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Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: St. Andrew's Church

Studio Name: Loire (Gabriel) Studios

City: Rochester

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1969

Subject/Title of Window: The Story of Salvation, Part 3-Moses and Aaron

Brief Description of Subject: This is the third of a series of 10 windows located along the sides of the nave. According to the Church "The theme of the faceted art glass at St. Andrew is the Story of Salvation." This is done through the story of the exodus of God's chosen people from Egypt. Each window, in somewhat chronological order, depicts God's hand in freeing his chosen people from enslavement by the Pharaoh, making a covenant with them, and leading them on a path to the land of milk and honey. This parallels Christ dying to free us from the sin of Adam, making a new covenant, and with his resurrection, a promise of heaven. In addition to the story of this exodus, there are symbols that appear to be unrelated to this narrative. There is also numerology --- each of the 10 windows is made with four panels, totaling 40 panels. 10 is the number of the Commandments and 40 is the number used throughout the Bible to symbolize new creation.
 
The artist's watercolor for each of these windows names the key objects depicted and will be listed with translations from French. For this window:
 
3 eme Cdt --- 3rd Commandment
La Cloche --- The Bell
Moise et Aaron --- Moses and Aaron
(Le Serpent D'airain) --- The Bronze Serpent
 
The bell applies to Aaron as High Priest. Moses complained that he had trouble speaking and God enlisted Moses' older brother to help. God would create the position of High Priest and selected Aaron to be the first. God also prescribed the clothes that the High Priest must wear as found in Exodus 28:34 ---  the robe's hem must have alternating pomegranates and golden bells. Christ is the Christian's High Priest --- "We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, ... Let us then, with confidence, draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14 - 16 NRSVCE)
 
The bronze serpent applies to Moses. The story is found in Numbers 21:4 - 9 --- The Israelites again were complaining about food and water, and the Lord sent poisonous serpents that bit the people, and many died. The people, realizing their sin, came to Moses to ask God for forgiveness. God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it up on a pole, and henceforth, everyone who was bitten that looked up at the bronze serpent, would live. The Bronze Serpent is a type of Christ --- Jesus' words to Nichodemus, "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." (John 3:14 - 15 NRSVCE)

Condition of Window: Good

Height: 4'

Width: 15'

Type of Glass and Technique: Slab or Faceted Glass (Dalle de Verre)

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All images in the Index are either born-digital photographs of windows or buildings or are scans of slides, prints, or other published sources. These images have been provided by volunteers and the quality of the material varies widely.

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