Conclusion

Abstract The book concludes by reflecting on a tiny biblical story with an outsized influence in Catholicism: the Annunciation to Mary. The many manifestations of the Annunciation show how Jesus and Mary remain united at the center of the Catholic biblical tradition. This conclusion uses the story of the Annunciation to think back through each chapter of the book in succession. The Annunciation embodies how Catholic traditions can use a few verses to refract, like a prism, manifold meanings in prayer, imagination, and doctrine. When combined with the Pietà of this book’s Introduction, these two scenes encompass the biblical interpretation enacted by story, imagination, sacrament—and, yes, occasionally by reading—during each church year and throughout a Catholic life.