Praying hands – Jesus tells us to pray all the time (Mt 26:41). There are many ways to pray. The prayer that Jesus teaches us is “The Lord’s Prayer” (Mt 6:9-15).
The cross is the best-known symbol of Jesus because Jesus died on a cross for each of us (John 19:17). In a broader sense, the cross is the sign of redemption, salvation, and the Christian Religion (Rev 12:10).
The Ten Commandments – God gave these laws to Moses on two tablets of stone. These are rules that God wants us to follow to make our lives holy (Exodus 19-20).
The three-leaf clover (shamrock) is a symbol of the Holy Trinity – the mystery of our one God in three persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit (1 Timothy 3:16).
The holly, because of its thorny leaves and red berries, is symbolic of Christ’s crown of thorns and blood (John 19:2). Legend tells us that it was the tree used for Jesus’s cross.
The ivy, because it is evergreen, is a symbol of eternal life. Because it clings for its support, ivy also represents undying affection (Psalm 136).
The Lion represents our great, big, powerful God (Revelation 5:5) – Our Creator who became human to show us how to love each other and get to heaven.
The Lamb = Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus sacrificed his life to save us from our sins and bring us into eternal life with him. Jewish tradition was to sacrifice a lamb to God, but since Jesus died for all of us on the cross about 2017 years ago, He changed everything!
Jesus Christ is our strong Lord and humble Savior. We BELIEVE He is the Lion of Judah and Lamb of God.
Jesus tells us that he is the good shepherd (John 10:7-18). He lays down his life for his sheep. Also, Jesus tells us in a parable (Matthew 18:10) that our Father, in heaven, is like the shepherd. He wants all his sheep to be with him and is very happy to find the lost one.
The nail, wood, and cross represent the suffering and death of Jesus. Read about Thomas and the nail prints on Jesus’s hands (John 20:24-29).
Mary and baby Jesus are pictured playing joyfully. Mary has a halo to show her unique favor with God. All generation still call her blessed because she trusted God and bore His Son (Luke 1:30).
Jesus has a wooden crown made by his earthly father, Joseph – the carpenter. Jesus is our King of Kings and the Prince of Peace (John 18:37 & Isaiah 9:6).
The dove is the symbol of purity, peace, and the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). It appears at Jesus’s Baptism; “…he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and it abode upon him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:10-11).
The olive branch is a symbol of peace with God. Because the dove returned with the olive branch, “Noah knew the waters were abated from the earth” (Genesis 8:11). Also, because the olive tree produces much oil, it symbolizes the abundance that God gives to us (Judges 9:8).
The Bible/Scripture is one of God’s ways of teaching us and speaking to us (2 Tim 3:16, Jn 20:30-31).
The Trumpet – is famous for the fall of Jericho (Joshua 6:20) and there is the “Feast of trumpets” in Numbers 29.
The Harp – Is an instrument that King David played (1 Samuel 16:23). You might think of angels playing these instruments also (Rev 15:2).
The harp has a menorah on it to show our Jewish heritage (Exodus 25:32 & 1 Maccabees 4:56). Did you know? Abraham, Moses, David, & Jesus were all Jewish!
The musical notes are the start of the song “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33) – my favorite song we sang at our wedding. Notice how the notes turn into praises and thanksgiving to God. Playing music and singing to God is one of the best ways to worship Him.
Hosanna means “Please save us” (Matthew 21:9-16).
Alleluia is a joyful word of praise to God (Psalm 105 & Rev 19)!
The lighthouse represents God, the one who gives us light (Genesis 1:3), and is our guiding light (1 John 1:5-7). Moreover, Jesus said “You are the light of the world…Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14).
The pelican symbolizes Jesus. The legend of the pelican says that they have the most love for their offspring. People thought that pelicans would pierce their own bodies with their long beak to feed their starving young. This sacrifice mirrors Christ’s on the cross. Jesus gives us his body and blood. In this sense, the pelican also symbolizes the Eucharistic Sacrament, where Jesus gives us His body and blood from the altar, using bread and wine (Luke 22:19-20).
Footprints in the sand represent Jesus walking with us, sometimes carrying us, through this earthly life (Proverb 3:23).
The sun is symbolic of Christ. It rises as Christ rose from the dead (Malachi 4:2).
The flower is called a columbine. Columbine comes from the Latin word for dove, columba. Therefore, this is another symbol of the Holy Spirit.
The sun and moon represent the sadness of all creation when Jesus died. Also, they are attributes to the Virgin Mary – “woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet” (Revelation 12:1).
The crescent moon represents Mary, mother of Jesus. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, Mary reflects the light of the Son of God. Mary always points us to Jesus (John 2:5).
Clouds are used as the symbol of the unseen God (1 John 4:12).
The star, lighting the darkness of night, is a symbol of divine guidance. A star helped guide the three Wise Kings to Bethlehem to worship the newborn Savior of the world (Matthew 2:2)!
Smoke quickly disappears, reminding us of how short this life on earth is, and how useless it is to seek earthly glory. “Store up your treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:20).
The candles give light to the world, as Christ does. Jesus said he came “as light into the world that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” (Lk 12:46). Candles symbolize prayer, devotion, the coming of Christ in Communion, and that Jesus has risen. Three candles represent the Holy Trinity.
The fish is one of the first Christian symbols of Christ. The five Greek letters that form the word ‘fish’ (I, ch, th, u, s) are the initial letters of these five words: ‘Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior’ (Lasous =Jesus, Christos = Christ, Theos = God’s, Uios = Son, Sotar = Savior).
The fish also reminds us to be “fishers of men” –to share the gospel with all (Mark 1:17).
Water (See “R”)
The stars and planets represent God’s creation of the universe (Genesis 1).
The tree is the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve sinned for the first time when they disobeyed God and ate the fruit from it (Genesis 3:3).
The serpent represents Satan, who tempted Adam and Eve, and tempts us, to sin (Genesis 3).
The dolphin symbolizes resurrection and salvation. The legend is that it carries the souls of the faithful departed across the waters to eternal life.
Here are 10 names for God in this “G” (if you count Jesus Christ as one name). Can you find them all? What other names for our King of Kings can you think of? Bread of life, Redeemer, The Truth….
“The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit” is how Jesus instructed us to baptize His disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19).
This is the artist’s vision of the pearly gates at the entrance of heaven (Rev. 21:21).
“Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven…” (Matthew 6:33).
The pearl, a most precious jewel, is known as a symbol of salvation or heaven. “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45).
Jesus prepared a place for us in heaven (John 14:3).
Symbols in the IHS “I”: IHS is a monogram for Christ that dates to the first century. These are the first three letters of the word for Jesus in Greek, Ihsus.
The Jerusalem cross (in red) is a Greek cross because it has arms of equal length. The four smaller crosses represent the four gospels. The Latin cross, the most popular one today, has the shorter cross bar raised above the center.
The eye of God the Father is the “all seeing eye” God sees us (Psalm 33:18).
Fleur de lis – French for “flower of the lily” (At the three points of this cross). It is not an actual flower but a symbol of the Trinity because of its three petals. It also represents The Virgin Mary.
This is a very decorative cross with three cross bars. This type of cross is used by the Pope.
Halo (See “K”)
This letter depicts the entire life of Jesus on earth. The dove above Mary’s head signifies that she conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). Baby Jesus on Mary’s lap represents his childhood. This is Jesus’s face as he might have looked as he walked with his disciples, performed miracles, and taught us how to love God and one another. The three crosses represent Jesus’s death. The figure rising from earth represents Jesus resurrected, and ascending into heaven (Luke 18:33, 24:6-7)!
Lamb (see “L”)
The halo (nimbus) is a zone of light. It is a circle, square or triangle, placed behind the head of a holy person. It denotes great dignity, power, and holiness.
The banner is a symbol of victory over death won by Christ. The red cross symbolizes Christ’s blood, shed for us. The white symbolizes purity and peace. The banner is also attributed to military saints and those who carry the gospel to foreign places.
The church represents the body of Christ on earth, us, all Christian people (1 Corinthians 12:12-29). Jesus said, “This is how all will know you for my disciples: your love for one another” (John 13:35). Christ is the head of the body (Ephesians 4:4-5).
The bread/wheat, in the form of the loaf and wafer (the Eucharist), is Christ’s body. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If a man eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51). At the Last Supper, Christ held the bread and said “…This is my body which will be given for you; do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19). Jesus takes the simple bread and wine and makes it divine (John 6, 1 Cor 11:26-27).
The cup, or chalice, contains the wine/grapes, the precious blood of Christ that was shed on the cross. Christ said “This is my blood of the covenant which will be shed for many” (Mark 14:24).
The rock symbolizes God the Father, as our rock and solid fortress that sustains us (Psalm 18:2, Exodus 17:6). Jesus is our rock as the foundation/cornerstone of a sturdy house (Matthew 7:24). Saint Peter is also referred to as a rock (See “S”)
The lamb is most frequently used to represent Christ. Jesus is the “Lamb of God/Agnus Dei” who was sacrificed for us. “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29)! The Paschal Lamb is the lamb sacrificed during the Jewish Passover. Because of this tradition, it stands for forgiveness from sins.
The entire letter spells L-O-V-E. Can you find it?
The Crucifixion of Jesus is the worst thing that ever happened in the history of the world, and the best thing that ever happened in the history of the world. Jesus opened the gates of heaven for us and conquered death and our sin. Here is one word for that…Love.
Jesus’ feet on the cross = the ultimate symbol of unconditional, self-sacrificing love that Jesus gives to us.
The empty tomb is the “O” and the rock rolled away is a “V” or heart for the symbol of love.
Jesus is standing there on the rock. He has risen from the dead and is about to appear to his disciples, talk and eat with them, and then give them the Holy Spirit (John 20:19-23).
The lily is the flower of purity. It is a symbol of the Virgin Mary, the purest vessel to give birth to a perfect son, Jesus (Luke 1:28-30). She is “the ark of his covenant.” Jesus is the new covenant (Rev 11:19-12:1).
Wings are the symbol of divine mission. Angels have wings because they do God’s holy work (Luke 2:10) and can protect us (Psalm 91:11). Angels are mentioned over 400 times in the bible.
The arrows point towards heaven, which is where the rising Christ is ascending (John 14:1-3). We await the second coming. Lord Jesus, come in glory (Luke 20:25, Revelation 22:20)!
The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus resurrected He sent down The Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1:5-7, 2:3).
The “Tongues of fire” are also a symbol of the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven…to live in us and guide us. God gives us His Spirit!
Find the 2 important words in the stained-glass windows. By giving us The Holy Spirit, God gives us his GRACE. We have FAITH in His Truth.
The nativity shows the Holy Family; baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. It is Jesus’s birthday (Luke 2:11).
The crucifixion is Jesus’s death on the cross (Matthew 27:33). The crucifixion, the worst thing that ever happened, allowed for the most important wonderful thing to happen: Jesus was able to conquer sin and death, and open the gates of Heaven to eternal life. With his self-sacrifice on the cross, Jesus/God shows us how to love. We celebrate Christmas for his birth, and Easter for his death and resurrection (Mark 16).
The Christmas tree is a symbol of everlasting life with God because it is evergreen. The tradition became popular in America in the 1850’s.
Mary and baby Jesus are the most important part of the Nativity.
Their halos (See “K”).
The angel on top of the tree is pointing to Jesus, the Savior of the world as a humble babe. Angels appeared the night Jesus was born (Luke 2:9).
This is the crown of thorns that Jesus wore as he died on the cross. Thorns signify grief and tribulation, which Jesus had to endure for us (John 19:2, 5).
The butterfly is a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. In a general sense, it can symbolize the resurrection of all men. The butterfly’s three stages of life: caterpillar, chrysalis (cocoon) and the butterfly, represent the three stages of the Christian’s life: life, death, and resurrection.
The red rose is a symbol of martyrdom, which means suffering for your faith. This red rose is very special because it represents all the thousands of saints that died for Christ. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Tertullian, 200 AD
The crucifix charm hangs at the center like Jesus Christ is our center.
The necklace of 5 “decades” (10 beads 5 times) is like a rosary (a way of prayer that meditates on Jesus’s life). If we truly focus on Jesus this world becomes strangely dim, and we have the perspective of heaven, our eternal home.
“Prayer is not just the last hope of the desperate. It is the first hope of the wise.” – Mark Hart, The Bible Geek.
The four people praying together remind us to pray for and with other people. This creates a special bond with God and with others. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them” (Matthew18:20). Pray: Adore God. Confess to God. Thank God. Seek God.
The angel is God’s helper or messenger (Hebrews 13:1-2). (See “M”)
The musical notes symbolize the praise to God (Psalm 47:7).
This is our only Christian Alphabet letter, so far, with a Bible verse inside of it (Psalm 46:11)! If we can only be still in this crazy loud world we can more easily hear and feel God with us. God whispers but the world is loud. The problem is not that God is so far away that we cannot see Him. Rather, HE is so close that we overlook Him. Our quest for God is like trying to see the air that we breathe.
The silhouette of the person on their knees is to remind us to humble ourselves before our great God and pray often for His will.
The stained-glass “Rose” window is a very ornate, beautiful, round window that many churches have for the Son/sun to shine through to spread God’s light.
The shepherd’s staff reminds us to let God lead us in His ways. He is our shepherd and we are his sheep (John 10:7-27, John 21:17).
The earth God created for us – “Come behold the works of the Lord…Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:8-10).
The world is loud and God whispers (1 Kings 19:12). Once we know the “Good News”/ gospel we are to share it with the world (Matthew 28:19).
The cross with three steps – These steps represent the three virtues of Charity, Hope, and Faith.
The cross represents love (1 Corinthians 13:13). You can walk into the cross. “Our heart is restless Lord, until it rests in you.” – St. Augustine, 420 AD.
The rainbow is a symbol of union with God, (Genesis 9:9) and the new promise that Jesus brought to us (Revelation 4:3).
Jesus is here pouring out his love, in the form of little hearts. “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the bible tells me so” (Romans 5:5). His stole stands for priestly dignity and humility.
Water symbolizes the washing away of sin and purifying our soul to rise to the newness of life in Christ. “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). When we are baptized with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we become the children of God.
Butterfly (See “O”)
XP is a monogram for Christ in Greek (XPIETOE) Can you see it?
The sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17) is also the tilted cross to form the “X” of the XP.
The Fleur de lis (yellow stylized lily) is a lily, a flower that is a sign of purity (See “M”).
When Jesus spotted Zacchaeus in the tree trying to just catch a glimpse of him, he said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. I mean to stay at your house today” (Luke 19:4). God responds to us readily when we show interest in him. When we seek him, he responds, we find him (Jeremiah 29:12-13). “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:9).
Alpha and Omega Greek letters (See “V”)
The scroll with INRI on it represents what was nailed to the cross above Jesus’s head. INRI represents the four initial letters of ‘Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum,’ which is Latin for ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.’ Pilate had this title put on the cross (John 19:19).
The monogram of the X and P are the first two letters for the word for Christ in Greek (XPIETOE).
Bells at church ring to call the faithful to worship. Also, one hears bells to mark the coming of Christ in Communion during holy mass.
The keys are the ‘keys of the kingdom of heaven’ which Jesus gave to Peter (Matthew 16:19).
Water symbolizes our Baptism in Christ.
Waves remind us God is always coming to us. We have waves of emotions in good and bad times of this worldly life. Sometimes we feel close and sometimes we feel far, but His love is always there for us.
The Eternity symbol reminds us that = God is eternal/NEVER ending/Forever! and we have the hope of heaven with Him.
The anchor is the symbol for Jesus, our Lord, who anchors our life. He is our Stronghold. – It is also a cross with droplets of water flowing off symbolizing purity and grace that flows from knowing Jesus.
The bottom of the anchor is also a boat which is what the apostles used before they became “fishers of men.”
The star is the guiding star of hope that the Wise men followed on their long journey to find Jesus. In the middle is the star of David, a Jewish symbol. Jesus was Jewish and our holy ancestors are God’s chosen Jewish people.
This contains the Holy Trinity. Look closely to see it. The Father is the King, with the crown and robe. The Son is Jesus on the cross. The Holy Spirit is the wing and head of a dove.
The triangle is the perfect symbol for the Trinity. It has three equal parts forming one shape. Triangles are even found in the catacombs – on early Christian grave markers.
The triquetra is the three connected arcs (it shows the middle of three connected circles). It is another beautiful sign of the Trinity.
This is The Father (the older man) hugging Jesus, his son.
The clouds show this is after Jesus’ resurrection & ascension in to heaven. The Holy Spirit is represented by the dove on Jesus’ shoulder. All three together is our Holy Trinity. The word “trinity” doesn’t appear in the bible, BUT you can find it throughout the Word of God. Look in Genesis 1:2 and Genesis 26… It says “spirit” and “Let us.” The Trinity is one God but three persons. It is a mystery our little human brain will never fully understand.
The chain and children holding hands represent the unity of the Body of Christ. The kids look different, yet are all children of God (Mark 10:14-15). They are stronger when they bond together (Eph 4:4-6).
The palm branch is the symbol of victory. It represents Christ’s triumph over death. As Christ rode into Jerusalem, the people went out to meet him waving palm branches (John 12:13).
The banner represents victory over death, the resurrection (John 20). “Behold I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
The letters A and U, for alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. They refer to God; “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord” (Revelation 1:8).
The Bible /Sacred Scripture – To know God, we study all the books of the Bible (Luke 11:28). “Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.” – St. Jerome, 400 AD.
Amazing Grace musical notes – Singing praise to God is one of the best ways to worship him. (Psalm 101).
Church pews with People – Jesus prays for the church to be perfectly one, united, as He is with the Father (Jn 17:20-26). We all make mistakes. Forgive and don’t judge (Romans 3:23). We love God by loving others (Lk 10:26-27).
Praying hands (See “P”)
Do you know your Christian ABC’s? All the Christian Alphabet’s words are in the X.
The X cross is another type of cross that early Christians used before the Latin (†) and Greek (+) crosses became popular.
The two scrolls represent the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible.
Jesus is always our best eXample to follow. He teaches us how to love God and love our neighbor. “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30). Life is the school. Love is the lesson.
This is Jesus with the little children. You need the simple faith of a child to believe Jesus died on the cross to give us eternal life (Matthew 18:2).
God loves us so much that He gives us the choice (free will) to say “Yes” to Him and His ways, or “No” to Him. We can soften our hearts or harden our hearts towards Jesus. Let us “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of eternal life to which you were called…” (1 Timothy 6:12).
This city, Zion, is in the sky because it represents the kingdom of God in heaven (Isaiah 28:16, 1 Peter 2:6). Jesus talked a lot of his Father’s kingdom and how he has provided a way for us to get there. “He will wipe away every tear…death shall be no more…” (Rev 21).
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8).
Angel (See “P”)
Sheep (See “C”)
Cross (See “A”)
