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Step into the ancient Catacomb of Priscilla and meet the Veiled Woman, whose faith still speaks across centuries. Through her story and Hebrews 11, discover how faith endures amid hardship and invites us to courage. This episode offers a profound reflection on living faith as a lasting witness in today’s world.

Hebrews 11:1-4

In this episode of Art and Prayer, Rev. Rob McPherson leads viewers into a contemplative encounter with ancient Christian art found in the Catacomb of Priscilla, a burial site beneath Rome used from the late 2nd to the 4th century. Central to the reflection is a remarkable painting of the Veiled Woman, whose story and faith speak powerfully across centuries.

Drawing on the insights of Professor Nicola Denzey-Lewis, a leading scholar of early Christian art and women in the catacombs, the episode helps viewers imagine the intimate and sacred setting of the cubiculum where this painting was placed. The Veiled Woman was likely a respected Christian whose grave occupied the focal point of a small chamber surrounded by simple burial niches. This context invites us to consider how faith and legacy live on in places shadowed by death and ruin.

The artwork itself presents three distinct scenes depicting moments in the woman’s life, each rich with symbolic meaning: a scene with religious figures including an elder man blessing her, a mother holding a child, and a dramatic image of the woman with arms raised toward heaven in prayerful surrender. Rev. Rob encourages viewers to enter into each image with curiosity and openness, reflecting on what each scene reveals about faith, struggle, and devotion.

The scriptural focus of the episode is Hebrews 11:1-4, a passage celebrating faith as the substance of hope and evidence of the unseen. As viewers listen to these words, they are invited to hear what God may be calling forth in their own lives through the witness of this ancient woman whose faith still speaks today.

Throughout the prayerful time, viewers are guided to consider what the Veiled Woman’s life and faith reveal about their own spiritual journey: How does she speak from the ruins and graves surrounding her? What is God saying through her story about living out faith in challenging times? What next steps might viewers be invited to take in their own walk of faith?

The episode closes with a reflection on the enduring power of faith to bear witness beyond one’s lifetime. The Veiled Woman’s example reminds us that acts of faith, even in the midst of hardship and death, stand as lasting testimonies and invitations to courage and steadfastness. Rev. Rob prays that viewers will find strength to follow the steps God lays before them, confident that they are accompanied every step of the way.