THE HOLY FAMILY IN FLIGHT TO EGYPT.
Matthew 2 records how Joseph is warned in a dream that Herod intends to kill the child Jesus and that he should take them to Egypt for safety. Thus Joseph fulfills the prophecy of Hosea 11:1, "Out of Egypt I have called my son." This Window looks "busy" to give it a sense of movement. It is also meant to represent that only a small handful of families founded Holy Family and they now look at us gathered around God’s altar. An appropriate prayer would be "Holy Family -- Intercede for Us."
Psalm 116:13 says, "I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord." This window can also represent the diversity of people that make up Holy Family parish today. It is as if the founding families represented in the latter window are looking at the present families and they see shapes and colors of families they never imagined celebrating around God’s altar.
(1) Genesis 8 speaks of how Noah released a dove from the ark. The last time he released the dove it did not return. Therefore he knew that the land had been restored.
(2) Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, and John 1 all speak of how the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove at His baptism.
(3) Jesus warns his disciples to be "as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves" in Matthew 10:6.
(nesting on the "Tree of Life").
In the catacombs the common symbol used for the Eucharist and the church was a mother pelican. When a pelican does not have food for her children she will peck at her breast because the baby birds will survive on her blood. "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:55).
(Exodus 13 and 14)
This passage speaks of how when Moses led the people out of slavery from Egypt to Israel, they were protected and guided by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Psalm 141 says "Let my prayers arise to you as incense." The dark colors in the window can represent our "give me" prayers. The brighter colors red, orange, violet, can represent our acts and prayers of true charity. In the ark (tabernacle) was the manna, the bread which came down from heaven, the tablets of 10 Commandments, and the staff of Aaron, the priest of Moses. Mary is the new ark, who carried Jesus in her womb. He is the High Priest, the Bread of Life, and fulfillment of the law and the prophets.
I Thessalonians 4:15-18; II Corinthians 12:2; and Revelation 12:5 speak of how Jesus will return for His faithful family. Again, the artist does not fill in facial details in the lower right corner of the family so we can identify ourselves in the window. The immensity of the figure of Jesus and the height of the mountains in the background are meant to remind us that He will be seen by all the world for who he truly is.
The symbolism of the road in the lower right that leads to Jesus is meant to remind us to pray for the intention of staying on the right path that leads to him (Psalm 23).
The windows along the back wall are entitled:
The twelve faceless figures represent these twelve families that make up "God’s family." It’s to remind us that we worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. What’s missing from the center? There is no ark (or tabernacle) of the covenant. There is no temple. The only thing that binds them together is God’s covenant that he made with their forefathers. The stars at the top of the stained glass window are a reminder of that when God said to Abraham "I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars." Modern artists do not use details of faces in order that we may see ourselves in this window as part of the family.
The husband who commissioned this window in 1990 was informed that his wife had six months to live with her cancer. He asked the artist to show their souls continuing after death. For this reason their heads are not actually completed and there is a dove above the woman’s head to represent her impending death. She survived until 2000. It is at this location because it continues the theme of the covenant of the first window. Without the strength of the marriage covenant, the family of God falls apart. It is also symbolic that we are God’s spouse (The Book of Hosea). We are supposed to see ourselves as the bride -- He is the bridegroom. Notice how the husband is caressing the face of the bride.
Mark 5:41 tells of the healing of Jairus’ daughter. Here the artist makes it clear regarding the face of Jesus contrasted by the lack of facial expressions in the unnamed character in the window so that we can see ourselves here. It represents the reconciling and healing ministry of Jesus.
Luke 1:39-45
Notice the Elizabeth figure to the right standing in the doorway. Mary is the figure to the left with her back to you. As Luke’s gospel tells us, she got up and went in haste to visit Elizabeth. Notice the poetic license of the artist in the presence of the child in the middle. The significant piece of blue stained glass could lead one to think it’s an angel accompanying Mary. Notice the angel is carrying a bowl of fruit. The artist is inviting the viewer to many different interpretations. Elizabeth rejoices over the fruit of Mary’s womb but it can also represent those being sterile -- meaning Elizabeth in her old age is then fruitful in her old age. It can also be interpreted that our lives are to bear the fruit of the teaching of John the Baptist and the fruit and graces that will come to us through Christ.
The white oak wood reredos was made by Horizon Builders in Crofton.
The five foot corpus is carved from lindenwood done by Conrad Moroder Woodcarvings in Italy. They also carved Our Lady of Grace. Once can see the similiarity in flesh tones and how the artist works with the folds of a garment in wood.
The crucifix is 10 feet high, 65 inches wide and weighs 280 pounds. Its placement was done to make a natural frame out of the three central beams of the church and the trough that holds the lights.
The cross is made from mahogany by the carpenter who made the altar, Dennis Smith. Charles Robertson, a carpenter from Our Lady of Sorrows in Owensville, made our pulpit.
