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.