Stained Glass Windows

Imagery of our Stained Glass Windows

http://www.swsglass.com/rose/st_anthony/tfe_window.html

            The beautiful rose stained glass window that graces the space above the altar is based on the imagery of God the Creator:  a Psalm to the Father.  For his inspiration the artist, Stephen Wilson, looked at the following Psalms in Scripture:  8:3-6; 11:4; 18:35; 19:1-3; 20:6; 51:6 and 91:4.

            If you look closely on the bottom left you can see the hand of God.  If you can’t see it right away that’s quite all right.  The artist wants us to look for it, just as we must, in our daily lives, constantly look for the hand of God who is supporting and guiding us.  At times His hand is very visible but, at other times, we have to search to find Him in our struggles and joys.        

            As God created he brought order to the heavens and the earth.  This creative power is represented in our window by the large dark circle in the center surrounded by the chaotic various shapes and colors on the right hand side.  In the upper left hand is displayed the heavens with the pin-points of light suggesting the stars.

            If you look at the top left you will see a bird’s wing.  Many of us know by heart the song, “On Eagle’s Wings” by Fr. Michael Jones which says:  “And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand.”  God the Father enfolds and protects us with His love.

            The small blotch of red signifies the blood offering of the Old Testament covenant.  Symbolically it flows to the cross below where the blood of Christ was shed for the New Covenant.  Now if you look at the window as a whole, you will see that it looks like an eye—- the eye of God.  The artist’s intention is that we are to be reminded that God is always watching over our needs and welfare.

 Imagery of our Stained Glass Windows

            Last week I wrote a few words about our “God the Father” rose window above the altar.  This week we turn 180 degrees around and see a beautiful depiction of “God the Spirit.”

            If you have trouble finding the dove in the window, that is just what the artist wanted you to experience.  He purposely made it difficult to emphasize the fact that, for many of us, the Spirit is hard to grasp, find, or explain.  Everything emanates from the Holy Spirit.  It is the calling down of the Holy Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine during our Eucharistic Prayer that transforms these simple gifts into the Body and Blood of Christ.

            The wings of the dove are extended depicting the gifts of the Spirit going forth.  The swirling colors of blue are the waters of life, upon which the breath of the Spirit has stirred up and that cascade into the baptismal pool.  The red signifies the flame fire of this Spirit God.

Imagery of our Stained Glass Windows III

      If you haven’t visited our Day Chapel yet, then you may not know that we have a 3^rd beautiful stained glass window located above the Chapel’s main entrance.  The artist always wanted to design a “red” window and so he used a predominance of red, incorporating the blue tones of our other two windows and embellished with gold colors.  If you look at the window as a whole you will see a large stylized cross throughout the entire window.  At the base of the cross (the bottom center panel) is etched the name of our patron “St. Anthony of Padua”.  This whole cross may take a bit of patience to see.

     In the center square panel is the ornate cross that is quick to reveal itself.  This cross was patterned after the ancient stained glass windows that had flecks of colored glass floating around their crosses to resemble precious jewels.

     At the left of center is a frame showing an open Bible highlighting 2 verses: Psalm 119: 105 (“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.”) and Hebrews 4: 12 (“Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.”).  St. Anthony was particularly known for his preaching and oratory skills in interpreting scripture.

     At the top center panel is a loaf of bread symbolizing St. Anthony’s love of the poor that he fed bodily and spiritually.  the design to the right of center illustrates the lily that we see in any depiction of St. Anthony which speaks to us of integrity and purity – exemplified by the life of St. Anthony.

St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us.