This is beacuse the five because the five Greek letters forming the word “fish” are the initial letters of the five words: “Jesus Christ God’s Son Saviour” in this sense, the fish symbol was frequently used in Early Christian art and literature. The most frequent use of the fish is as a symbol of Christ.
Gregory the Great, for the dove of the Holy Spirit perched upon St. The dove is also used as an attribute of St. Benedict because he saw the soul of his dead sister Scholastica fly up to Heaven in the shape of a white dove. The dove is also connected with the lives of several saints. This refers to the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the hem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and under-standing, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Seven doves are used to represent the seven spirits of God or the Holy Spirit in its sevenfold gifts of Grace. The dove, symbolic of the Holy Ghost, is present in representations of the Trinity, the Baptism, and the Annunciation to Mary. “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him” (John is 32). This symbolism first appears in the story of the baptism of Christ. The most important use of the dove in Christian art, however, is as the symbol of the Holy Ghost. Catherine of Siena above her head while she was in prayer. As an emblem of purity the dove sometimes appears on top of Joseph’s rod to show that he was chosen to be the husband of the Virgin Mary. And to offer a sacrifice ac-cording to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” (Luke 2 22, 24). “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord. Often Joseph carries two white doves in a basket in scenes of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. In the law of Moses, the dove was declared to be pure and for this reason was used as an offering for purification after the birth of a child. In the dory of the flood, the dove, sent out from the ark by Noah, brought back an olive branch to show that the waters had receded and that God had made peace with man (Genesis 8). The dove, in ancient and Christian art, has been the symbol of purity and peace. Since, according to ancient legend, the bee never sleeps, it is occasionally used to suggest Christian vigilance and zeal in acquiring virtue. As a producer of honey, which is a symbol of Christ, and for the virtue of its habits, the bee has been used to symbolize the virginity of Mary. Ambrose compared the Church to a beehive, and the Christian to the bee, working ardently and forever true to the hive. The beehive is similarly the symbol of a pious and unified community. Ambrose, for their eloquence is said to have been as sweet as honey. Thus, the beehive is a recognized attribute of St.
Also, because the bee produces honey, it has come to be accepted as a symbol of sweetness and religious eloquence. The bee, because of its industrious habits, has become the symbol of activity, diligence, work, and good order. Jerome, tells of the donkey that carried wood for the monastery. A typical legend, to be found in the life of St. As a domestic animal, the donkey appears in other legends of the saints. To the wonder of the people present, the wild donkey did kneel, and a number of the Jews and unbelievers were converted to Christianity. The Jew then challenged him to make the experiment. He finally lost his patience and exclaimed that it would be easier to make a wild donkey kneel before the Sacrament than to make the Jew see the truth of his argument. The saint had tried in vain to convert a Jew. Anthony of Padua may perhaps be connected with this interpretation. Their presence at the birth of Christ refers to the prophecy of Isaiah 1:3, “the ox knoweth his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib.” A legend of St. The donkey and the ox symbolize that the humblest and least of the animal creation were present when Jesus was born and that they recognized Him as the Son of God. The most familiar portrayal is in the Nativity scenes, where the donkey regularly appears. The donkey is frequently portrayed in Renaissance painting, particularly in pictures of the Sacrifice of Isaac, the Nativity, the Flight into Egypt, and the Entry of Christ into Jerusalem.
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