The Pelican is used as a symbol of the Eucharist because the Pelican feeds it’s babies by giving its own flesh to its chicks. This is like Jesus offering His life on the cross for us, and our sins. Through His death on the cross we now have the Sacrament of the Eucharist in which the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The Pelican also appears on the Coats of Arms of Archbishop George Pell and of Corpus Christi College at Oxford and Cambridge. Oxford and Cambridge are two of the greatest Universities in the world and were established in the thirteenth century by Catholic religious orders and it remains this way today.
The Cross
The Crucifix
![Picture](/uploads/3/1/1/6/31162827/_1625965_orig.jpg)
The Crucifix is a cross with a figure of the body of Jesus attached to it. Usually it has the letters JNRJ written across the top. These letters are short for the Latin phrase 'Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum' which translates as 'Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews'. These are the words that Pontius Pilate wanted to be written above the Cross which Christ was getting crucified on.
The Laying On Of The Hands
One of the main symbols in the Church is the ‘laying on of hands’. From ancient times, to extend your hand over the person’s head was the sign of calling the Holy Spirit on you. All seven sacraments use this symbol. In the Eucharist, the priest stretches his hands over the bread and wine to call upon the Holy Spirit to change these gifts into the body and blood of Christ.
The Bread and Wine
The breaking of the bread was the usual gesture that formed communion among those at table in a Jewish ritual meal. The Last Supper was just like that. Jesus associated the broken bread and poured wine with his own Body and Blood, broken and poured out in his suffering and Death. After his Resurrection, Jesus’ disciples spoke of recognising him in the ‘breaking of the bread’.
|
White Clothing
The newly baptised are clothed in white as a symbol of ‘putting on’ Christ, and the pure new life of grace. White is the colour of Christian baptism. It symbolises the cleansing and purifying of a person from all sin. The earliest Christians wore white to signify their union with Christ and their commitment to living a righteous, pure life and faithful life. At Mass, the Priest wears a white alb which represents his baptismal garment.
|
The Evangelists
The Evangelists are the writers of the four gospels - St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John. In the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, the evangelists are represented by symbols. St. John has an eagle, St. Luke an ox, St. Matthew, the face of a man, and St. Mark, a lion. These symbols can be found on the marble floor of the sanctuary in St. Patrick's Cathedral, in Melbourne. In Venice a huge statue of a lion stands above the piazza of St. Mark and throughout the Christian world these symbols are found on copies of the Gospels and in paintings of the evangelists.
The Lamb is a symbol of Christ. Lambs are often related with innocence, but in the Old Testament, lambs were associated with sacrifice. The whiteness of the lamb symbolises its purity. Many people connect Jesus for the sacrificial lamb for humanity. Sometimes the lamb carries a flag symbolising Jesus’ victory over death in His Resurrection. This is known as the 'Lamb of Victories' symbol. Another form of the symbol shows a lamb standing on a book which is closed with seven seals. This symbolises Christ as judge at the end of the world.
The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptised by St. John the Baptist a dove flew over him. A dove with an olive branch in its mouth symbolises peace. This comes from the Old Testament, when God sent the great flood, after the flood, Noah released a dove from the ark and it returned with a olive branch it in its beak. The olive branch signified to Noah that the flood had ended. Sometimes in art a dove is portrayed with seven tongues of fire which symbolise the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Fire and Light
In the Old Testament, fire is a symbol of God’s presence. One example of it is of Noah and the burning bush, Noah could feel a strong presence of God. In the Bible, transformation is almost always shown by light. In the New Testament, Jesus transformed, shining brighter than everything else. The shining signifies the blaze of God’s presence. At Baptism, we are given a lighted candle to symbolise the light of Christ. That light is that light that drives out all darkness and sin.