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Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: Holy Redeemer Church

Studio Name: Omnibus Studios

City: Jenison

Window Shape: 2 (rectangle)

Date of Window: 1997

Subject/Title of Window: Jesus Our Redeemer

Brief Description of Subject: The Holy Redeemer Window is a visual story of God’s outpouring of forgiveness and grace upon the human family. At the top of the window images of the Father, portrayed as a column of fire, the Holy Spirit, a dove, and Jesus the Son are tied together by a triangle the ancient symbol of the Trinity. God the Father’s gift to the world of His Only Begotten son, Jesus. It is only through Him that we can be reunited with our heavenly Father. Jesus is the door to our salvation. In His hands is the Host. Surrounding this Bread of Life is a blood red mantle, symbolizing the blood that he shed to redeem us - also reminds us that the Eucharist is indeed His living body and blood. At the feet of Christ the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven lie upon a rock. Jesus said to Peter, “And upon this rock I will build My Church.” Jesus gave Peter the authority to ordain priests, by whose hands the graces of the sacraments flow forth from God to man. The river that runs by the figure of Christ flows past the rock and a shell sitting atop hyssop, an herb of healing and cleansing. It is thought that John the Baptist used a shell to pour water over the head of Jesus at His baptism, before immersing Him into the waters of the Jordan River. Baptism, the sacrament of initiation, makes us children of God so that we may receive the other sacraments. Symbols of the other sacraments surround a jeweled cross - symbolizing the Resurrection. The three precious wounds are symbolized by three tear drop shaped jewels. At the center of the cross is the Eucharist in the form of grapes and wheat. Entwined within this sacred image is the priestly stole of Ordination which touches the two interlocking rings of Marriage and the Bishop’s Mitre, our sign of Confirmation. The forgiving hand of Jesus touches the hand of the repentant sinner offering Reconciliation. At the bottom of the cross a candle and the cruet of Oil of the Sick symbolize the Sacrament of the Sick. In the bottom panel we see the parallel of Abraham’s obedience to God in his willingness to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Isaac carries the wood for the sacrifice to the altar and asks his father where the sheep was for the offering. Abraham replies in Genesis 22:8. “God Himself will provide the sheep for the holocaust.” And indeed God does in Jesus Himself, God’s Only Begotten Son, who carries the wood of the cross to the altar of sacrifice. The Lamb of God, Jesus, is here depicted lifting his eyes to the Father, pouring out His blood to redeem us.

The MSGC is a constantly evolving database. Not all the data that has been collected by volunteers has been sorted and entered. Not every building has been completely documented.

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.

If you have any questions, additions or corrections, or think you can provide better images and are willing to share them, please contact donald20@msu.edu