The Blue Ceiling
… they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.
And above the dome over their heads there was something like a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was something that seemed like a human form.”
The choice of ceiling colour was made after several consultations and with great care. Choosing this particular colour reflects the description of heaven and the throne of God written of in the books of Exodus and Ezekiel.
The Golden Stars
God brought Abraham outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’
Just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham.
Throughout the ceiling there are a multitude of hand-painted gold stars. More than for artistic effect, these stars remind us of the covenant God made with Abraham in the book of Genesis. St. Paul wrote that through our faith in Christ Jesus we are also descendants of Abraham.
The Five Symbols in the Center Circle
Name of God
God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.'
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.
Within the radiant golden sun are the four Hebrew letters which spell the unpronounceable name of God: יהוה
Lamb of God
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’
John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be “the Lamb of God, the one who would take away the sins of the world.” By his cross and resurrection, Jesus made atonement for our sins and won the victory over sin and death.
Loaves and Fishes
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’
Prefiguring the Eucharist, the miracle of the Loaves and Fish reminds us of the compassion of the Lord who not only gave the crowds bread but is for us and for the world the Bread of Life.
Anchor and Cross
We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered …
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
The anchor and cross reflect the message of the Apostles: the cross is the source of our hope of salvation. We share in the power of the cross and so have the hope of eternal life.
Chi-Rho / Alpha-Omega
Jesus said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter said, ‘You are the Christ.
‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
The Chi-Rho is called the monogram of Christ, these being the first two letters of the Greek word Christ. Jesus is proclaimed the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, as the Son of God and the Lord of all time and space.
The Four Faces
Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures …the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, … and day and night without ceasing they sing, ‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.’
In the book of Revelation, the vision of heaven includes four beings surrounding the throne of God. The four faces are interpreted to be the four evangelists whose writings carried the Good News into the whole world. The human face, emphasizing Christ’s humanity, is Matthew. The lion face, a sign of courage and kingship, is Mark. The ox face, a figure of sacrifice and service, is Luke. And the eagle face, soaring high and seeing far, is John.
The Human Face
The Lion Face
The Ox Face
The Eagle Face
The Angels
When Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he would hear the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the covenant from between the two cherubim.
Seraphim were in attendance above him; each had six wings. And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.’
Angels appear throughout the Hebrew and Christian scriptures as messengers of God, guides, and protectors. The angels that worship continually before the throne of God are the cherubim and seraphim.
The Four Evangelists
Matthew
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
Mark
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
Luke
Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you.
John
He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.
Prophets and Forebears of Jesus
Isaiah
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel [Hebrew: וְקָרָ֥את שְׁמ֖וֹ עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל].
The prophet Isaiah, in response to God’s invitation, said, “Here I am. Send me” (Is. 6:8). He foretold the coming of the Messiah, born of a virgin, and said he will be called “God with us.” We say with Isaiah, “Here I am. Send me,” as we participate in the mission of the Church following Jesus’ instruction: “Go and make disciples (Mt. 28:19).
Miriam
Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.
Miriam, the sister of Moses, was a prophet who spoke God’s word among the Israelites. At the Red Sea, in thanksgiving for his mighty work, she led the women in singing praises to God. We look to Miriam as the exemplar of our praise of God through music, singing, and leadership among His people.
David
You said, I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David: ‘I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.’
King David, acknowledged as the greatest king of Israel, brought peace to the nation and prosperity to the people. To him was promised an everlasting kingdom, a prophetic word fulfilled in Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of David. We look to David as one who, through God’s covenant furthered the plan of salvation, a work to which we are called in Christ.
Ruth
So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Ruth, from Moab (across the Jordan), faithfully stayed with her mother-in-law Naomi, from Bethlehem. At a critical moment, Ruth left her homeland to support Naomi in her old age. Like the Irish immigrants who settled in Fallowfield, she embraced a new life in a new country. As a widow caring for Naomi, she offers us an example of faithfulness to family and support for elders.
