Featured Window

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: Mother of Our Redeemer

Brief Description of Subject: At the very bottom of this window is an image of Eve and the snake. Eve has listened to Satan and destroys man’s relationship with God. At the top of the window we see Angel Gabriel, a messenger sent from God. After thousands of years of man’s separation from His Creator, the angel heralds the coming of the Messiah. “Hail favored one! The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:28 At the top we see the Blessed Mother holding the Infant Christ. Unlike Eve, however, Mary obeys God in all things and is sinless. She is the New Eve. Jesus is portrayed as a newborn baby suggesting our belief in the sanctity of life, in a sinful age where the life of the unborn is not respected. Mary caresses her infant who is clothed in purple, a color that suggests His royalty and His passion. The Blessed Mother turns away from the darkness and sin and towards the brilliant sun, a symbol of life and resurrection. At her left side are three pink roses. She is called a “Rose Without Thorns” because she was without sin. At her feet is her Immaculate Heart pierced by a sword, to show us the depths of her sorrow during the crucifixion of her Son. Behind Our Lady is the earth. In the Fifth Glorious Mystery we crown her Queen of Heaven and Earth and ask her motherly protection. The Blessed Mother stands atop of Jesse Tree which comes from chapter 11 of Isaiah’s prophecy. As Jesse reclined on the ground, a great tree grew from his loins. This tree is the family tree of Our Savior. We see in His genealogy King David’s crown and many clear jewels. These signify many descendants of David. When the Holy Spirit came into the world at Pentecost, He descended upon the apostles and the Blessed Mother and tongues of fire rested above their heads. The seven tongues of fire in the Mary Mother of Our Redeemer Window symbolizes this event and the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. At the roots of the ancient Jesse Tree rests the Ark of the Covenant. Within the Ark were manna and the stone tablets. The Israelites revered it as the place of God’s presence. Because Mary carried Christ in her womb, she is the New Ark of the Covenant, and the Heavenly Mother the Church and The Human family.

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