CHRIST KING PARISH'S
80th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
"Christ the King"
The image of Jesus Christ as King was created by John Suess in honor of the 80th Anniversary of the Founding of Christ King Parish in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, celebrated in October 2019.
John was inspired by an Israeli soldier praying at the Western Wall, today a sacred place of prayer where the second Jewish Temple stood in the Old City of Jerusalem, built to encompass the Temple Mount, until the temple’s destruction. The artist, upon seeing the Jewish soldier, was reminded of Jesus’ entrance into the synagogue at Nazareth. The Gospel writer Luke (4:16-21) recounts this event as follows:
"He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.'
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, 'Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.'"
Jesus is declaring himself both King and Messiah. And that is what the artist tried to convey with this painting: Jesus both at prayer and contemplation, right after this declaration.
The parish’s mission is to be obedient to the Great Commission of Jesus (Matthew 28:16-20), and by intentionally living as disciples, to bring to a world in need the good news of Jesus Christ to every person, Jesus as King who has a special care and love for all who are poor and in need of the freedom God wants to give to every human person.
The painting is 40x30 inches and two inches deep, painted on gesso board and done in acrylics. It is varnished. The style is painterly, somewhat impressionist. The frame was created in Utah.
The Steeple
John Suess was also commissioned to paint four paintings in honor of the 80th Anniversary of the Founding of Christ King Parish in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, celebrated in October 2019.
The images of the parish church’s tower/steeple were created to convey the centeredness of Christ King Parish in the neighborhood, the surrounding community, and beyond.
Disciples are called to be a light to the world, as Jesus says (Matthew 5: 14-16): “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
The paintings of the church tower/steeple are two inches deep, painted on gesso board and done in acrylics. They are varnished. The style is painterly, somewhat impressionist.