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Before I forget&
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth...
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only son, our Lord...
I believe in the Holy Spirit...
The Apostles' Creed
We Christians have used symbols throughout our history to aid worship and to communicate difficult spiritual ideas. For example, before the year 311 AD, it was a crime to be a Christian. So how did the early Christians identify one another? They used the symbol of a fish ... it was a secret sign of faith. In the very early years of the Christian Community, Christian believers called themselves "sons/daughters of the heavenly fish." (The Greek word for fish is ICTHUS. The early believers saw the word as Jesus [I] Christ [C] Son [U] of God [T] Savior [S]). In the second century, Tertullian wrote, "We small fish, like our Fish, Jesus Christ, swim in the (baptismal) water, and can be saved only by remaining in it." In the third century, Cyprian wrote, "It is in the water that we are reborn, in the likeness of Christ our Master, the Fish." Can you image Christ as the Great Fish and we the baptized as the little fish?
The early Christians identified the dolphins as the "great fish" By the end of the second century; early Christians used the dolphin as a symbol of Christ as guide and friend. By the fourth century early Christians drew a sun in the catacombs (burial places underground where they met for Eucharist in secret, for fear of persecution) as a symbol of Christ as the Sun of God---the light of the world---a symbol of goodness. The early Christians also used the pelican as a symbol of Christ and the Eucharist. The pelican would feed its young with fish from its pouch, just as Christ feeds us with his body and blood.
The cross, the most significant symbol of Christianity, recalls the redemption of humanity through Christ's sacrificial death. As a Christian symbol, the cross is found on the graves of Christians and other objects beginning in the fifth century.
We are people with rich symbols. Do you know the four main symbols of our sacramental life as Catholic Christians? They are Water/ Oil/ Bread/ Wine. The water is a symbol of God's blessings in the form of spiritual refreshment and nourishment. At Mass, water is added to the wine. The water symbolizes the people, and the wine symbolizes Christ, the two united by his sacrifice. We bless ourselves with holy water as we enter church for services. Oil is a symbol of divine blessing. It is used to show divine favor. We use it at baptisms, confirmation, ordination and for the sick. And of course, we use bread and wine at the Lord's Supper in memory of Jesus' last supper and institution of the Eucharist.
We have other symbols. Why does the priest wear symbolic vestments at Mass? Why does he wear green or white, red or purple or blue? What does incense symbolize? Why do we continue to use candles in this day and age? Why do we have our own Christian calendar? Why does the church year begin four weeks before Christmas? Why do we celebrate the season of lent? Why are there twelve days of Christmas and seven weeks of Easter?
Why were stained glass windows introduced into our churches? What is the symbolism of the Easter Candle? Why did the medieval Church us the mythical unicorn as a Christian symbol? What is the symbolism of the spider, the swan, the snail, salt, the rainbow, the peony, the moon, the lizard, the horse, honey, hair, the goat, the frog, the dog, the cat, the bee, the acorn, and the ant? All of these, and many more, have been used as Christian symbols over the centuries.
We read about the star in scripture and associate it with the magi. Who is the "morning star" in Revelation? Why have we used the lighthouse, the peacock, the crane, the ship, the Phoenix bird, the egg, the butterfly, and clouds in Christian symbolism?
We believe in One God, Three persons. No one can completely comprehend our mysterious, loving God. How do you image the Father, or the Son, and the Holy Spirit? Remember that Jesus taught spiritual truths through symbols. He is the cornerstone, the foundation, the rock, the living water, the vine. Who is the Rock of Ages? The psalms talk about God as a Rock, a Shepherd. Why is fire so important in Scripture? A burning bush; tongues of fire? Why does the spirit come down as a dove at the baptism of Jesus?
Symbols are extremely important to us Christians. We also use symbols as a nation (flag) and in relationships (rings, etc.). We need to use all our senses and imagination in our relationship with God.
Fr. Bill
P.S.
Next Week: Why we are commissioning an icon for our Eucharistic Hall (Church)!
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