I was curious about this depiction so went looking. This is from the Philadelphia Museum of Art website:
The Annunciation, 1898
by Henry Ossawa Tanner
(American, born 1859, died 1937)
Oil on canvas
57 x 71 1/4 in. |
Excerpt from the back of the poster
This painting is an unusual version of one of the oldest themes in European art, the Annunciation (which means announcement). In this New Testament Bible story, the angel Gabriel tells Mary that she will become the mother of Jesus. Traditional paintings of the Annunciation show Mary wearing fancy blue robes and seated in a European palace or cathedral, as she listens calmly to an angel with glorious wings and a halo…
Let's Look Again
- Where in the world could this scene be taking place?
- If you could step into this painting, how would it feel--warm or cool?
- Why do you think Tanner represented the angel Gabriel as a column of light?
Monday, Second Week of EasterNow that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
Luke 24:13-14
Having told the story of the empty tomb, Luke concludes his Gospel by telling of three appearances of the risen Christ on Easter Sunday.
The first is to two disciples on their way to Emmaus. In this story we see an outline of the Mass.
• The disciples meet Jesus and begin a conversation with him (Introductory Rites).
• Jesus explains the Scriptures to them (Liturgy of the Word.
• They share a meal (Liturgy of the Eucharist),
• The disciples depart to bring this good news to others (Concluding Rite).
Luke is writing some 40 or 50 years after the death and resurrection of Christ. Already, the basic structure of the Mass was beginning to take shape. Luke wants us to know that this is where we especially meet the risen Christ.
When we participate in the Mass, we are connecting with a ritual that is not a modern or medieval invention. It goes back to the very beginning of Christianity. And the leader of every Eucharist is still the same – the Risen Lord.
These two disciples might wonder why we would take it for granted. For them, it was worth a seven-mile walk…and another seven-mile walk to tell the others about it.
Am I willing to spread the good news of the Risen Christ?
Spend some quiet time with the Risen Lord.
