Our Art
This icon tapestry hangs in our Church. The artist is Father Gabriel Chavez de La Mora O.S.B. I was put on the spot recently when a Mormon visitor asked me to explain what all the symbols meant. It was a good time to share my faith and evangelize but I fell short. I decided that this assignment would be the motivator for me to learn and then to share with my parish.
The Greek word for peace is on the book that Jesus is holding. This tapestry is aptly called “Prince of Peace”. In the Bible, Isaiah prophesizes the birth of Jesus in chapter 9 as he states “For us a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. (Is. 9:6)
The Triangles in the picture represent the Trinity. The artist used a number of them to created the robe Jesus is wearing. You can see what loos like a baseball diamond starting at Jesus’ head. A diamond can actually be two triangles, There is one starting at his head and a reflecting triangle that starts at his feet. Both triangles’ long end meets in the middle. The mystery of the Trinity is central to our Christian faith. Even though we can see Jesus clearly it is implied that God and the Holy Spirit are also present in this picture.
You will see in the background circles which may represent eternity. The iconic circle that surrounds Jesus’ head represents Divinity. The W, O and N in the circles are the Greek letters omega, omicron and nu. Translated they mean “He who is”. God revealed these words to Moses when God commissioned Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. (Ex. 3:14)
The five stars represent the wounds Jesus suffered during his crucifixion. The wounds on the hands and feet were made by nails. The side star is where the soldier pierced him which fulfilled prophecy. (Ps. 34:21) “So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side and immediately blood and water flowed out”. (Jn. 19:33-34)
The first and last Greek letters, AΩ can be found on each side of Jesus. They indicate the words that Jesus spoke, ” I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end”. (Rev. 22:13) This statement supports our belief in the eternal and Divine nature of Jesus.
Just below Jesus’ feet are the Greek letters NIKA which translated means victorious. Jesus triumphed over death by his resurrection. We profess this in our Creed at Mass. “We firmly believe, and hence we hope that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead and lives forever, so after death the righteous will live forever with the risen Christ and he will raise them up on the last day. (CCC 989)
Small red Greek letters can be found in the long rectangle that stretches from one end of the tapestry to the other. Those four letters IC and XC have been commonly used for Jesus and Christ respectively.
There is a large square that encompasses almost the entire tapestry. The significance of the square could mean the four Gospels. Jesus is the Word made flesh. “The Gospels are the heart of all the Scriptures because they are our principal source of the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Savior”. (CCC 125) To further state that it is in the Gospels we find Jesus. the artist placed an animal in each corner that according to Christian tradition corresponds with each of the four Gospels. This tradition may have come our of Revelation 4:7. The Human Angel represents St. Matthew, the Lion represents St. Mark, the Ox represents St. Luke and the Eagle represents St. John.
The subtleties of music, art and literature are wonderful ways to spread our faith. This tapestry is much more than just a picture of Jesus. In the intricacies of this tapestry contain the foundations of my faith. Kudos to Father Gabriel Chavez de La Mora O.S.B., his beautiful tapestry peaked my curiosity.