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Show VI. Jesus ill Mocked and Crowned with Thoms Jesus' HALO OF THORNS, crmvned by a ROSE, suggests suffering leading to the joy of resurrection. The GOLDFINCH, who lives in thorns, evokes the human condition as a partial dwelling in thorns. The irony of Jesus' crowning with thorns is symbolized by the ROY AL CROWN of divine sonship. The highly DECORATED "I" (the first word of the Bible: "In the beginning") signifies the original, creative Word of God (decorated here in the manner of an illuminated manuscript) by comparison to which the "PAINTED WORDS" of mockery which emanate from the mouths of the bystanders are a distortion and conuption. VII. Jesus Carries His Cro11 The ordeal and struggle of canying the cross is underlined by the presence of THE THISTLE AND THE CACTI, plants suggesting barrenness and discomfort, and by the TUR ILE, an animal with tiny crosses on its shell and a slow and labored movement (a reference taken from D . H. Lawrence). The LAMB carrying the SIGN OF VICTORY prefigures Christ's resurrection at the end of the journey. The early Christian Fathers saw THE SHIP AND ITS MAST as a symbol of the church carrying the cross in every generation toward the port of heaven. These appear here in the fonn of the official COAT OF ARMS OF THE DIOCESE OF SALT LAKE CITY, thus providing a local statement of the scene's significance. VIII. Simon Helps Jesus Carry the Cross This scene incorporates the legendary and non-biblical story of VERONICA wiping the face of Jesus and the miraculous imprint of his FACE ON A CLOTH The clearly identifiable RED CROSS, a mercy symbol, and the woman dressed in the CLOTHING OF MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA'S Missionaries of Charity suggest the ongoing ministry of charity in every generation. The DEER, a symbol of kindness and gentl~ (and whose antlers are evocative of a cross), appears at the top. The VIOLETS and the STRAWBERRIES are symbols of good works M1d humble service. |
