The symbol of the Society of Sts. Peter & Andrew is a Petrine cross with a saltire cross over top of it. In the left corner of the crest there is an anchor, and in the right corner there is the Chi Rho symbol. Above all these the Papal Keys rest in the center.
The Petrine Cross
The origin of St. Peter's symbol comes from the tradition that Simon Peter was crucified upside down, as told by Origen of Alexandria. It is believed that Peter requested this form of crucifixion as he felt he was unworthy to be crucified in the same manner that Jesus died. As such, some Catholics use this cross as a symbol of humility and unworthiness in comparison to Jesus.
The Saltie Cross
As for St. Andrew's cross, the story is almost identical. However, instead of the Petrine Cross, tradition tells us the St. Andrew was martyred on this "X" of a cross.
The Anchor first appears in Christian theology in the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews (6:19-20). The anchor is a symbol of hope in future existence because the anchor was regarded in ancient times as a symbol of safety.
This is one of the earliest symbols of Christianity. It comes from when the Emperor Constantine dreamt of being ordered to put a "heavenly divine symbol" on the shields of his soldiers. With this on their shields, Constantine's army fought the forces of Maxentius and won the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (312). The Chi Rho is formed by superimposing the first two (capital) letters chi and rho (ΧΡ) of the Greek word "ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ" which means Christ.
The Papal Keys
Matthew 6:18 "And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [19] And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." The keys resemble the fact that we are One, Catholic, Holy & Apostolic Church with the authority given by Christ, the King & Our God.
The Shield
The Reason for the shield is because we are the Church Militant, and we are constantly defending ourselves from the wicked and temptations.
So as a result here is the final product:
No comments:
Post a Comment