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Even Emojis Are Catholic
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Even Emojis Are Catholic
From the beginning of the Church, we have always had a collection of images that represented our Catholic Faith in a secret, veiled or allegorical way. Some of these are biblical images and others come to us through Tradition.
Unknown to Apple and most of the non-Christian world, some of those ancient or medieval symbols and signs are available on our iPhones as emojis.
Here is a quick guide to your Catholic iPhone iconography at your disposal. Which ones have you used? Did I miss any?
Prayer Hands: Prayer, Intercession, Faith, Hope, Love.
Moon: Mary as Moon. Medieval theologians referred to Mary as the moon because she reflects the light of the Son. Also, she is depicted in Revelation 12 as standing on a moon.
Deer: Jesus. The stag is a symbol for Christ, who tramples and destroys the devil.
Rose: Mary as Mystical Rose. She is like a rose without spot or blemish. Also the word rosary means a 'garland of roses'.
Flower: St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower.
Water and Blood: Baptism & Eucharist, the pierced side of Christ, Divine Mercy.
Fire and Dove: Holy Spirit, The fire of Pentecost, the Dove at the Baptism of Christ, Confirmation.
Boat: Church as Peter’s Ark or Peter’s Boat. Like the ark of Noah, the church saves us through water.
Shamrock: The Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Used by St. Patrick to teach about the Christian God.
Two Hearts: Sacred hearts of Jesus and Mary. At the moment of Jesus' conception, Mary conceived the Heart of Jesus beneath Her own Heart.
Butterfly: Resurrection, Theosis, Paschal Mystery, New Life in Christ.
Lion: Jesus is the royal Lion of the tribe of Judah in Revelation Ch. 5.
Lamb: Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world through his suffering and death.
Peacock: Ancient Greeks believed the flesh of a peacock never decayed. It is a symbol of eternal life and the resurrection of Christ.
Fish: The fish represents Christ through an acronym, ICHTHYS which stands for Jesus, Christ, Son of God, Savior
Crown: Christ, the KIng.
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About the Author
I am a life-long Catholic, husband, dad, teacher and former football coach. I've been teaching the Catholic Faith to young men, religious educators and catechists since 1998. My academic background, MA is in Theology and Catechetics. I am the creator of www.apexcatechetics.com, the home of high quality catechetical resources for those who teach the Catholic Faith. Email: gary@apexcatechetics.com
