Patricia Solari

Jesus and Brownie Patricia Solari

On the day Jesus feeds the multitude with loaves and fishes, He notices a hungry dog on the fringe of the crowd and offers him bits of barley and a little fish to eat. Naturally, the dog follows Him. Besides he loves Jesus' gentle voice. Jesus names him Brownie, and he becomes his constant companion for the next three years of Jesus' public life, attending the miracles, visiting Mary and Joseph, playing Tug-a war with the young disciple John. Brownie doesn't always enjoy himself, however Jesus often takes Brownie on a boat, but one day a hair-raising storm comes up, and Brownie becomes sea-sick. Another time, after a long trek in the hot desert, Brownie dashes ahead to the shore of the Black Sea, unwisely ignoring Jesus' warning. And on that momentous Sunday after they enter Jerusalem, Brownie suffers pangs of jealousy, wishing he were big and strong so he could carry Jesus, not the smelly old donkey! Sensing Brownies feelings, Jesus calls to him, "Brownie come closer. I don't want to lose you in the crowd!"Brownie remains Jesus' faithful friend to the very end, licking the blood from Jesus' toes as He suffers and dies on the cross. And it is Brownie alone who keeps the long three-day vigil outside Jesus' tomb. But like the good thief, Brownie learns this is not the end of his friendship with Jesus. The Illustrations, all oil paintings, depict the special moments in the life of Jesus and Hs friend Brownie.