Christian Art and Christian Music Christian art and Christian music are two other foundations of Catholic Theology where we can see our relationship with God through the truths of faith contain within the work. This short paper will help the reader to identify truths of faith in art and music and, how they are compared to the technical theological truths of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. I have chosen Christian art and music because both are popular here in the Westside of San Antonio. Let’s begin to with an over simplified review of art and music. Art and music has existed as long as man existed and found ways to express his thoughts through drawings and music. Some of the oldest art work discovered can be found in the cave drawings of Lascaux, France. These drawings from the Paleolithic Age tell us about the inhabitants of the region some 3000 years ago. The archeologist can find bones and guess what animals and humans look like, but the drawings show us what they really like. These drawings draw us closer to the truth about what existed long before our time on earth.Before Christ came on earth, there were no art forms that described God. This was due to a couple of factors first He was indescribable because no one ever saw him so his image could not be captured on canvas. Second, producing an image of God would have violated Jewish law of concerning graven images. Yet after Christ was born, died, rose and ascended, the artists had the license to capture images of God because Christ, the Son of God, the Third Person of the Trinity, became human and walked in the world. The artists could create depictions of God without being accused of creating graven images. As the images were created, the people could look upon them and see and feel God instead of just hearing about God. The images, such as those contained with the stained glass windows of Notre Dame in Paris and other great churches around the world, tells the story of God’s plan for salvation without the need for words.Now let’s look at a couple of art works within Annunciation. On the wall behind the altar is a painting of Christ Resurrected with two angels on either side incensing. His hands are outstretched and His head surrounded with a halo containing the sign of the Cross. With His eyes fixed upon each person who looks at the painting, the outstretched arms of Christ may reveal a He truth told to his followers “Come to me all you who are weak and weary and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28-30). To others the outstretched arms may reveal the truth of the welcoming father to the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) who like each of me, sometimes wanders through life squandering time and energy but are always welcomed back home. The cross contained within the halo surrounding the head of Christ may reveal the truth about Christ’s suffering and death however, the larger than life portrait of the resurrected Christ shows His triumph over His suffering and death.The statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the entrance to the Church is another art form that, like a picture painted on a canvas or taken from a camera, reveals a theological truth. Our Lady of Guadalupe, also known as the Queen of the Americas, may represent the lady described in Revelations 12:1, “a great sign appeared in the sky, a woman, clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars”. Her her blue-green mantle a symbol of royalty from Aztec royalty may reveals the truth that she is indeed royalty for she is after all according to Sacred Tradition, the Queen of Heaven. The sash around her waist indicating she has recently given birth may reveal the truth that she is the mother of Christ. The devotion by the people to our Lady of Guadalupe is very strong in San Antonio. This symbol and that of the crucifix are the two places where you find individuals praying before and after Mass seeking answers to the intentions hidden within the heart. At Annunciation we use another form of art to express our joy, Christian music. An unknown writer once wrote that “he who sings well prays twice” and with the help of the angels our vocals at Annunciation are translated into a beautiful melody as we praise and worship God in song. Christian music can reveal theological truths; for example, the hymn frequently song during the Offertory, Pescador Des Homres by Jose Guadalupe Esparza. The words are simple, “Lord, You have come to the seashore, neither seeking the rich nor the wise, desiring only that I should follow”, may reveal the truth found in the Gospel of Mark 4:1-9, the people come to the seashore to be taught by Jesus. On Sundays, the people come to seashore, the Church, to see and hear Christ and leave with increased grace and blessings to follow Christ. To me, it is the working poor and the poor districts of most communities that one can find what it really means to a struggling people to come to the seashore. The working poor and poor come because they have a desire to come not because they feel they have to come. They come with little money and little education but leave richer and wiser than many who go to mega wealthy churches and leave with little more than what they walked in with (judgmental, I accept).The hymn song after Holy Communion, Prayer of St. Francis reveals the truth about God’s great commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind and all your soul” (Deuteronomy 6:4) which is reinforced with the words “and your neighbor was well” (Mark 12:30). As we sing this hymn some may be reminded of the truth that we are called to be an instrument of God by serving as His hands, feet and mouth on earth. Serving others not just ourselves to be instruments of peace, to be available to others, and to forgive. Christian art and music can make a difference and the next time you look at stain glass in the church or another piece of artwork, or hear a hymn being song think about what truth is being told.