Annunciation Feast: Archbishop’s Schola Treat to St Veronica Parish

St. Veronica’s Church bulletin invites everyone to the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25, 2025, 6:30p.m. :
”Special Sung Mass at 6:30 pm with Archbishop’s Schola(including music director Issa Stemler) presented by the Saint Veronica Music Ministry and sponsored in part by by the Archdiocese.”

The Catholic institute of Sacred Music states:

“The mission of the Archbishop’s Schola is to sing the Catholic Church’s treasury of sacred music for the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful…..The ensemble, unaffiliated with CISM, is directed by Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka.”

For further information:

https://catholicinstituteofsacredmusic.org/ensembles/

The Annunciation is a pivotal moment in Christian art and theology, depicting the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she will conceive Jesus. Though betrothed to Joseph, virginal Mary said she knows no man but Archangel Gabriel said she’d be conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary willingly accepted, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy Word.” Description of the Annunciation is in Luke 1:26-38.

Let’s check the emotions on the paintings of Fra Angelico, Leonardo, and Botticelli, like Sister Wendy Beckett who analyzed paintings and the symbolism and meaning behind the scene.

Mary’s face evokes meticulous attention to the play of emotions mirrored in her serene yet startled expression. Her visage acts as a canvas reflecting the weight of divine destiny and the purity of her acceptance. The gentle tilt of Mary’s head exemplifies her humility and grace. Many artists like Leonardo, Botticelli, Fra Angelico had captured the moment of Mary’s silent consent, imbued with both vulnerability and strength.

Gabriel’s face, portrayed with ethereal beauty and a celestial glow conveying both reverence and urgency, in line with the divine message he bears. Gabriel’s face depicts the intersection of the divine with the earthly, a backdrop characterized by its use of light and shadow, a metaphor for the intersection of the ethereal and the earthly realms.

The subtleties of artistic expression emphasize how the interplay of light around Mary and Gabriel highlights the divine presence and the miraculous of the Annunciation celebrating the intricate layers of emotion and symbolism captured in this important biblical scene.

Thank you Fr James Garcia for requesting a mass offering for the author on the Feast of Annunciation and celebrant Pastor Patrick Driscoll. All I did was give them a rock painting with an embedded image of St Veronica last Christmas 2024.

I’ll miss the mass and the beautiful presentation of the Archbishop’s Schola for on the same day, I’m flying to say ‘Konnichiwa’ and enjoy a tour to dazzling, futuristic Tokyo, Japan’s incredible capital city and its other cities . A relative backed out of the trip, and I was the replacement; the date was preset already last year. Didn’t plan on this trip , life gives you surprises.