The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-25

cOnC0nEed themselves with OLnor signs
less distinctive and more convention
al.
Early Symbols Of Christianity.
Among the early symbols Of Chris
tianity, the Good Shepherd carrying
sheep on His shoulders was one of
the first. This symbol did not betray
the Christians because it was quite
similar to the pagan figures of Her.
mes Kriophorus which were much in
vogue about the birth of Christianity
This representation recalled eloquent
ly the self-forgetting Master and in
spired His faithful followers to be
charitable and helpful to one another.
The banquet scene, with it's bread
and fishes was another symbol much
in use in Christian antiquity. 1t re-
minded the Christians of the Holy
Eucharist and the marriage banquet
which is celebrated by the faithful in
heaven. 1t was also calculated to
arouse no suspicion from without be-
cause the Romans of the second and
third century did homage to their dead
dead in banquets which were served
in funeral chambers decorated with
supper scenes.
The group of twelve Apostles which
symbolized the pillars and foundation
stones of the Christian Church was
much in use and was perfectly safe
owing to the custom of depicting for
purpose of ornamentation the twelve
Dill Majores, the twelve greater gods.
The dove frequently appears as a
symbol in ancient ecclesiastic art. (a)
1t was a symbol of the Holy Spirit,
usually shown in the representations
of the baptism of Our Lord; (b) it
was symbol of martyrdom, indicat-
ing the fortitude of those who suf-
fered as coming from the Holy Ghost;
(c) it was a symbol of the Church,
the instrument through which the
Holy Ghost operates in the world. In
general, therefore, the dove signifies
the Holy Ghost, whether He is rep
resented personally or in His works
1t is used at times to figure the
Christian soul, not the mere human
soul, but the soul wherein the spirit
dwells. A Gagged dove is used to SYM
bolize the soul imprisoned in the tab
ernacle of the flesh, while the dove
at liberty is figure of the soul lib
Grated from the body by death.
The anchor was regarded in ancient
times as a symbol of safety. 1t nat
urally was taken up by the Chris
tians as sign of hope in future ex-
istence. 1t appears on the ancient
monuments in many forms. In He
brews Chap. vi, 1919, st. Paul speaks
of two immutable things in which we
may have the strongest comfort, we,
''who have fed for refuge to hold
fast the hope set before us. Which
we have as an anchor of the soul
sure and firm"
The Fish an important Symbol.
Perhaps the most important of the
symbols in use among the early Chris.
tians was the fish. Clement of Alex.
andria who fourished the latter half
of the second century recommended
his disciples to have their seals en-
graved with dove or fish. He does
not, in his writings, give any reason
for this direction, from which it has
been concluded that the meaning of
each symbol was so well known to the
Christians of his day as to need no
explanation. Monuments which an
tedate the age of Clement of Alexan-
dria are found adorned with the sym
bolic fish. In the catacomb of ST.
Callistus the fish appears as a symbol
as early as the opening Of the second
century.
There is a theory that the fish was
suggested as symbol by the mira
culous multiplication Of the loaves
and the fishes, or the repast of the
disciples after the Resurrection on
the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Some
are of opinion that it became popular
among Christians because of the
acrostic made of the initial letters
of five Greek words forming there
from the word for fish, Qchthus or
Ictus) Iesous Kristos Theou Uios
Softer, that is, Jesus Christ, Son of
God, Saviour. 1t is considered prob
able that this Christian formula orig
mated in Alexandria and was in
tended to be protest against the
pagan apotheosis of the Emperors; on
a coin issued in Alexandria in the
reign of Domitian (8196) the emperor
is styled Theou Uios, Son of God. In
this sense the word Ictus was counted
profession of faith in the divinity
of Christ. Believers in the mystic
Ictus we're themselves 'rlittle fishes
according to Tertullian who says:
1--WE little fishes, after the image OF
our Ictus, Jesus Christ, are born in
water"
The ceremonials employed in the
administration of the sacraments are
symbolic from beginning to end. AT
baptism the priest breathes into the
face of the infant, commanding, the
while, the evil spirit to depart and
make room for the Holy Spirit, the
Paraclete; and when the child has
passed through the pilgrimage of this
earth the priest again stands by him
to anoint him with the oil of fortitude
and strength in order that he may act
the part of the Christian athlete ever
to the end. In baptism alone, we
have the symbol of the breathing, JUS
recalled, the salt, representing wis