Christ on a Donkey, in the Augustiner Museum in Freiburg,
Germany, is one of the most moving depictions of Christ. This 14thcentury sculpture is quite large, made to be pulled on a cart during
Palm Sunday processions. Henry Nouwen spent an afternoon in
quiet reflection with this sculpture and wrote the following
description:
“Christ’s long, slender face with a high forehead, inwardlooking eyes, long hair, and a small, forked beard expresses the
mystery of his suffering in a way that holds me spellbound. As he
rides into Jerusalem, surrounded by people shouting 'Hosanna,'
cutting branches from the trees, and spreading them on his path
(Mt 21:8), Jesus appears completely concentrated on something else.
He does not look at the excited crowd. He does not wave. He sees
beyond all the noise and movement to what is ahead of him: an
agonizing journey of betrayal, torture, crucifixion, and death. His
unfocused eyes see what nobody around him can see; his high
forehead reflects a knowledge of things to come, far beyond
anyone’s understanding. There is melancholy, but also peaceful
acceptance. There is insight into the fickleness of the human heart,
but also immense compassion. There is a deep awareness of the
unspeakable pain to be suffered, but also a strong determination
to do God’s will.”
“Above all, there is love, an endless, deep, and far-reaching
love born from an unbreakable intimacy with God and reaching
out to all people, wherever they are, were, or will be. There is
nothing that he does not fully know. There is nobody whom he
does not fully love. I look and look and look, and I know that He
sees the depths of my heart; I do not have to be afraid.”
Lenten reading from Show Me the Way by Henry Nouwe