St
John's Church, Ainsdale
St
John's Church, Ainsdale
Stained Glass Windows - Symbolism
| Location | Symbol | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Ascension |  |
The Phoenix is the symbol for Immortality |
| Ascension, Sanctus |  |
The Cross is placed in a square, the symbol for the temporal character of the world, within a circle for eternity. The contraction ICXC NIKA is for Jesus Christ conquers. |
| Ascension |  |
The peacock represents Eternity and Divinity |
| Ascension, Sanctus |  |
The Greek letters Chi and Ro are the first tow letters of XPIETOE the Greek for Christ. The monogram could be read as PAX the Latin for peace. |
| Ascension |  |
The letters that make up this cross are 
(Phos Zoe) the light and the life. |
| Ascension |  |
This is a combination of the symbols chiro and alpha and omega and was found on a tomb in the Church of St Apollinaire in Ravenna |
| Ascension |  |
The lamb represents the faithful Christian resting in the shadow of the cross. |
| Ascension |  |
The two fish hanging from the anchor represent the faithful Christian saved by the cross. |
| West, War Memorial, Sanctus |  |
Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet. |
| West, War Memorial, Sanctus |  |
Omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet. It usually appears with the alpha to illustrate Revelation 1 v.8 "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty". This quote reappears twice later in Revelation (Ch.21 v 6, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." and Ch.22v13, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.") and refers back to Isaiah 41 v.4 and 44 v.6. |
| "Faith, Sacrifice, Hope", Ascension, pulpit |  |
The letters IHS are a contraction of the Latin "Iesu Homine Salvator" |
| "Faith, Sacrifice, Hope" |  |
The pelican is used as a representation of sacrifice because it was thought to bleed its breast to feed its young. |
Page Last Updated: December 1, 2002
