Icon of "Mary, Heart of Oblate Studies"

This is a Byzantine Holy Icon of Mary, inspired by the statue of the Oblate Madonna and its importance in the life of St Eugene and of the Mazenodian Family.

The "Mary, Heart of Oblate Studies" icon was created for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate to honor the international Oblate Studies program established by the Kusenberger Chair of Oblate Studies.

It is a sacred image that represents a reality beyond our worldly senses and provides us an invisible world made visible. It is two dimensional (without depth) calling all who view it to pass through to the other side.

Mary appears with 12 stars around her head representing the crown of immortality. She is clothed in a golden gown, symbolizing the presence of God enfolding her life. In this icon the gold is glimmering and reflecting the infinite nuances and aspects of God, as Mary's discipleship did.

Mary is looking toward God with love and attention. It is this love and God’s message that fills Mary’s heart (one hand is on her heart) and as she receives she extends her hand toward us to share all that God is giving her. It is an elliptical exchange between God and the viewer through the Heart of Mary.

The background blue color is that of divinity and also representing the infiniteness of the sky and the everlasting world; it is the color of the Mother of God who is transcendent. Mary is standing on a crescent moon. The full shape of the moon is partly visible to the world and is partly in the invisible world. The moon too is inviting us through to the other side.

The green color of the serpent is the color of nature and earth. Mary standing on the serpent’s head refers to the first Biblical promise of salvation (Genesis 3:15). It suggests that she is asking the viewer to focus less on the temptations of our earthly surroundings and more on God's assurance of salvation, which St. Eugene proclaimed throughout his life.

In the process of writing this icon I was drawn in by the listening and sharing heart of Mary Immaculate. It is surely this same listening and communicating heart that spoke with St. Eugene. It is Mary’s heart through this icon that expresses St. Eugene's mission of experiencing and proclaiming God's love - which is the mission of the Kusenberger Chair of Oblate Studies.