Symbols

God is Faithful:

The first part of the phrase "God Is" is to remind us all that God exists but there is still mystery behind it. God is not restricted to time and space. He knows our thoughts, potential and what we can handle. His love and mercy is infinite and for us, incredibly difficult to comprehend. Sometimes we think that our lives are so broken that God wouldn't want to help (loss cause), or that we mess up so much that He's tired of hearing our apologies and failed promises. When in actuality He wants us to admit that we are weak and broken (2Corinthians12:9) because that's when we genuinely seek him. 1Corinthians10:13 is a verse that explains his faithfulness. Faith is separate because it emphasizes that we need to have faith in Him also. Not blind faith either. We have to study and understand our faith which means doing the research, talking to fellow believers and deciding for ourselves why we place our hope in God. We need to have faith to realize that He will work within us to help us overcome all obstacles and bring us closer to a more fulfilling life. We try our best to avoid anxiety and surprises by planning and preparing as much as we can. Instead, we should just make sure what we're doing lines up with what God wants and let Him take care of the rest. Trust in His faithfulness. The crossed nails represent Jesus' sacrifice and God's faithfulness to us. That God sent down his Only Son to be born, live and die to show His mercy and for us to know Him fully. The entire phrase will let people know that we believe in God and that are not ashamed to show it.

 
Dove/Tongue of Fire:

The Dove/Tongue of Fire is found throughout the bible and in our churches as a symbol of peace, purity, the Holy Spirit and God’s faithfulness.

-Genesis 8:10-12 (Noah released a Dove and it returned to him with a plucked-off olive leaf)

-Luke 2:24 (Mary and Joseph took Jesus to be presented at the Temple and offered a sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves)

-Matthew 3:16 (After Jesus was baptized he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming upon him)

-Acts 2:3 (During Pentecost, Jesus’ followers were gathered together and suddenly a noise like a strong driving wind filled the house, and what appeared to be tongues of fire rested on each of them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit  and able to speak in different tongues.)

This symbol is to help remind us of God’s faithfulness, to try our best to live pure lives and when times of doubt or when courage is needed, to call upon the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength. 

Ichthys/Jesus Fish:

The Ichthys (Greek word for fish) symbol that was used by early Christians to communicate to each other that they were amongst fellow believers in the midst when early Christians were being persecuted. Ichthys in the Greek, when you break it down is the acronym for “Iesous Christos Theos Yios Soter.” In English translates to “Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior.” We hope that this symbol carries on letting others know that we are Christian and that we are here for one another. This symbol is also to help remind us of all the sacrifices that early Christians made.

Ecclesia Militans:

This is the Latin phrase for the Church Militant.

The Catholic Church has 3 part:

1. Church Triumphant (Ecclesia Triumphans) which includes everyone in heaven

2. Church Suffering (Ecclesia Penitens) which includes all who are being purified in Purgatory

3. Church Militant (Ecclesia Militans) which includes everyone here on earth who are foot soldiers of Christ against evil.

Here on earth it’s obvious that there are constant wars between good and evil. We are called to be Jesus’ military and not in the sense of politics and physical combat, but in the sense that we are armed with truth and need to promote, protect and defend that truth with our lives. Sometimes the fight isn’t with the outside world, it’s a war within ourselves. We are called to battle with the evil daily. Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who can be against us?” We need to keep that in mind and keep the fight going. We need to be proud that we belong to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and that our God is right there with us on the front line.  It’s not easy to say the least, but if we all understand that we are united under One banner, we will find that strength and support from one another and also will be armed with the knowledge that our God cannot be beaten.