By WCR Staff
Edmonton
The Eternal Banquet is the centrepiece of new stained glass windows at the entrance to the south side St. Thomas More Church.
The banquet window (shown directly above) has St. John the Baptist seated at Jesus' right and the Virgin Mary at his left. Mary symbolizes the beginning of the New Covenant while the Baptist is the final prophet of the Old Testament.
The windows, installed in late September, are to symbolize the sacraments of initiation and their Old Testament prefigurements.
On the right of the top window are Old Testament figures who point toward Jesus - first Abraham, the father of faith, with his wife Sarah, then Isaac and Rebecca and finally King David and Elijah.
To the left of the top window are New Testament scenes showing the fulfillment of God's promise - first, the raising of the daughter of Jairus and then the story of the prodigal son.
In separate windows along the right and the left of the entrance doors to the church are scenes marking the sacraments of initiation.
On the left bottom is the baptism of Jesus (shown at the left). Above it is the crucifixion revealing the Eucharist in which Jesus gave his life without counting the cost. Then comes Pentecost (shown at the right), the symbol of Confirmation. At the top of the panel is the Tree of Eternal Life.
The right panel shows the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil at the bottom, Moses parting the Red Sea above it and then Abraham preparing to sacrifice Isaac. At the top is the Tower of Babel.
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