Look to Him and Be Radiant

By Silvia Holgado, Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi

April 7th, 2025 - Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center

Thy Kingdom Come!

Look to Him and Be Radiant

There are some invitations that cannot be refused, especially when we sense in them a unique experience that will leave a lasting impression on us. Such is the invitation from the psalmist: “Look to Him and be radiant” (Psalm 34). This invitation serves as the inspiring title of a series of talks taking place in the Shroud Exhibition Hall at the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center, as a Lenten journey and preparation.

As if embarking on a spiritual journey, these talks focus on the face of Christ, drawing a parallel between the face of the man depicted on the Holy Shroud and the face of Christ portrayed in ancient iconography. However, the speaker has not limited herself to a purely artistic or historical comparison of these images. Rather, she has taken us on a theological and artistic journey grounded in the Holy Scriptures, where the search for God’s face is ultimately the search for His presence. This is exemplified in the experiences of Moses, Jacob, and Elijah.

In the next part of the series, the focus shifted to the face of the man on the Shroud and the signs of violence visible on it. These signs reminded us of the Gospel accounts of Our Lord’s Passion. In the upcoming talk, we will discuss the relationship between the face on the Shroud and Byzantine iconography, thereby concluding this journey.

This entire series has been guided by an excellent guest speaker, María Ruiz, an iconographer who is now rooted in Jerusalem, having been consecrated in the Ordo Virginum of this diocese. María has written numerous icons and painted frescoes in monastic churches across Spain, Portugal, France, Canada, and—more recently—Italy. She has also explored the art of manuscript illumination. In 2022, the new Missal of CELRA (the Conference of Latin Bishops in the Arab Regions) was published, and María was responsible for illuminating its pages with her images filled with profound theological symbolism.

Thus, during this Lenten season, the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center has sought to offer a cultural and meditative activity as a form of spiritual preparation for our journey toward Easter—and as a meaningful moment to gather within the Christian community, united in the mystery of Christ’s Passion and Resurrection.