| Here we give you some of the symbolic meanings of the stained glass windows of St. Mary Catholic Church in Monroe,
Michigan The Monstrance, symbol of the Holy
Eucharist.
A chalice surrounded by
wheat and grapes, symbol of the Lord's last supper, wheat
symbolizing bread, the Body of Christ, grapes representing wine,
the Blood of Christ.
A heart surrounded by a crown of thorns,
engulfed in flames surmounted with a cross. This is the symbol of the
Sacred Heart, or the love of Christ.
Heart pierced by a dagger, is a
symbol of the Sacred Heart of Mary.
Roses are a symbol of the Blessed
Virgin (hence the name rosary)
The cross is a symbol of Christ and
universal sign of Christianity.
The anchor is one of the most
ancient Christian signs and is actually a symbolic cross.
A pelican feeding its young by tearing
open its breast is a symbol of Christ on the cross from whose wounded
side blood and water flowed.
The dove is the widely used symbol
of the Holy Spirit.
An open book - refers to the Bible.
A crown with the cross - symbol of
honor, sovereignty, victory.
Anchor in the sea with star shining
above - symbol of Mary.
Winged lion holding a book - Mark
the Evangelist.
Halo or nimbus over the heads - sign
of divinity or sanctity.
IHS stands for the three first
letters of Jesus in Greek and mean "Jesus Savior of Men".
Alpha and Omega - the first and last
letter of the Greek Alphabet. Christ Himself said: "I am the Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and which is
to come".
Lilies - symbol of Mary's purity.
Moon crescent - Mary's crown is
surrounded by twelve stars (the twelve tribes of Israel) as described in
St. John's Revelation: "he sees a woman clad in glory, crowned by twelve
stars, with the moon at her feet, about to give birth to a child destined
to rule the whole earth".
AM - Ave Maria or Hail Mary.
Fleur-de-lis - commonly accepted as
derived from the lily.
XP (in Greek Chi Rho) is a monogram
incorporating the first two letters of the name of Christ.
Instruments of the Passion of Christ are
the ladder, pincers, hammer, pillar, crown
of thorns and scourges.
JMJ - Jesus, Mary & Joseph.
The Apocalyptic Lamb - referred to
28 times in the Book of Revelations, alone, is the symbol of Christ as the
judge at the end of the world.
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