The South Windows

The south windows of the Nave show the Lenten preparation for the joy of the Resurrection.

WE PRESENT

After the sermon comes the offertory; offerings of people, their gifts, their prayers and their talents. In some of the new liturgies, members of the congregation come forward to offer the bread and wine which will be blessed to become the sacred elements of the Communion meal. Green symbolizes hope. Three different Bible stories of offerings are illustrated in this window.

First is Abraham’s attempted sacrifice of his beloved son, Isaac, in obedience to what he believed was God’s will. He is prevented by an angel who hurtles down from above to stay the knife. Next Abel’s hands are seen offering a lamb, his acceptable sacrifice. Each of those is a type of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

At the bottom Jesus himself is presented in the Temple to Simeon by his parents, in obedience to the old Mosaic law which states that the first born belongs to God. The cage of the two turtle doves, a small ransom for so precious a Child, because of the Family’s poverty, is carried by Joseph.