The Crest
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says God the Father, “the one who is, and who was, and who is to come again, the almighty.” (Rev. 1:8). This Foundation, inscribed on the banner, belongs to God the Father. Just as the letters Alpha and Omega represent the beginning and end of the Greek alphabet, so too the crest on a circular background signifies that our life begins and ends with the Almighty Father. God the Father is represented by the Crown above the crest.
God the Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Crucified Savior, is represented by the two crosses, on which the crest is both raised up and rests, and which sits atop His Most Sacred Heart. The latter is draped with His burial cloths in the configuration of an “M”, which signifies His Mother Mary’s role as the Co-redemptrix (“with” not “equal”).
The Eucharistic Lord, Who will reign, is displayed atop the crest in the Host as the “Bread of Life.” The wheat stalks encircling the crest represent the fruits “which earth has given and human hands have made and which will become for us the Bread of Life.” (Liturgy of the Eucharist). On the Host are inscribed the three letters “IHS” which stands for “Jesus” in Greek.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and Love and is represented by the rays of light emanating from both the Eucharistic Lord and from the Two Hearts. That same Holy Spirit permeates God’s people, the Church, which are represented by the twelve stars, signifying the evolution of God’s people through the twelve tribes of Israel of the Old Covenant and through the twelve apostles of the New Covenant.
Purity which was begotten by God, brought to its human perfection in His creation of Mary, and exemplified in all who are childlike, is represented by the lilies. Purity is central in the relationship between the Two Hearts, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. This Covenant of the Two Hearts is bound together spiritually and physically by both suffering and Love: by the sword which pierces both of their Hearts, by the blood they shared and shed for humanity, by the thorns which encircle their Hearts, by the roses which represent their Love for each other amidst such suffering, and by the furnace of Love which burns ferociously atop each of their Hearts for all humanity.
Yes, there is a plan, a plan which this crest attempts to capture; a plan which has unfolded over salvation history involving the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, our Blessed Mother Mary, the Church, the Covenant of the Two Hearts, the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart, the Eucharistic Reign, and all humanity.
Behold, I am coming soon….I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Rev. 22:13), says Our Lord Jesus Christ. However, Our Lady of Emmitsburg explains that now, in these times, that “It will not be His Final Judgment and coming, for this next era will be the Covenant of Our Two Hearts, a spiritual Eucharistic Reign.” (March 2, 2000).
Michael T. Sullivan, MD
(This crest was conceived in the heart and mind of mystic Gianna Sullivan and drawn by teenage artist Peter Ferguson. The final version seen here on this site was re-created in gold and silver leaf by Maryland artist Gavin T. Gardner. He is a classically trained artist and sculptor whose work can be seen in local churches.)
|
