Father And Joe

A four-year-old’s question—“Why does Santa look different?”—opens a bigger one: why does Jesus look different in every painting, and how do we recognize Him today? Joe Rockey and Father Boniface Hicks explore how sacred art (especially icons) shows inner, spiritual reality more than photo-realism—and how Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist even when our eyes see only bread. As Christmas Masses fill with newcomers, we talk about hospitality, cooperation with grace, and moving from the visible to the invisible: from faces and symbols to the Person who loves us. Always through the three lenses: honesty with self, charity with others, under a living relationship with God.Key IdeasDifferent “looks,” same identity: saints (and St. Nicholas) are shown with signs of their vocation; Jesus is recognized by what’s essential—wounds, mercy, and divinity—not a fixed facial template.Icons aim beyond photography: light “from within” depicts the glorified person; art can reveal deeper truth than surface detail.Real Presen