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Among the stained glass windows of the church, you will find
symbols of the Evangelists, who through the gospels convey the
heart of scripture.
The gospel of Saint Matthew is represented by the figure of a
Man, since Matthew stresses the human character of Jesus, and it
is he who gives the fullest account of the birth of Jesus.
The Lion symbolises Saint Mark, since he emphasisies the power
and royal dignity of Christ, the Lion of Judah. Saint Mark begins
his gospel with the words "The voice of one crying in the
wilderness." The wilderness was lion territory.
The Ox, a sacrificial animal of the Jews, depicts Saint Luke,
since he emphasises the priesthood of the Saviour. The Ox also
focusses the patience and strength of Christ since, bearing the
yoke, that animal did its work for others
The Eagle, a symbol of the resurrection and of new life, is the
symbol of Saint John's gospel, as he soars upwards in his
contemplation of the divinne nature of our Lord.
These four symbols were associated with the writers of the four
gospels as early as the third century. They origiate from the
reference of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:5-10), and from the
words of the Revelation of Saint John:"And the first beast
was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf,and the third
beast had a face as a man and the fourth beast was like a flying
eagle." (Revelation 4:7).
The images shown are from the Book
of Kells which is housed at
Trinity
College Library, Dublin .
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