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| The Holy Martyrs of Morocco, painting |
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| The Holy Martyrs of Morocco, jigsaw puzzle of 63 pieces. |
-Brian Mendonca
On the feast of St. Francis of Assisi today I had the rare opportunity of commemorating an important episode of his life.
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) is seen as a friend of the animals. Today is also World Animal Day.
St. Francis was also a diplomat. 'Make Me a Channel of Your Peace' is a favourite hymn attributed to him.
But on one occasion his efforts at diplomacy went horribly wrong. Hoping to make peace with the Caliph of Morocco, and (audaciously) hoping to convert him, St. Francis sent five young missionaries to him. The Caliph was incensed. He beheaded all of them on 16 January 1220. I blogged about it last year on the same day here.
This is the incident which is the theme of the painting above. At the top is the painting titled 'The Holy Martyrs of Morocco.' It is on view at Level 1 - the first floor - of the Museum of Christian Art, Old Goa which we visited today.
The painting held me rivetted to the spot with my mouth gaping. The five Franciscan friars are depicted with their heads severed. Each carries a cross to signify their martyrdom. Cherubs above them carrying sashes cavort in jubilation.
To the right is a lady dressed in fine robes who kneels and prays to a skull and a crucifix - both emblems of 17th century Vanitas painting, Vanitas painting stressed the mortality of human beings with an emphasis on the vanity of life.
At the bottom of the painting is an inscription which describes the subject of the painting.
I was thrilled to take home an ingenious jigsaw puzzle of 'The Holy Martyrs of Morocco.' This was part of the memorabilia available for purchase at MoCA. It helped me broaden my horizon of learning.
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Pix taken by Brian Mendonca on 4th October 2022.
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