The North Clerestory Windows: The Liturgy of the Hours
1. Matins
The vigil service of the ancient church, from which our Matins is derived, was governed by the desire for the Parousia, i.e. the desire for the Second Coming of the Lord. Nighttime is an image of our earthly life, and the dawn of day symbolizes the final coming of Christ, who anticipates His Parousia daily in the Eucharist.
It has also been customary to explain the Matins service in reference to the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. St. Hippolytus (c. 220) well says of Matins: “At this Hour all creation in its repose gives praise to God. The stars above, the woods and waters, are poised in attention, while angelic choirs sing God’s praise in concert with the saints. Therefore, the faithful, too, on earth do well to pray at this hour. So did the Lord bid us pray when he said: ‘In the middle of the night a cry arose; Behold the bridegroom comes: go out to meet Him.’”
The dark forms in the center of the window contain thoughts on the Parousia: the Chi Rho surmounted by a crown signifies Christ’s triumph; the hour glass implies the passing of time until the Second Coming of Christ; the scales allude to the rendering of judgment at that time; and the Star of David recalls the Hebrew Bible and the fact that all ages will come face-to-face on the Last Day. The angelic choirs are depicted above, while nature (trees, water, and animals) stand poised below. The large flame symbolizes watchfulness, for Our Lord said: “Watch, therefore, for you know not the day or the hour…” Five small flames in the lower left call to mind the Parable of the Five Wise Virgins. The three white curved forms in the center of the window suggest clouds or, as it were, form a bridge between heaven and earth or between the angelic choirs and nature. The words “Te Deum” at the top of the window form the intonation of the great hymn of praise, which concludes Matins on the greater feast days. |
