The Annunciation

Yesterday was the Feast of the Annunciation.  Henry Tanner, an American painter, created this wonderful image of the Annunciation in 1898 (image downloaded from Wikipedia).

The Gospel for the feast is Luke 1:26-38:

When the sixth month came, God sent the angel Gabriel to a city of Galilee called Nazareth, where a virgin dwelt, betrothed to a man of David’s lineage; his name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name was Mary.  Into her presence the angel came, and said, Hail, thou who art full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women. She was much perplexed at hearing him speak so, and cast about in her mind, what she was to make of such a greeting.

Then the angel said to her, Mary, do not be afraid; thou hast found favour in the sight of God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call him Jesus. He shall be great, and men will know him for the Son of the most High; the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob eternally; his kingdom shall never have an end.

But Mary said to the angel, How can that be, since I have no knowledge of man?

And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon thee, and the power of the most High will overshadow thee. Thus this holy offspring of thine shall be known for the Son of God. See, moreover, how it fares with thy cousin Elizabeth; she is old, yet she too has conceived a son; she who was reproached with barrenness is now in her sixth month, to prove that nothing can be impossible with God.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be unto me according to thy word. And with that the angel left her.

Lauridsen's O magnum mysterium

We recently had the pleasure to hear a wind orchestra version of Morten Lauridsen's O magnum mysterium, based on his beautiful choral arrangement, which he composed in 1994. 

The piece properly belongs to the Christmas season but can be enjoyed any time.


Included here is an image (from Wikimedia) of Gerrit (Gerard) van Honthorst's Adoration of the Shepherds, 1622, in which the light that shines on the faces of Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds (and the ox) radiates from the infant Jesus.

Why Beauty Matters

First Things posted a link to a video about beauty by Dana Gioia, a poet who was the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts and won an American Book Award for Interrogations at Noon, a collection of poetry.  The video, which is 28 minutes long, is full of beautiful images and discusses why we need beauty. 

His Hall of Fame

After the death of coach Morgan Wootten, his family submitted a death notice that appeared in The Washington Post.  In addition to the names of those who survive him and the details of the services, the notice included the following: "The family is consoled knowing that Morgan is now in God's Hall of Fame."  And that is followed by this poem:

This crowd on earth they soon forget
The heroes of the past.
They cheer like mad until you fall,
And that's how long you last.
But God He never does forget,
And, in His Hall of Fame,
By just believing in his Son,
Inscribed you'll find your name.

A Careful Strategy of Silence

From R.R. Reno in the February 2020 issue of First Things:

I recently finished In the Presence of My Enemies by Fr. John W. Clifford, S.J., an American missionary to ­communist China in the 1950s. Clifford provides a practical guide to maintaining moral integrity under conditions of intense psychological pressure. He counsels a careful strategy of silence. Do not allow yourself to be drawn into defending yourself against accusations that have no basis in justice. When you engage, as at times you must, do so with forceful repudiation of falsehoods. Make it clear to those who wish to suborn you that you will not capitulate. When demoralized and weakened by the constant bombardment of propaganda, turn your mind to past experiences of joy and delight. We are not imprisoned under brutal conditions, as Clifford was. But we live in a society increasingly determined to force us to make public affirmations of the latest progressive dogmas of race, sexual orientation, and gender. Clifford’s advice has useful applications.