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All
Souls Chapel and Columbarium
Reflections
Archdeacon
Rod Gillis
All
Saints Sunday, 2001
I
have been asked to reflect upon the significance of both stained glass art
and the pastoral role of All Souls Columbarium for our parish.
Our
modern world often measures the value of art primarily in monetary
terms. The skill of the artist and the beauty of a particular piece
of art are certainly important in a Christian setting; however, skill and
beauty also work to glorify God and teach us something about the content
of our faith.
Since
ancient times many forms of art have been used to instruct the faithful
about the events of salvation history, the person and works of Christ, and
the saints of the Church. Stained glass functions as a "visual
aid" in the service of Christian education and devotion. It
speaks to us in a way that language cannot.
Consider
the messages in the windows being dedicated today: Christ is the Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end, or more generously, the source and
completion of our life in God.
The
windows around the niches display a message about the trust we may place
in God. The Tree of Life found in the opening and closing books of
scripture, is about the divine desire and destiny for the people of
God. The Rainbow, in the covenant with Noah, illuminates God's
promise to the whole inhabited world.
The
Dove is a powerful symbol of the life giving spirit that recreates us in
our baptism. The Lion and Lamb are the showing of a God who calls us
into the reconciliation and peace of the age to come.
The
Resurrection Morning window bids us witness to a bold faith and a
confident hope. Madonna and Child radiate the love that causes
heaven and earth to be joined in the word made flesh. Ruth and Naomi
mirror in the faithfulness of God in faithfulness of human relationships.
In
recent years the first service of the resurrection, the Easter Vigil, is
celebrated in All Souls Chapel. At that time the message
"Christ is Risen" is proclaimed anew. This morning we
dedicate these new windows, along with other memorials and appointments
noted elsewhere in this leaflet.
These
new additions, together with the Light of the World and the St. James
windows, and the unseen but ever heard prayers of generations past and
present, adorn and edify the setting for the Easter message: "Christ
is Risen".
This
message is the hope of all who rest in the Columbarium. May the
message, and this place, be of comfort to all who come to worship, to
pray, and to linger to reflect in the Chapel of All Souls.
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