From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
April 29, 2026 (#95)
Inspiring Picture Puzzles, for the Young…and for the Old
This scribe received an unexpected gift for the feast of the Annunciation (March 25) this year: a 1000-piece picture puzzle. The image is magnificent: an Annunciation scene by the fifteenth century Dominican artist Fra Angelico (1495-1555).
This item can be found at: Annunciation Jigsaw Puzzle
While any sincere gift should be received with the appropriate gratitude, I paused briefly at the suggestion by the gift-giver that working on such puzzles was shown to be beneficial for aging brains and those experiencing some diminishing capacity for coordination and dexterity. The application for this recipient was clear. For while I had attended to such advice from time to time, occasionally making a stab at a crossword puzzle, it had been many years since I had done a picture puzzle. I am proud to say that this now completed puzzle rests for the time being on my dining room table.
Whatever the benefit may prove to be for my brain and hands, my heart has been strengthened by the experience. It is good to concentrate for some time on a piece of art that is also a spiritual work of high theological value, such as this image and much of the work of the famed artist, originally known by his religious name as Fra Giovanni da Fiesole. The multitude of colors and shades thereof provided challenge and even frustration, which forced new lessons in patience. But as the image came together, piece by piece, the artistry became more and more breathtaking. And in a certain sense the Gospel of the Incarnation, our hope of salvation, was newly revealed. The left side of the image recalls the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden, while the right side of the image shows the Archangel Gabriel in his salutation to the Virgin Mary. The sun-like rays emanating from the hand of God stretch across both scenes, providing a kind of divine highway for the dove that represents the Holy Spirit.
Fra Angelico was declared “Blessed” by Pope St. John Paul II in 1982, and heavenly patron of artists in 1984. This puzzle provides, perhaps, a glimpse as to why those two papal declarations were so appropriate. There are other puzzles available by other famous artists in this series of the mysteries of the rosary. And, of course, there are many other puzzles available for children and adults of all levels of ability, which unveil, teach, and show the mysteries of our Catholic Faith. What great gifts for others…or even ourselves!
Puzzles for young and old, with varying degrees of challenge, can be seen and obtained at:
Catholic Puzzles
