Reflect
In 1901, Pablo Picasso sank into a depression that dominated his work for over three years. His “Blue Period” reflected a deep internal crisis. Picasso’s “Old Guitarist,” perhaps his most beloved painting from that period, captures physical desolation in a way few artists could ever master—then or now. And while we cannot as easily paint a masterpiece to mirror our own emotional struggles, we have an even better tool: prayer.
Pray
God of peace of mind and heart,
My shoulders hang low from the weight of the world.
My eyes are cloudy with tears and my mind is filled
with furious worry.
Some days it is hard to paint when the canvas feels so far away.
As the first and greatest artist, you want us to see your work:
a single cloud in a cerulean sky,
the canyons framing an endless horizon,
a field of flowers swaying in perfect unison.
Dry my tears and open my eyes to the art you made for us.
Let me never neglect the masterpieces you created.
Amen.
Act
Sadness is inevitable, but God doesn’t want us wallowing in it. Sometimes a short walk or a conversation with a friend can give our spirits a lift.
