Page 22 - LOTN Advent issue 57

EDUCATION AND FORMATION

In the 'Annunciation' by the Italian Renaissance artist Filippo Lippi, the dove of the Holy Spirit appears in the background

Lord as a child, the goldfinch associates the Incarnation with the And Dante refers in his Paradiso to Christ as ‘our Pelican’.
Passion. When held by his Mother, it denotes her foreknowledge Nightingales, though not mentioned in Scripture, have
of the sword that will pierce her breast. In medieval legends, it was also been depicted in Christian art, signifying martyrs and the
known as a ‘saviour’ because of its connection with Christ’s death Christian faithful. Their sweet, plaintive song was said to signify
and was believed to be a protection against the plague. Finches in the soul’s longing for Heaven.
general may symbolise winged souls ascending to heaven. And what of the robin, the popular, red-breasted little bird we
Pelicans have always been well known in the Holy Land, passing associate particularly with Christmas, perhaps because they seem
through Israel during their migration to Africa and there was an to be around more in the winter months? Its bright red breast,
ancient legend of the mother pelican in time of famine feeding belonging to both male and female, has led to many popular
her young with blood from her pierced breast. This was taken up legends centred round both the Incarnation and the Crucifixion.
by early Christians as a symbol of Christ ‘by whose blood we are One tells of how a robin tried to comfort Jesus on the cross by
healed’, who shed his blood in his Passion for our redemption and singing in his ear – and a robin has a beautiful song in all seasons.
continues to feed us with his Body and Blood in the Eucharist. As Another recounts how the robin tried to pull thorns out of the
well as in paintings, this image of the self-sacrificing pelican was cruel crown of thorns, and yet another that the robin tried to
embroidered on altar frontals and tabernacles were often formed stem Christ’s bleeding. In all three stories, a drop of blood falls
from precious metals in the shape of a pelican and suspended on the robin’s breast staining it and its offspring forever as a
over the altar. In some paintings of the Crucifixion, a pelican’s permanent mark of its kindness to the suffering Christ. Another
nest is pictured on top of the Cross. In his famous hymn on the legend tells of how the robin appeared in the stable at the birth of
Eucharist, Adoro te devoto, St Thomas Aquinas has the following the baby Jesus and fanned a fire with its wings to give him greater
verse: warmth, burning his own breast in the process. Yet another tells
that it received its distinctive red breast as a reward for protecting
‘Like what tender tales tell of the Pelican the Child from the sparks of another fire, which he caught on
Bathe me, Jesus Lord, in what Thy Bosom ran his breast, while the Holy Family rested on their flight into
Blood that but one drop of has the pow’r to win Egypt. And, certainly, the shade of red on a robin is almost flame
All the world forgiveness of its world of sin.’ coloured. It even featured in a 19 century hymn.
th
'Sweet Robin, I have heard them say
That thou wert there upon the day
The Christ was crowned in cruel scorn
And bore away one bleeding thorn, —
That so the blush upon thy breast,
In shameful sorrow, was impressed;
And thence thy genial sympathy
With our redeemed humanity.' (George Washington Doane)

Detail of pelican's nest from one of the Salimbeni frescoes in St
John's Oratory, Urbino

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