The pelican is an ancient symbol for Christ. The pelican has been known to tear into it's own flesh to use as food for it's young. Shedding blood for it's own.
Christ did that also.
To read more about Pelicans click here
Go to article posted
October 27, 2007
Friends,
ReplyDeleteDoes everyone know the old Gregorian-chant hymn, "Humbly We Adore Thee"? It is a translation of one of the great Eucharistic hymns by St. Thomas Aquinas, "Adoro Te, Devote."
The sixth verse of that long hymn is as follows (and perhaps you can sing it to yourself):
Pie Pelicane, Jesu Domine,
Me immundum munda tuo sanguine:
Cujus una stilla salvum facere
Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.
This can be translated as follows:
"Dutiful Pelican, Jesus, Lord,
cleanse me, who am unclean, with your Blood, one drop of Which can save the whole word from all its uncleanness."
John
Oops! The last phrase was supposed to contain the words, "whole world," not "whole word."
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that translations of "Adoro Te Devote" usually omit the sixth verse completely, or they give a paraphrase without mentioning the word, "pelican," probably because translators fear to confuse the average worshipper by mentioning a too-little-known symbol.
I have a sheet-music collection in which I have two translations. Here's a paraphrase that we can sing to the melody (unlike the literal translation that I copied, above):
"Loving Savior, Thou with love now my heart dost flood.
Cleanse my unclean soul, Lord, by Thy precious Blood.
One mere drop of which for poor sinners could free
All mankind from sin and turn the whole world to Thee."
John
Hi Micki!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, my link to your blog doesn't work from the "Pillars". I am glad and rather relieved that you are still there!!!! yippee!!
The pelican! Wow, I want to know more about it, may I post your pics on my blog?
Hugs
Ebeth
Micki, these cards are astounding. I could sit looking at them for ages (and have!). And John, what a fantastic translation/information.
ReplyDeleteMy Very BestRegards, Lynneda
John - All I can say is that if I got paid for this blog, I'd definitely put you on the payroll for your valuable assistance. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteEbeth - Of course you can. I'm so glad you could find me again. :-)
Lynneda - You are always so complimentary. Thank you for taking the time to drop comments.
Micki and fellow Christ lovers,
ReplyDeleteGod bless you with much joy today!
Beautiful beyond description, Micki! I didn't know about the symbolism of the pelican... What a joy to know this! Thank you.
John, our dear brother in Christ, thank you too!
Ahh, the pelican. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteEaster - Thank you for the blessing of Joy. Don't you just love when you can learn something new? I know I do. Never too old to keep learning I think.
ReplyDeleteThom - I hope I got the clickable site correct going to your post about the pelican. I enjoyed learning from you. Thanks.
Check out Andrew Cusack's blog. He has a great post on the restoration of the drops of blood to the pelican on the Louisiana flag.
ReplyDelete03/21/09 Micki, hi, All I had to do was search on 'pelican' within your blog and I found the holy card with the pelican image! I thought I'd leave a comment here and let you know in case you wanted to compare it to the other one we were looking at posted 03/18/09 - Mary and the Crown of Thorns that you posted a few days ago. From what I see on the computer screen the styles do look similar? Are the real cards similar looking, too? God bless you - now and always. Wishing you a blessed 4th Sunday of Lent tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteAspiring f.o.o.L. - Good early morning...looks like we are both on the computer early today.
ReplyDeleteTo me they are not at all alike.
You can see the different printers etc. at the bottom of the cards. I agree that they have a similar style of painting/drawing?? and the yellow background but that's about it.
You do have a great eye for art though. I appreciate your pointing this out. Happy Sunday dear friend.
Hi again, Micki. No, I have no eye for art, no technical training or skill, etc. - at all. Yhat the pelican has a memorable significance for me, is the only reason I remembered the style and coloring of it. About seven months before what I call my moment of conversion, visiting Ft. Pierce, and wandering an inlet there, I found and kept a beautiful and huge pelican feather (for a quill pen, was my intention). Come to find out later - I believe in your post! - that there's a correlation between the pelican and our Lord. Oh MY! - I remember thinking with great awe and delight. I haven't put a writing nib in the quill yet, and I'm not actually sure if I dare. No telling what will come to mind when I write with that! Haha! As always, God bless you!
ReplyDeleteAspiring - What a wonderful vision...you and the pelican feather. I think St. Therese said something about being a pencil in God's hands. Actually I'm not sure which St. Therese, Teresa, Terese it was. Anyway, you can now be God's Pelican Quill writer.
ReplyDeleteI remember doing this post and not having ever heard the story of the pelican pecking its breast to feed it's young. So touching.
Wow It really seems like mister here did his homework! Great effort in constructing this information, I really got a new sense of what's going on. Well, at least we can call it an update to what I already knew. But it's good to have yourself really looking into this stuff and putting it out there. I probably would have not investigated this material in wow g-d knows how long. I can really say I picked up some knowledge from this piece and you can most definitely count me referring some readers to your page, thanks! Really enjoyed and it was my pleasure to read on!
ReplyDeletePelican Products - Your post filled me with the wonder of these blogs. To find someone who just kinda fell onto the page is always a wonderment to me. How and WHY our good Lord lead you here? I hope you continue to be inspired.
ReplyDeleteWoops....the above comment is not anonymous. It is from me....Micki.
ReplyDeletecan some one help me i seen a pelican in a nere death exp. well think it saved me just want 2 know any ever here of something like this before
ReplyDeletestreeba64Here is an interesting site to read about the symbol of Christian Art featuring a pelican. Maybe your experience can be found it the information. Copy and Paste.....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0682.html
Micki