Old Testement

ANNUNCIATION

This Catholic fine art print is centered around the image of the Annunciation, where Mary is asked to become the Mother of Savior and gives her Life affirming reply "Be it done to me according to your word". The Annunciation scene is recorded in Luke 1: 28-38 as follows: And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with thee. But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, " How can this be since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God" ... And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angle departed from her. It is at this moment that the great mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God assumes a human nature through the power of God the Holy Spirit, which he will offer up at the crucifixion for our salvation. Mary is greeted with a royal hail as the woman (new Eve) promised in Genesis whose seed (Jesus the new Adam) would crush the head of the serpent (the devil).

In the central image is a white dove representing the Holy Spirit, Who overshadows Mary, causing her to conceive the Son of God. Surrounding the central image are twenty small light blue circles that represent the twenty mysteries of the rosary. The Annunciation is the first mystery of the joyful mysteries. Among some of the blue circles are seven yellow/orange/red stars the represent the seven spirits that surround the throne of God (book of Revelations.

Above the central image is a symbol of God the Father, who with God the Son sends the Holy Spirit, who causes Mary to conceive Jesus. Below the central image is the Holy Eucharist, which is a sacramental incarnation of Jesus – body, blood soul and divinity and which is also brought into being by the power of the Holy Spirit. On the right of the holy Eucharist is an image of the glorious cross of Jesus on which he offered his life out of obedience to the Father and love for us. To the left of the Eucharist is an image of the Menorah, which is a symbol of the people of Israel and of which Mary is the prime female archetype.

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