Christ Administering the Chalice

Heaton, Butler and Bayne

South aisle stained glass window

St Mary Magdalene Church, Enfield

Again, this window is not dated, but probably comes from the early twentieth century, since it belongs to the sequence about a Christian's progress through the world. As Christ offers the chalice to a young communicant, an angel watches lovingly over him, and is about to hand him his fighting colours — the flag with the red cross. Underneath is written, "My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed" (John 6, 55). In the main tracery light is a pelican, symbol of Christian self-sacrifice, particularly apt in this context because, in time of need, the bird was reputed to feed its young with blood drawn from its own breast.

Photograph by John Salmon, and text by Jacqueline Banerjee.

You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one. [Click on the image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

Sources

"The Nave Stained-Glass." St Mary Magdalene. Web. 6 July 2015.

Eberhard, Robert. "Stained Glass Windows at St Mary Magdalene." Church Stained Glass Windows. Web. 6 July 2015.

Created 6 July 2015