Alter Window in SD

Meaning of window in picture.

The hand in the upper left corner represents God the Father. The symbolic meaning here is based on Psalm 98:1. "His right hand, and His holy arm hath gotten Him the Victory."

At the upper right, the Dove is representative of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.

The Stone Cross, itself, which frames the window, represents the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God.

The Crown of Thorns, represents the mock crown Jesus was forced to wear during his ordeal.

The remaining symbols are representative of Christ's passion and death, beginning with the Cross and orb flanked by the cross palm leaves symbolizing our Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

The next symbol denotes the Last Supper with the cup of wine, the Chi Rho representing Christ and the crosses representing the 12 Apostles. The red cross at the lower left represents Judas, the use of the blood color indicating the blood of Our Lord at this traitor's hands.

Following this are the sword used by Simon Peter to sever the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest, and the helmet denoting the soldiers who arrested Christ in the garden. Next is the Pillar and Crossed Scourges symbolizing the torture which Jesus had to undergo at the hands of His captors.

Crossing to the right side, the three crosses on the Mt. Calvary remind us of the crucifixion, with the Latin letters INRI on the center cross meaning "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews", and the lightning of God's wrath striking Christ in our stead.

Further down, the empty tomb symbolizes Christ's resurrection with the banner of victory denoting his triumph over death and evil. The Fiery Chariot here, is used as a symbol of Christ's ascent into heaven. The derivation is from the fiery chariot of which the prophet, Elijah, was taken up to heaven.

At the bottom the scales of Justice and the Crown represent Our Lord's kingly office and the trud justice we can expect from Him on Judgment Day.

The drops of blood interspersed throughout the window are used to emphasize the shedding of Christ's blood for our sins.