After the death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus, the Apostles were waiting in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit in a new way, as Jesus had promised.1 This happened at Pentecost, when Mary and the Apostles experienced the Spirit coming upon them with tongues of fire and they began to boldly proclaim that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah and Savior.2 The bottom two panes of the window illustrate this event which is the birthday of the Church.
The panes on the right side of the window depict the Holy Spirit’s action in New Testament times in the saints of the Church. The first four saints to be named Doctors of the Church are in the first pane: Sts. Ambrose(d. 397), Augustine(d.430), Jerome (d. 420), and Gregory (d. 604).3 They are called the Latin Fathers and their teachings form an important foundation for Church doctrine.
The next pane depicts St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775), a more modern saint and founder of the Congregation of the Passion. The priests who founded St. Joseph’s Monastery Parish in 1868 were Passionists. In this pane we see Paul writing the rule for his order. The crucifix behind him reminds us that his order is dedicated to honoring the Passion of Jesus. Paul’s writings indicate that his heart was on fire with love for his crucified savior, symbolized by the red heart with the cross. In his prayer he received the image of the Passionist sign, next to the crucifix.
St. Joseph’s Monastery Parish was established as an Archdiocesan parish and not just a parish belonging to the Passionist order. The next pane down illustrates the Basilica of the Assumption, the first Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the first Diocese in America. Today we are truly grateful for this establishment, for when the Passionists were no longer able to maintain the parish in 2014, Fr. Mike Murphy, an archdiocesan priest, was assigned, allowing the parish to remain open.
The minor prophet Nahum can be seen on the outer edge of the window between the Pentecost panes, and the next image moving to the right is Malachi.
December 26 is the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Stephen argued persuasively that Jesus is God, our Savior. In his homily at Mass, Fr. Rodney spoke of Stephen’s words about the Law of Moses and the Temple being interpreted as blasphemy by the Jewish leaders, and blasphemy was punished by death.4 The top left pane in this window depicts Moses and the Law, with the horn of light suggesting that the Law will be fulfilled in Jesus
The pane depicting Solomon contains the Jewish Temple which he built. Through the action of the Holy Spirit, Jesus will become the New Temple. Stephen became the first of many martyrs down through the centuries who died for their faith in Jesus. There are many Passionist martyrs. Surely the Holy Spirit was at work in all of their lives.
As we reflect on the images in this window and the events in the readings of the Christmas season, let us consider the work of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. Let us also ask God to show us the Holy Spirit’s action in the merging of St. Jospeh’s Monastery, St. Benedict and Transfiguration Parishes with Our Lady of Victory. May the Holy Spirit lead us into unity as we worship God and serve others together.
References
- Luke 24:49
- Acts: 2: 1-6
- Editors.(2008, July 28). Chronological List of the Doctors of the Church. U.S. Catholic. https://uscatholic.org/articles/200807/chronological-list-of-the-doctors-of-the-church/
- Fr. Rodney Eugene, homily, December 26, 2024.