris
and had come to visit the Prince, her godfather.
She asked Carpeaux, "Will
you give me a great joy, Monsieur Carpeaux?"
"Surely, my dear," he replied.
"I receive the Holy Communion tomorrow,"
she informed. "Will you receive the Holy Communion with me?" she
asked him.
Carpeaux, after a brief silence, said, "But I
am not worthy to receive it."
"Oh, if it is only that, that will be fixed
soon. My confessor is so good," she assured him.
The girl brought a priest to
him and Carpeaux made his confession. The next day they received the Holy
Communion together, side by side, at the church in Courbevoie. Though he had
agreed to receive the Sacraments to avoid disappointing the child, the incident
transformed him totally. He had repeated discussions and confessions with the
priest and finally, received the Anointing of the Sick (Extreme Unction) and
Viaticum with deep piety. He kissed the crucifix repeatedly, crying, "Oh!
how they treated Him?" He had a blessed and peaceful death on 12th
October, 1875.
"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a
real blessing {Psalms 127: 3}.
Jesus said, "Let the children come to me and do
not stop them, because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these"
{Matthew 19: 14}.
"And whoever welcomes in my name one such child
as this, welcomes me" {Matthew 18: 5}.
"See that you don't despise any of these little
ones. Their angels in heaven, I tell you, are always in the presence of my
Father in Heaven" {Matthew 18: 10}.
..............................................................................................................................
© By: Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science
& Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs.
Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally and Leo.
S. John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally,
Kottayam-686507, Kerala , India
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