SYMBOLS IN THE
Citation reference:
Rev. Paul W.
Kelly. 2008. SYMBOLS IN THE
Major symbols found in a
Catholic Church.
The church building itself is a
powerful symbol. The actual building is a visible expression of God’s abiding
presence amongst us. The church gets its name from the people who gather in it.
The ‘church’ is actually the People of God gathered, and the building is the
place the People of God gather to worship and encounter God in the special
sacraments and rites celebrated inside.
We have a symbol that relates
to the particular history of our own church here at Maryborough. it is the symbol of the Rooster. a statue of a Rooster was
placed on the top of the St Mary’s Church in 1936 as a tribute to the First
Parish Priest, Fr Paul Tissot (who was Parish Priest
of Maryborough from 1861-1875). Fr Tissot was a
Frenchman and the Rooster is a symbol of
And now we move to the universal
symbols of the church :
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Lectern (also known as
an Ambo): The word lectern comes from the Latin word meaning ‘to read’. The lectern is a reading table, especially
that in a church from which the readings of the Holy Scriptures (the Bible
Lectionary) are read. This is also known as the “Table of the Word (of
God).” The alternate word for this table
is the “Ambo” (coming from the Greek word meaning a Pulpit (which itself is a
Latin word meaning ‘a platform or stage’ from which a sermon or homily or
reading is proclaimed). We believe that
the Bible is the Word of God and that it is a collection of writings detailing
the journey of God’s relationship with God’s people across generations. It is
the Sacred story of our faith and every time we gather
to celebrate a ritual or a sacrament in the church, the word of God is central
to that celebration.
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Altar (also
known as the Table of the Eucharist). This is a special table on
which the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist is celebrated. The bread and wine are
placed upon this altar and here they are blessed as we recall the Last Supper
where Jesus took bread broke it and shared it, took a cup of wine and handed it
around and said “this is my body, this is my blood” do this in memory of me. We
gather to do this action in memory of the Lord and we believe that as we do
this, Jesus becomes present again to us, in the form of this meal, which we
share and gain spiritual strength and grow in love for our Lord.
·
Connected to this symbol, there are sacred vessels
such as a communion cup, called a chalice. This cup is often of exquisite
beauty and design and is to hold the wine that will become the Blood of Christ
in the celebration of Eucharist. A bowl or beautifully designed plate or bowl
with a lid (called a ‘ciborium’) holds the bread that will be blessed to become
the Body of Christ. Worthy and beautiful objects are suitable to show the
importance of the things they contain. The cup symbolises the covenant God
makes between humans and God’s-self.
There is a saying: “We are fed at the table of the Word, by
hearing and gaining strength from the Scriptures, and then we are fed with the
Body and Blood of Christ at the Table of the Eucharist.” Two tables, one Lord
who nourishes us at both !
( For more detail
about the Eucharist and the structure and meaning of the Mass, please see the
following link:
http://www.parishes.bne.catholic.net.au/maryborough/massguide.htm
)
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Presider’s Chair. This is not merely a convenient place where
a priest sits when not doing an element of the ritual. The chair represents the
role of the priest as the leader of the worship of the community, and his
pastoral care and responsibility for the people. All priests are co-workers
with their superior who is called a Bishop. The bishop is the head priest of a
particular area. The bishop has a special chair in his main church and this
chair is called a Cathedra (Greek for ‘Chair’). This chair symbolises the
leadership the Bishop has over the whole area and his care for the people and
his authority. The church where the bishop has his chair is called a
“Cathedral” (which literally means ‘the place of the chair’). So a cathedral is
not defined by its size or impressiveness but actually by the fact that it is
the church where the ‘seat of authority’ of the Bishop (the Bishop’s chair) is
located (literally !). The primary church for the
whole region (in our Diocese here, our Bishop is Archbishop John Bathersby, and the primary local church is the Cathedral of
Saint Stephen, in
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Crucifix: The Crucifix, (that is a timber or metal
cross with the image of the Crucified Lord Jesus on it) is an integral visual
symbol of almost every Catholic Church.
The Crucifix is often positioned in a very central position somewhere
over or near the Altar, or on the sanctuary area. Ideally, the Crucifix is big
enough but also light enough to be able to be carried
in, in the entrance procession at the start of a ceremony. When the crucifix is
brought in as part of the procession it leads the procession. The Crucifix is a
central symbol because it is a visual reminder that God loved us so much that
he sent his only son to die for us, so that we might have life through him. The
suffering and death on the cross is a profound mystery of God’s love, God’s
justice, God’s forgiveness. We Christians believe that the Crucifixion of Christ,
which seemed to be a humiliating defeat in the eyes of the world, is actually
the victory of God over sin and death. God (in Jesus) took onto himself
everything bad that the world had to throw at him and crucified it, defeating
it with the self-sacrificing love of the cross.
Other churches also venerate the symbol of the cross, doing so by
emphasising the symbol of the wood of the cross. Such images are simply plain
crosses made of wood or metal. Ultimately though, the symbolism is the same.
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Liturgical Colours:
Different coloured
vestments, altar cloths, banners and drapery is often used in the Church to
reflect the fact that, similar to the seasons in a calendar year, there are
different seasons in the Church year. These church seasons reflect different
times and areas of focus. Set colours have been given for the different church
seasons, and these try to reflect the mood of the season. Light and bright
colours represent Feasts of great joy and hope and darker colours represent
sorrow, penitence, reflectiveness.
The main liturgical
colours are these:
White: For Christmas and Easter seasons. Also white
is used for feasts of saints who did not die a martyrs
death. This colour represents joy, hope, light.
Red: For Pentecost, Good Friday,
and for the feasts of Saints who were Martryed (had
their blood shed for witness to the Gospel). The red represents the Fire of the
Holy Spirit and for blood shed in faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus.
Purple (or
Violet). This is used for the rather subdued and penitential season of
Lent and the quiet, preparatory time of Advent. The darker colour represents
quiet, sorrow for sins, penitence and waiting.
Green: Used for the ordinary times of the year. This
represents life and abundance and ‘the
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Vestments. There are
special clothes worn by the priest as a symbolic sign of the importance of the
events celebrated. Here are the main ones:
The major vestment is the
white gown called an Alb. The name derives from the latin
“albus” meaning white, and has the same
derivation as the word “albino’ meaning white. It is a white garment reminding
us of our Baptismal garment and that in Baptism each of us ‘put on Christ, like
we put on a new white garment.’
Below is Fr Paul wearing
the Alb:
Over this, the priest puts
on a scarf-like band of cloth that hangs over his neck. This is called a stole.
This is the ‘badge’ of the priest’s ministry. It used to be a cloak, and the
word stole means ‘cloak’ but centuries of development has reduced it to a thin
band of cloth.
Below is Fr Paul wearing
the Stole: (this is a red stole, which would be worn for a Feastday
of a Martyr, or a Good Friday Liturgy, or Pentecost).
At the celebration of
Eucharist the priest puts on another vestment on top of the Alb. This is a
poncho-like garment which is basically a large round cloth with a hole for the
head and not attached at the sides. This is the vestment to be worn for Mass
(also known as Eucharist). This is a priestly garment symbolic of the priest
offering the sacrifice of the Holy Mass, in which Christ,
the Paschal sacrifice re-presents himself on the altar in his one and only
sacrifice (re-presented through time via this sacrament).
Below is Fr Paul wearing
the Chasuble, over the white alb. Note that he is wearing a white/gold
chasuble, with a white/gold stole over the top of it, and underneath is the
white alb and which has a cord belt tied around the waist. This colour is worn
in the Easter season or in the Christmas season or Feastdays
of Saints who did not die by martyrdom but died of natural causes. This colour
could also be worn at weddings – as sign of joy and festivity and also funerals
- as a sign of hope in the resurrection).
The priest also wears a
belt of cord, called a ‘cincture’ around his waist. This also is described as a
symbol of chastity.
This is a picture of the
cincture (cord belt) :
Below, Fr Paul is wearing
the cincture (cord belt) around the waist and the Alb (white garment).
The outer vestments (stole
and chasuble) are worn in the colour matching the season, as mentioned above,
except the Alb should always be white, reminding us of the baptismal garment.
Sometimes the stole is worn over the chasuble and other times under it,
depending on the design of the vestment and the area and policy.
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Tabernacle: This word comes from the Latin meaning “tent” or “little booth.”
In Roman Catholic churches, the ‘tabernacle’ is a beautiful, ornate box or container,
(usually made out of brass or another strong and worthy metal), which ought to
be securely bolted down and locked. This container is where the remains of any
blessed and consecrated hosts (communion wafers) are stored. The Catholic
Church teaches that the bread and wine used at Eucharist, (Mass), once blessed
and consecrated in the ceremony, is and remains the Body and Blood of Christ,
in the form of what looks like and tastes like and has the chemical make up of
bread and wine. Since it remains the body and blood of Christ, any unconsumed
hosts (bread) and precious blood (the blessed wine) must either be consumed
after mass or the hosts can be stored in the tabernacle. When there are blessed
hosts in the tabernacle there is usually a red light beside it to indicate that
there is the presence of the consecrated elements within – that Christ is
present in the sacrament. People pray before this tabernacle and reflect
quietly on the mystery of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. This secure
tabernacle is a proper place to store the blessed hosts so that they can be
accessed and taken at any time to give to someone who is sick and in need of
the Eucharist for spiritual strength.
The tabernacle used to be positioned on the high altar at the very
centre of the sanctuary. Some churches still do this. Other places have a
special side altar, or sacrament chapel specially designed for private prayer
and reflection and people can sit or kneel in front of the tabernacle and pray
and meditate.
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Baptismal Font. This is a
really important object. It is a large ornate pool or majestic bowl and stand
that is used for Baptisms. It ideally should be near
the entrance to the church to symbolise that Baptism is the way we ENTER into
the Church by being made children of God. But wherever the baptismal font
(font: derived from the word ‘fountain’)
is located. It symbolises our dying and rising with Christ to new and
everlasting life.
The Paschal or
Easter candle. The word paschal derives from the word
“Passover”. We have an enormous candle that we use for various occasions. A new
Easter Candle gets blessed for use for the following year every Holy Saturday
night (the night before Easter Sunday).The candle reminds us of Christ, who is
the light of the world, who came into the world to show us the way, and give us
light and hope. The Paschal candle reminds us that Jesus is the Passover lamb
sacrificed for our sins and risen again and now is the
light of the world. It has rich meaning. We use this candle for various rituals
in our church. The candle, or at least the large and
long Candle stand usually stands next to the baptismal font and serves as a
reminder of Christ our light in times of darkness, Jesus Christ is our guide
along the path.
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Genuflecting. This is a
symbolic gesture of great solemn reverence. This is when one touches one knee
to the ground in a profound kneel of reverence and
honour. The usual time that one genuflects is in the presence of the exposed
sacrament of the Body of the Lord and / or the Blood of the Lord (the blessed
and consecrated Bread and Wine – which is the real presence of Christ). People also genuflect towards the tabernacle
to acknowledge the presence of Christ in the sacrament inside it. The red light
indicates if the Eucharist is present in the tabernacle.
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Bowing. This is a
symbolic gesture of general reverence. One bows to the altar as a sign of
respect to its significance. One can bow towards the Crucifix as a sign of respect
for its meaning.
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Holy Water: because water is the main symbol of baptism,
which is a rebirth in Christ, a dying to old sinful ways, the sign and symbol
do water is very important in the church. At the entrances of a Catholic Church
one will often find little decorative bowls of water attached to the side of
the wall, for people to dip their finger in and use to make the sign of the
cross. People do this symbolic action to remind themselves that they have been
reborn and washed clean of sin by Baptism, and called to live in the new life
of discipleship of Christ. Holy water thus is a reminder and symbol of eternal
life, of God’s protection and care for us and of course God’s forgiveness.
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Statues: There is a lot of ignorance, misunderstanding
and fear about the use of Statues in Church depicting holy women and men or
even depicting Our Lord. Statues are
simply helpful visual reminders, symbols of our membership in the communion of
the saints, which involves all the holy women and men that have ever lived: the
saints. We do not ‘worship statues’ we worship the Lord God alone. We do not
‘pray to statues’ we pray to God alone. Statues serve the same function as
photos of loved ones kept in our homes; they are reminders of them the recall
aspects about their lives to inspire us to imitate their virtues. Popular
statues in Catholic Churches include statues of Mary, the Mother of God,
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Stations of the
Cross: These are a series of usually
fourteen pictures of images depicting the final journey of Jesus towards the
Cross and his suffering and death. They are called stations because people go
to each image, which are spread around the church, and stop (remain stationary)
at each picture and pray, meditate and reflect on the significance of what this
image depicts in the journey of Jesus to Calvary hill and his criucifixion. Traditionally there are fourteen stations, that depict the following:
1.
Jesus is
condemned to death
2.
Jesus
receives the cross
3.
Jesus
falls the first time
4.
Jesus
meets His Mother
5.
Simon
of Cyrene carries the cross
6.
Veronica
wipes Jesus' face with her veil
7.
Jesus
falls the second time
8.
Jesus
meets the women of Jerusalem
9.
Jesus
falls the third time
10.
Jesus is
stripped of His garments
11.
Crucifixion:
Jesus is nailed to the cross
12.
Jesus dies
on the cross
13.
Jesus' body is removed from the cross (Pieta)
14.
Jesus is
laid in the tomb
an alternative
set, based on incidents directly depicted in Scripture, are as follows:
1.
Jesus in
the
2.
Jesus is
betrayed by Judas and arrested,
3.
Jesus is
condemned by the Sanhedrin,
4.
Jesus is
denied by Peter,
5.
Jesus is
judged by Pilate,
6.
Jesus is
scourged and crowned with thorns,
7.
Jesus
takes up his cross,
8.
Jesus is
helped by the Cyrenean to carry his cross,
9.
Jesus
meets the women of
10.
Jesus is
crucified,
11.
Jesus
promises his kingdom to the good thief,
12.
Jesus and
his mother and disciple,
13.
Jesus dies
on the cross,
14.
Jesus is
laid in the tomb.
and another
version, called the Way of the Cross, are as follows:
1.
Jesus
institutes the Eucharist
2.
Jesus
prays in
3.
Jesus
before the Sanhedrin
4.
Jesus is scourged and
crowned with thorns
5.
Jesus
carries the cross to
6.
Jesus
falls under the weight of the cross
7.
Jesus is
helped by Simon of Cyrene
8.
Jesus
meets the pious women of
9.
Jesus is
nailed on the cross
10.
Jesus
promises Heaven to the repentant thief
11.
Jesus
entrusts Mary and John to each other
12.
Jesus dies
on the cross
13.
Jesus is
laid in the tomb
14.
Jesus
rises from the dead
The stations developed as
an act of popular devotion by ordinary people, and is still extremely popular
as a private time of prayer or as a group gathering, especially in Lent, and on
the Fridays of Lent and Good Friday particularly. There is not just one ceremony that goes with
these stations, there are many versions. It is an not
an official ritual of the church, hence the greater flexibility, but it is
nevertheless very popular and important.
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Organ: Many churches have a musical instrument such
as an organ. Organ music has been part of church liturgy for centuries. Other
types of music are allowable, but there is quite a tradition for organ music. The
very visible presence of an organ or other large musical instrument is there to
support people in their worship by singing or assist in their worship and
prayer by uplifting music to raise one’s soul and mind and heart to God.
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Collection plates and
charity boxes: Collection plates are
handed around one or two or three times (depending on the event) and people
place coins or money on these plates to contribute to the upkeep of the church
and the upkeep of the priests and religious and also donate to needy causes.
Collections are taken up in the ceremony because they are part of the symbol of
the fact that we give our lives, work and treasure to God for the benefit of
those in need and to sustain the missionary work of the church in the world.
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Stained Glass
windows: These style
of beautiful artwork date back to the middle ages and earlier. Many people
could not read or write back in the early centuries of the church, so they
passed on stories and messages about God and their faith in spoken stories and
also pictures. The stained glass and leadlight windows are designed to inspire
and uplift people’s minds and hearts to contemplate God’s love and goodness.
The images in the stained glass tell stories from the bible, from church
history and from liturgy to teach and inspire people about aspects of their
faith, without need of words.
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HOLY OILS:
(In
various Catholic ceremonies, the priest uses oil as a symbol,
it is olive oil that has been blessed by the Bishop, the leader of the church
in a particular region.
we call these various oils: HOLY OILS
each year, a week or so before Easter, the
bishop gathers with his priests and representatives of all the parish
communities of the area for a Mass with the blessing of the oils which will be
used in the sacraments for the coming year. These blessed oils (of which there
are three different uses) is taken back by each community ready for use in the
sacred rites of our church.
THE OIL OF BAPTISM… also known as Oil of Catechumens. This oil is used to anoint people before they are baptized,
it is a physical prayer that God will protect and strengthen the one to be
baptized to enable them to live as good Christians… (we
trust and pray that God will shield them from harm)…….anything bad in life will
slip off them…. Unable to grab hold…. “ When the
priest uses this oil he prays: “May
Christ strengthen you with his power.”
THE OIL
OF THE INFIRM.. or oil of the
sick…. Blessed and used just as it was said in the letter of St James in the
Scriptures: …. “are there any sick among you, then call for the priests who
will pray over them and anoint them with oil…” …When this oil is used, the
priest prays that “through this holy anointing, may God in his love an mercy
help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord save you, and raise
you up.”
THE OIL
OF CHRISM.,…. Symbol of royalty……..used to anoint the
heads of Kings and
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An important liturgical
principle is to ensure that any symbols we use in our worship are strong. That
is, if we use a symbol at all, it should be clear and unambiguous and strong.
One sees this particularly in the Baptism ceremony. The symbols of Baptism are
Oil of Catechumenate, Water, Candle, Baptismal Robe
and Oil of Chrism. One could be forgiven, however, for remembering only the
pouring of the water and not noticing the anointing of the chest and head with
oil. This is because these other symbols are often featured so slightly as to
go unnoticed. The minister of baptism may have a miniature container of oil and
swiftly daub a slight amount on the person to be baptised. Why do something at
all if one is not to do it strongly and clearly? So, in this parish, we have
large, worthy containers for the oil, and we take a goodly amount of the oil
and anoint with a sense of purpose.
Symbols are so important
that they can actually be watered down by multiplication. It is not acceptable
to have a main crucifix in the sanctuary and also have a crucifix on the altar
and another crucifix nearby as well. The symbol of the cross is so central that
one strong expression is more than enough. Also, as we said a few weeks ago,
since the altar itself is a symbol of the abiding sacrifice and presence of
Christ, using it as a “stand” for a crucifix diminishes both symbols in
themselves.
For the same reasons,
although it may be convenient to put out many chalices at the start of the ceremony,
the symbol of the one cup and the one bread is best maintained until communion
and only then the other extra chalices brought forward and the Blood of the
Lord poured into them from one main carafe.
Use of pamphlets to read
out the word of God in liturgy is also discouraged. Since the Word of God is
something important, powerful and permanent. It is best to always proclaim
scriptures from the proper lectionary or bible. The Bible itself,
is given special reverence. However, you may notice that the presider, at the end of the Gospel, does not lift the
gospel up to say “The Gospel of the Lord”, since after proclaiming it, the
Gospel is no longer to be found merely in the printed words of the book, but in
the hearts and minds of all who have heard it.
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THE SYMBOLS USED IN THE BAPTISM CEREMONY
There are a few symbolic
elements used in the Baptism ceremony. Here is a quick summary, to help explain
the meaning of them.
1.
OIL OF BAPTISM: Your child will be anointed on the chest
(older children and adults we anoint on the forehead) with the oil of Baptism.
This is ordinary olive oil that has been specially blessed by our Bishop in an
annual ceremony just before Easter. This oil is a symbol of preparing the child
for Christian living. Just as an athlete is rubbed with oil to prepare their
muscles for the race, this oil is used to strengthen and prepare the child to
live a good Christian life. The oil also symbolises protection. Just as it is
hard to grab hold of someone who has oil rubbed on them, they slip away from
one’s grip, so too we pray that this child will be protected from harm and
temptation; nothing bad in life can grab hold of them, it will just slip away.
2.
WATER: This is the main symbol
of baptism. Water represents washing clean and re-birth and renewal. Water is a
perfect symbol, it contains so many meanings: Health and life, recreation,
danger and threat, power and gentleness, washing and renewing. It is a
wonderful way of showing that by following Jesus we want to ‘immerse” or
“plunge” ourselves into Jesus’ way of life. Baptism is a word that literally
means “Plunge” and we believe that Baptism is not just a sign of following Jesus, Baptism connects us to Jesus and makes us one with
his life and with the life of all other believers in Jesus.
In ancient Christian churches
there was a special separate room or even separate building where the Baptismal
font was located. .. // People would be welcomed into the life of Christ.,.. and become members of
the church in this Baptistry… and then be led into
the church… to take their rightful place around the altar of the Lord…for the
first time. There were a couple of major styles of Baptism font…..
One
type (pictured above) was a rectangular pool with steps going in one side and
coming up the other….. These kinds of fonts look very much like a water-filled grave……. People would be led down into
the pool, leaving behind their old clothes and old ways of living… and any sins
they committed… and came up out of the waters…. Putting on the new white
baptismal robe….// . The power of the symbol was
strong…. One could see the symbolism of going into the tomb with Christ (dying
with Christ, to our old ways) and rising from the tomb with Jesus to a new way
of living.
If you
have ever visited 
“All who have been baptised -have died with
Jesus in the waters of Baptism and now we walk in newness of life…. Being ‘dead to sin’. (NRSV Bible).
The
other style of font was circular…… It seemed to pick up the powerful image of
renewal and re-birth….
The
Brisbane Archdiocese’s
pre-eminent church… where the Archbishops’ chair is located… the
Cathedral of St. Stephen…. Has a magnificent font that cleverly incorporates
both images… with the pool and the steps… and the mural and bowl representing
rebirth in Christ Jesus.
The beauty of the Baptismal image
of ‘water and washing’ is that it picks up so many different facets of Jesus
and his message….. Life, death, joy, suffering, forgiveness,
cleansing, new life, re-birth, and danger, even death. It is a reminder that all who dare follow
Jesus into the pool must be prepared for both fullness of life and the real
possibility of suffering - of being outside our comfort zone. Baptism
into Jesus makes us one with Jesus in his life, death and resurrection. We say
“yes” to the deep mystery of dying and rising that is
found in all aspects of life. Each time we recite the Creed at Mass, we renew
the promises made at our Baptism, when we dared, or our parents loving dared on
our behalf, to follow Jesus into the (often cool and uninviting) waters of
Baptism, so as to rise to a new – albeit challenging – way of life. Thank
goodness Jesus always has gone before us to lead us through these waters.
3.
OIL OF CHRISM: The name “Christian” comes from the name
“Christ” who we follow. The word “Christ” literally means “Anointed One.” Jesus
is the Anointed and Chosen one of God who was ‘anointed’ by God to be THE Priest,
Prophet and King. Oil of Chrism is again ordinary olive oil that has been mixed
with beautiful perfumes. This oil symbolises royalty and vocation. This oil is
anointed onto the crown on the head of the newly baptised child. This is the
same oil that is used to anoint the heads of Monarchs at their Coronation, to
anoint Priest’s hands at their Ordination, and is the same oil that is used in
Confirmation, which seals and confirms the baptism of the child later in life.
This second anointing makes it clear that your child is a royal member of
Jesus’ kingdom, as all Jesus’ followers are. The child will be connected and
part of Jesus, and share with Jesus in his vocation to be “Priest, Prophet and
King” in the world.
4.
WHITE BAPTISMAL GARMENT: There
is a Bible reading where
5.
CANDLE: We believe that Jesus is
the “light of the world.” Jesus is the
light who shows us the way, and helps us in life, especially when we feel we
are in darkness of difficulty or temptation or confusion. Every Easter a very
large candle is blessed called the “Easter Candle” or “Paschal Candle” (a word
meaning Passover: Jesus is the “Passover Lamb” who was sacrificed to save us
from sin). This candle represents Jesus who is a light to all in darkness. When
a child is baptised, they are said to be “enlightened by Christ” and they have
become a “Child of the Light.” A Baptismal candle is lit from this Easter
candle and is presented to the family as a sign that this newly baptised person
has received Jesus’ light and now must be a ‘light of christ’
to all they meet in how they live and behave. Just as the big light does not
lose any of its brightness or power by having other candles lit from it, so we
become a carrier of Christ’s light without taking anything from the greatness
of the true light who enlightens and guides us all: Jesus Christ.
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Funeral ceremony symbols:
A Pall
The name “Pall”, (pronounced “Pawl” - same as “Paul”), comes from the latin word pallium, meaning ‘a cloak.’ A Pall is a large white cloth that is placed over a coffin in a funeral ceremony.