LORD

Stain Glass Window

Saint Augustine Catholic Church

Minster Ohio

The Symbolism of the Pelican

The symbolism of the mother pelican feeding her little baby pelicans is rooted in an ancient legend which preceded Christianity. The legend was that in time of famine, the mother pelican wounded herself, striking her breast with the beak to feed her young with her blood to prevent starvation. Another version of the legend was that the mother fed her dying young with her blood to revive them from death, but in turn lost her own life.

Given this tradition, one can easily see why the early Christians adapted it to symbolize our Lord, Jesus Christ. The pelican symbolizes Jesus our Redeemer who gave His life for our redemption and the atonement He made through His passion and death. We were dead to sin and have found new life through the Blood of Christ. Moreover, Jesus continues to feed us with His body and blood in the holy Eucharist.

Stained Glass Window
Saint Augustine Catholic Church
Minster Ohio

Text from Fr. William Sanders  
The Symbolism of the Pelican

Rite of Penance

As most of you know I do not take a journalistic approach to the pictures I take of the churches. This picture is a good example of that.  I knew what I was seeing was not going to be how the final picture came out. I am trying to use this type of pre-visualization more and more in my photography. To give you an idea of what I talking about I've included the picture below of what I basically started with.

Confessional Saint Patrick Catholic Church
Glynnwood Ohio

Lamb of God

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
grant us peace.

Stained Glass Window
Saint Augustine Catholic Church
Minster Ohio

He Has Risen -- He Has Risen Indeed

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. Matthew 28:2-4

Ceiling Mural
Saint Augustine Catholic Church
Minster Ohio

I know Easter is not till this Sunday but just too much going on this week and weekend. So this will be my last post till sometime next week.

Happy Easter.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Ceiling Mural
Saint Augustine Catholic Church
Minster Ohio

Prayer Before A Crucifix

Prayer before a Crucifix

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus
while before Your face I humbly kneel and,
with burning soul,
pray and beseech You
to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments
of faith, hope, and charity;
true contrition for my sins,
and a firm purpose of amendment.

While I contemplate,
with great love and tender pity,
Your five most precious wounds,
pondering over them within me
and calling to mind the words which David,
Your prophet, said to You, my Jesus:

"They have pierced My hands and My feet,
they have numbered all My bones."

Amen.

Ceiling Mural Saint Augustine Church Minster Ohio

Laudamus te

We praise thee

Stained Glass Window
Saint Augustine Catholic Church
Minster Ohio

Glory and Praise

Young Peoples Glory and Praise Books
Saint Augustine Catholic Church
Minster Ohio

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb

Luke 23:50-54

The Burial of Jesus

Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

Ceiling Mural Saint Augustine Catholic Church
Minster Ohio

St. Rose with Crown of Thorns

Stained Glass Window
Saint Augustine Catholic Church
Minster Ohio

Joyful Noise

Stained Glass Window
Saint Augustine Catholic Church
Minster Ohio

Psalm 23:4

Psalm 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Crucifix Saint Augustine Catholic Church
Minster Ohio

As The Deer

Mosaic Saint Augustine Catholic Church Altar
Minster Ohio

Steeple and Stain Glass

Steeple and Stain Glass Window
Saint Patrick Catholic Church

Keeper of the Word

Main Altar
St. Patrick Catholic Church

Jesus Is Taken From The Cross

Station of the Cross
St. Patrick Catholic Church

Abraham Tested (Genesis 22:9-12)

Genesis 22:9-12
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

Relief from altar St. Patrick Catholic Church

Saint Sebastian (Stain Glass Window)

Diocletian reproached Sebastian for his supposed betrayal, and he commanded him to be led to the field and there to be bound to a stake to be shot at. "And the archers shot at him till he was as full of arrows as an urchin," leaving him there for dead. Miraculously, the arrows did not kill him. The widow of Castulus, Irene of Rome, went to retrieve his body to bury it, and found he was still alive. She brought him back to her house and nursed him back to health. The other residents of the house doubted he was a Christian. One of those was a girl who was blind. Sebastian asked her "Do you wish to be with God?", and made the sign of the Cross on her head. "Yes", she replied, and immediately regained her sight. Sebastian then stood on a step and harangued Diocletian as he passed by; the emperor had him beaten to death and his body thrown in a privy. But in an apparition Sebastian told a Christian widow where they might find his body undefiled and bury it "at the catacombs by the apostles."

Text from wikipedia - find the rest of the article here St. Sebastian

Angel of God

"Angel of God, my guardian dear To whom God's love commits me here;
Ever this day be at my side,
To light and guard, to rule and guide."
-Traditional Catholic Prayer

Stained Glass Window (St. Sebastian Catholic Church)

Isaiah 12:2

Stained Glass Window (St. Sebastian Catholic Church)

Our Lady of Ephesus II

When I took this I was waiting for an overcast sky, the sun peaking out at just the right time and angle and some nice clouds. I got everything but the clouds. So the pretty clouds are courtesy of PhotoShop.

Statue located just outside of Lehman Catholic High School Sidney Ohio

Our Lady of Ephesus

Outside Lehman Catholic high school. Sidney Ohio

Silent Vigil

Angel and Candle -- Altar St. Patrick Catholic Church. Gleynnwood Ohio

Face of Christ

How did I find myself in a better place
I can’t look down on the frown on the other guy’s face
‘Cause when I stoop down low, look him square in the eye
I get a funny feeling, I just might be dealing
With the face of Christ

Lyric from Chris Rice (Face of Christ)

Station of the Cross St. Patrick Catholic Church
Glynnwood, Ohio

His Love Endures Forever

I found this Processional Crucifix a pretty cool capture with the purple Lent sash background.

Saint Patrick Catholic Church Glynnwood

John 16:33

John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

This beautiful Cristal Crucifix with Christ etched in it is the only one I have ever seen. I have another version with the complete cross that I plan on making into a poster. Simply awesome. The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches never ceases to amaze me.

Saint Patrick Catholic Church Glynnwood Ohio.

My Lord And My God

Found this beautiful mural in the balcony of Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Glynwood Ohio. I also like the black and white version.

Mother of Sorrow

Blessed Virgin Mary
Mother of Mercy,
Pray for us.

Saint John Catholic Church Fryburg Ohio