Parish Stained Glass Windows

Christian Art is a specific genre in the world of art which often depicts eternity in a world that is fleeting. The stained-glass windows in our parish Church are a perfect example of Christian art. I invite you to behold our Church after sunset when it is in darkness. If you see the windows in absolute darkness, all you can see is dark colored glass. However, when the natural light of the sun rises and pierces through them it illuminates and reveals the hidden beauty of the stained glass. I perceive a visual theology in this act. Our lives are much like the stained glass windows. When we are away from God our lives are like the stained glass windows viewed in the dark. Let us allow ourselves to let God pierce through our sinful lives, so He can illuminate them like the beautiful windows. Because it is in our weaknesses that the grace of God is manifested fully (2 Cor. 12:9). The stained-glass windows of our Church serve to explain various scriptural passages. Stay tuned to grasp what each of our Church windows conveys to us.

Christ the King Window

On the right side of the altar (or from the people’s perspective on the left) there is a stained glass image of Christ the King. Jesus calls: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11: 28). The window portrays many who suffered - the displaced, orphans, widows, prisoners, homeless, a dead soldier, peasants, and a religious leader. I would like to draw your attention to a particular character in the window, it is a king or a prince with authority, revealed by the crown that he wears. He is rich but doesn't have a peaceful mind and so he is sobbing to Christ the King. Our human life is temporary. In one way or another we can associate our life with the characters who are surrounding Jesus in that window. In difficult moments don’t forget that we have a King who is the King of the universe. Go to Him, and He will shine His light like the bright sun into our life; as it is inscribed at the bottom of the window “Come to Me all you that labor, and are burdened and Jesus will refresh you.” On seeing the window don’t forget to take the message - in all kinds of situations, Jesus Christ, the King always allows His light to shine on you to make you radiant. 

Pentecost Window

This window portrays the event from the Acts of the Apostles – the Descent of the Holy Spirit on Mother Mary and the Apostles (Acts 2: 1- 13). After this event, the Apostles, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, started preaching the Gospel to all the world. Before the Holy Spirit is given to them, they were anxious and closed themselves in the Upper Room out of fear - but after receiving the Holy Spirit, they were brave. They started proclaiming Jesus and nothing could stop them, not even death. This window in our Church silently tells their story. On seeing this window, give up all your anxieties because the same Spirit which our Lady and the Apostles received also is given to you through Baptism and confirmed through Confirmation. Now it is our duty to proclaim Jesus to our neighbor through our words and deeds. The God who penetrates our hearts like a light through this window, will allow His light to shine through us as well.Have you ever wondered how the color is given to the Stained glass? Because if you paint on the ordinary glass it may look good but will not allow the light to pass through. What is the secret behind these colored glasses? Next we will explore that process.

Stained glass is made when colors are added to the glass and when metal oxide is mixed into the molten glass at the time of production. Copper oxide, under different conditions, produces ruby, blue, or green colors in glass. Cobalt is usually used to produce most shades of blues. Green shades can also be obtained from the addition of chromium and iron oxide. Golden glass is sometimes colored with uranium, cadmium sulfide, or titanium, and there are fine selenium yellows as well as vermilions. Ruby colored glass is also made by adding gold.

The Nativity of Christ Window

This window, which depicts the story of the Nativity, captures for us the beautiful story of the birth of Christ ~ The moment the Word became flesh. We all know the story of Christmas and love that season which is filled with hope and joy. At Christmas, there are many fun and festive celebrations that take place which draws us into the gift of family and friends. Along with these celebrations, Christmas manifests the Divine love ~ the very mystery of God’s love for each of us. God became Man for our salvation. I would like to draw your attention to the bottom of the window where you can see a shepherd’s hat and a king’s crown. On seeing the whole scene, it is arranged consistently by placing the Child Jesus in the middle of kings and shepherds. The shepherd’s hat and king’s crown which is placed beneath the foot of the Holy Child tells not only of His identity but that all we have, including the life, belongs to God alone. Christ, as we saw in the first window, is the King of the Universe ~ hence the king’s crown. As king, He is called to shepherd His flock in humility and love ~ hence the shepherd’s hat. Like the Magi, all gifts are left at the feet of Christ for Him to use. That is also the reason we see that crown and hat submitted to Christ. Our Church windows come under the category of Kiln arts. What is

Kiln artwork? Let’s take a moment and describe it.

With a special ceramic paint – commonly known as "vitrifiable" paint, the characters in the windows are painted. This paint has the potentiality to become part of the glass if the painted glass is baked for certain degree in the kiln. This is called kiln artwork.

The Last Supper Window

This window reflects the scene of the Lord’s Last Supper.  All four Gospels in Scripture describe this event (Mt. 26:17–30, Mk. 14:12–26, Lk. 22:7–39 and Jn. 13:1–17:26). I would like to draw your attention to a particular character in the scene. The apostles are sitting around Jesus while he is instituting the Eucharist; all their eyes are fixed on Jesus except one – Judas. More specifically Judas is looking at the money bag which he is holding in the scene. He was not aware that he was consuming the body of Jesus. As the Gospel according to John explains Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel - after I have dipped it.” So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. After he took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” (Jn 13: 26-27).  Judas replaced Jesus with money. He was looking for a luxurious and comfortable life. In that pursuit, he actually lost his life. The rest, who fixed their eyes on Jesus, lost their lives as well but gained their heavenly dwelling. It is very important to understand the irony especially in this fast moving mechanized and consumerist world, so that we may not lose our lives. 

Do you realize that our parish stained glass windows are from both Minnesota and the Austrian city of Innsbruck?

The Presentation of Christ Window

Often, we worry about death. Here we see a man who embraces death as his reward. This stained glass window represents the Gospel passage from Luke 2: 22–38, which is the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Simeon identified the salvation of God in the Infant Jesus who He holds in his arms. He raised Jesus up and proclaimed the coming salvation with joy. You may be aware that Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas on this day, when Simeon embraced the Child in his arms, January 7th instead of  December 25th. This window invites us to constantly exercise our duty of revealing Jesus to the world. This responsibility is given to us through Baptism. If we rejoice in giving Jesus to others, then nothing should scare us, not even death. In the Divine Office, during Night Prayer, the hymn of Simeon is recited. The canticle is as follows:

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;  your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations 

and the glory of your people Israel.

The Resurrection Window

This window depicts the Resurrection of our

Lord Jesus Christ. The Resurrection is the focal point of our Christian belief; as St. Paul says in his first letter to Corinthians:

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1Corinthians 15:14).

Our Lord not only lived an ordinary human life but also paid our ransom through His death on the cross. In some religions, the blame always falls on humans. They believe that humans must overcome their past deeds (Karma) in this world and attain salvation by their own deeds. This raises a question, what is the role of God then? Christianity, however, teaches that out of mercy, God sent His only Son as He promised and gave us everlasting life through the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Next time, stop next to the window and say:

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Corinthians 15:55-57)

The Mother of Mercy Window

Stained glass has a long history of about 5000 years. In ancient times, Egyptians and Romans used stained glass to make objects for royal dignitaries. Also, it was used by rich Romans in their homes in the first century AD. Early examples of stained glass windows can be found in some of the palaces and mosques in the Middle East. At St. Paul’s Monastery in Jarrow, England, some of the oldest pieces of stained glass windows from 686 AD were found; the earliest stained glass piece presenting a picture is the head of Christ from the 10th century and was discovered at the

Lorsch Abbey in Germany.

This window of our Lady, which is often hidden from our vision, is perfectly placed in the confessional of the Church. When you enter through the “Door of Mercy,” the gorgeous window with our sweet loving Mother can be seen. There you see Our Lady serving loaves of bread to the hungry. Here the loaves are a symbolic representation of the one living bread - Jesus Christ. We cannot find a more perfect example other than Mother Mary to follow Jesus. It is always a great joy to be with our mothers. To us, our Lord Jesus gave one of the greatest gifts when he was on the cross – His own Mother as our own. This window captures her mercy towards all. When thinking about her mercy, I recall the following lines of the Memorare: “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided.”

She is generously giving the heavenly bread but are we hungry enough to receive it?  I strongly recommend you read the book: The Glories of Mary written by the great Saint Alphonsus Liguori (a free pdf is available on the internet). In that book many miracles of our Lady are discussed. I remember them fondly, because they were my bedtime stories as a child.

Jesus the Healer Window

When you are in a super market, have you ever seen a window, except at the front of the store at the doors? No, most likely not, because marketing companies don’t want their consumers to leave the store quickly. If there

is no window, you will not be aware of the time (we also can’t see any wall clock in the super market). When we lose the sense of time we automatically are attracted to the commercial products and unknowingly we start buying the things that are not on our list.

Why am I explaining this corporate trick to you? Because the same is applied to the stained glass windows in the churches. Though these stained glass windows serve as a light source for the Church, they make us immerse ourselves in the Divine Presence. This week the window tells the story of Jesus'

healing ministry. Take a close look at every character in the window. See the craving expressed in the mother’s face and tenderness in the face of the Jesus. If you look closely you can see that Jesus is standing under the roof of a wealthy house and all those who are ill are approaching him from an empty wasteland.

It means that we are wandering around with all of our problems, and Jesus is our only sanctuary, where all our burdens are lightened and we are healed from our sicknesses. So, it is very important to have the thirst for Jesus. In one way or another all of us have concerns. Every day we become so tired of dealing with our problems -- do not fail to find comfort and peace with our Lord Jesus. Let us face our difficulties with the help of Jesus.

The Agony of the Garden Window

This window of the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane is depicted in the Gospel of Matthew 26:36-46. It was just before Jesus was arrested and condemned to death. Jesus knew full well what was going to happen to Him and He preferred to be with God in prayer. The picture of thorns in the window symbolizes the pain that Jesus felt in His heart.

The perfect time to look at this window is just before the sunset. The setting sun brings out the darkness where the artist used several layers of dark paint. Notice the image of an Angel; while the sun starts setting this image starts to glow. When you look more closely you see three Apostles, known as the close friends of Jesus, sleeping while Jesus is praying. The darkness of the window shows the darkness of the moment, but Jesus did not get lost in the darkness. In our darkest moments, we should do as Jesus did, turn to God in prayer and ask for His help.

We all have a Guardian Angel given by God and our Guardian Angel will be there, with the divine

providence to help us. Next time in your difficult moments come near to this window and pray the following verse: 

Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom, lead me on; the night is dark, and I am far from home; lead me on. Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me. ~Cardinal Henry Newman

The Pardon of the Sinful Woman Window

When Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI visited St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, in April of 2008, he was moved by the gorgeous windows and mentioned the beauty of the windows in his homily. He preached:

“I would like to draw your attention to a few aspects of this beautiful structure . . . The first has to do with the stained glass windows, which flood the interior with mystic light.  From the outside, these windows are dark, heavy, and even dreary.  But once one enters the church, they suddenly come alive; reflecting the light passing through them, they reveal all their splendor. 

Many writers – here in America we can think of Nathaniel Hawthorne – have used the image of stained glass to illustrate the mystery of the Church herself.  It is only from the inside, from the experience of faith and ecclesial life, that we see the Church as she truly is: flooded with grace, resplendent in beauty, adorned by the manifold gifts of the Spirit.  It follows that we, who live the life of grace within the Church’s communion, are called to draw all people into this mystery of light.”

Images communicate a great deal. To listen to them, we must take a close look and spend time in each of the scenes. Here, a sinner comes to Jesus and opens an alabaster jar of perfume to apply to Jesus' feet and wipes them with her hair. We are all familiar with this Gospel (Luke 7:36-50) but it is so much more than this. It truly speaks volumes. The building, screen, and the table tell us that Jesus is sitting in the house of one of the wealthiest men. Everyone, except Jesus, stares at the lady as if she did something foolish. The servants depicted on the left side of Jesus have a proud look, indirectly showing that they are displeased that this woman is wasting the costly perfume. Jesus, however, responds: “Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she ha s done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Matthew 26:13). The open jar at Jesus’ feet represents the openness of her heart towards Jesus. In this society, you and I can also be seen as fools because of our religious beliefs. Whenever you are mocked, open wide your heart to Jesus and rejoice because you will be remembered in the book of life.

The Ascension into Heaven Window

Images in the windows tell a story, here in the Ascension scene, Jesus is going to Heaven. I would like to draw your attention to the place from where He ascends to Heaven. The Scripture says it is a mountain (traditionally it is believed to be Mount Olivet) where He ascended to Heaven (Matthew 28:16). Here the place is depicted as a garden with a great deal of flowers and green trees.

What does it mean? In the world of Christian art, the garden represents the garden of Eden, which the first parents lost because of their disobedience to God. That garden is now restored with the sacrifice of Jesus. That is why Jesus tells his disciples, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going" (John 14:2-4). We no longer need to worry for any loss, but wait hopefully for the day when our Master welcomes us to the dwelling place which is allotted for us.

In Muslim tradition painting and instrumental music are ‘haram’ - meaning prohibited (but both are accepted in the mystical tradition of Islam known as ‘Sufism’). It is because the act of drawing the animated being is equal to imitating the act of creation which is attributed only to God. And so Muslims are known for drawing flowers and other inanimate objects, which is permissible (their carpet works are most famous). Christianity, through Sacred Art believes that the invisible God can be depicted in images.

The Martha and Mary Window

In the year 726 AD, Leo III, the Byzantine emperor, ushered in a period known as Iconoclasm, which means “breakers of icons.” This led to the destruction and prohibition of all kinds of icons and religious paintings. Later, in 787 AD, the Church met in an Ecumenical Council which gathered at Nicaea. This council stood against iconoclasm and defended the artistic tradition of Christianity. St. John of Damascus was a predominant figure in this council. He argued that Christ, by coming in flesh as the image of the invisible God, changed everything. So, as I mentioned at the beginning of this series, Christian art through its beauty indicates the eternity which is yet to come.

Think about what you did yesterday before continuing to read. What kind of work did you spend time doing? Did you concentrate more on physical activities than on tending to your spiritual life? This week, through this window Jesus gives us a strong message as He sits with Martha and Mary in their home. He says to every one of us, “come, sit, relax and take a

long breath, where are you running of to? For what are you doing all these things?” We can find this in the Gospel according to Luke 10:38-42. Martha is so anxious about Jesus' material needs but what is necessary is done by Mary. To depict this scene the artist has portrayed Mary in the relaxed sitting position with folded hands and Martha as holding a plate full of fruits and a jar (I don’t know what is in there… Wine or Water?). Most of the time we are also overwhelmed by these worldly affairs and eventually go away from what is essential. Through this window, Jesus tells everyone that we are people in the world but not of the world.

Jesus and the Children Window

Christians don't worship any objects like statues or stained glass windows. These merely help us to be mindful of what awaits in the eternal world. Here the artists, through their craftsmanship, bring the eternal beauty to this perishable world. Any kind of art cleanses our soul. It replaces what is bad within us with what is good. So, spend time with our parish stained glass windows. Tell these stories to the next generation.

In India, the place in front of the Altar is for the children. All the children are expected to sit in the front pew before the Altar. In their innocence, we can see Jesus. Children are spontaneous and they have a keen sense of innocence. That spontaneity attracted Jesus.

What if Jesus appeared before us? First, we would be filled with a sense of awe and fear. But what if He appeared before our children? They may grab his robe and start playing with Him as it is depicted here in the window. That is why children are nearer to Jesus than anybody else.

In our parish, I am so happy that the children are actively participating in Sunday Masses. We all

once had this spontaneity and innocence, but where has it gone? Jesus said once, “unless

you become like a child you will not enter into heaven.” He mentioned the spontaneity and innocence which we should learn and develop from the children and on the other hand it is the responsibility of the parents to introduce Jesus to the children and to introduce the children to Jesus. On the left wing of the window, you can see a lady introducing Jesus to her child.

Holy Family Window

American Stained glass windows started with William Jay Bolton, who introduced them from Europe to America. His first major work, the Adoration of the Magi, was for the family church where his father was rector, Christ Church at Pelham. Completed by September 15, 1843, it represents the first figurative stained glass window in the U.S. It is similar to the 16th century window at St. Martin's Church in Liege, Belgium, which Bolton most likely had seen in his travels two years earlier. This leads up to his finest work, at the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn, New York. No other American practiced the art professionally until Louis Comfort Tiffany and John La Farge began working with stained glass in the late 19th century.

Parents are the first model that a child imitates. They slowly observe their parents and start speaking and acting like them. This window of the Holy Family helps us see several key identities in the Jewish culture. In the Jewish culture, there is a spiritual movement called Tzadik which means practicing the law in ordinary life. The one who belongs to Tzadik is known as Just, such as St. Joseph ~ this is why Scripture always addresses him as Just. Mary,

our beloved Mother belongs to the Anawim sect, which means Servant. People of this

class spend their time serving the Lord with humility. In the Scripture, notice Mary says to Angel Gabriel: “I am the servant of the Lord . . . ” Naturally, these two qualities are made manifest in Jesus. Throughout His ministry, He observed the law and fulfilled it with humility. In this picture, Jesus as a boy, holds a small cross which represents His obedience to God’s will. Mary is holding a mop which represents that she is a servant (of the Lord).  Joseph is working diligently in his workshop. At the lower right corner, there is a basket full of fruits which symbolizes their fruitful life. Following the example of the Holy Family, let us build healthy and fruitful relationships acceptable to God, in our families.