Have you ever noticed that the stained glass windows around
our church represent all of the major days and seasons of the liturgical
season? This week we celebrated Trinity
Sunday, and the related window is pictured above. You may have noticed the triangular form (a
giveaway), but are you familiar with the other elements portrayed in this
window?
At the top of the triangle, we have the Eye of God, most
often depicted with rays of light or glory emerging from it, a symbol of God’s
omniscience and omnipresence: God is
all-seeing, all-knowing, and ever-present in our lives.
(This symbol can also be found on the dollar bill.) To the left of the Eye is the Chi-Rho symbol,
two Greek letters (X and P) superimposed one on the other, the first two
letters of XPIΣΤΟΣ, the Greek word for Christ. The crossed X evokes the Crucifixion,
but represents as well the Word of God extended infinitely outward to all the
nations. And finally, we see a dove,
symbolizing the Holy Spirit, as it is depicted in two of the narratives of
Jesus’s baptism (in Matthew and Luke); the dove is also symbolic of the peace
Jesus wishes upon the disciples as he breathes the Holy Spirit upon them at
Pentecost.
No comments:
Post a Comment