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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 7-The Rock of Horeb

Brief Description of Subject: This is the seventh 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:
 
7 Cdt. --- 7th Commandment
Grilles de Prison --- Prison Grilles
Pièces de Monnaie --- Pieces of money
La Pierre d'Horeb --- The Rock of Horeb
Source d'eau --- The source of water
Le Rocher était le Christ --- The Rock Was Christ
 
The story of the Rock of Horeb is covered in Exodus 17:1 - 7. Traveling from place to place in the wilderness under the guidance of God, the Israelites camped at a place where there was no water. They were mad at Moses and God for their predicament as they would die without water. God was angry that they would not trust him, however, he told Moses, "Pass on before the people, taking some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand the rod you struck the Nile, and go. Behold I will stand before you there on the rock of Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, that the people may drink." Verse 6 (RSVCE).
 
The far right panel pictures a golden rod striking a rock, and water gushing out of it. On the rock are the Greek letters Chi and Rho --- a Christogram, as they are the first two letters of the Greek word for "Christ."
 
The Rock of Horeb as a type for Christ comes from Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:4 --- speaking about the Israelites trek through the wilderness, he says, "they all drank the same supernatural drink. For they all drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and THE ROCK WAS CHRIST." (RSVCE). The water the Rock of Horeb provided, slaked the Israelites' thirst. In the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well, "Jesus told her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst; the water I shall give him will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life'." John 4:13 (RSVCE).
 
Also seen in this window are a prison grilles and pieces of money.

Condition of Window: Good

Height: 4'

Width: 15'

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

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