Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Louisiana State Flag Returns More To Its Eucharistic Roots







I noticed this fun report here at the Nola.com. See New Louisiana state flag with bleeding pelican is unfurled .

I love this part:

The new design was required by a bill passed by Rep. Damon Baldone, D-Houma, during the 2006 legislative session based on the historical research of Joseph Louviere, a Houma student, which indicated the existing pelican seal did not have the bird tearing at its breast.
Historical descriptions of the blue flag include the three drops of blood, described as a sign of the state's willingness to sacrifice itself for its citizens. The design goes back to medieval times, when people believed pelicans fed chicks with their blood
.

Now what is missing from this report? ANY HINT that this is an ancient and popular symbol of Christ and the Eucharist and his death on the Cross for our salvation. I am not sure why we are ignoring this except to possibly fend off some silly Church State violation law suit.

The name for this symbol is "pelican in her piety" This has symbol for instance can be seen in art and stain glass in Catholic Churches here in America and especially in Europe. I actually had a old media from a old Eucharistic conference that had this symbol.

Also I don't think the THREE drops of blood has to deal with sacrificing for Citizens in reality though the Legislature might be using Christ as an sacrificial example here.
Besides having a State Flag with the Christ on the Cross, the Last Supper, or a Priest Saying the Mass one cannot get more Christian than this as to State flags in many ways. In fact the mainly blue field (though I am not sure) on the flag very well could represent the Blessed Mother though I have no real idea about that.

I have posted a great deal on this past (see with links to more pics my past post The Christian Symbolism of the Louisiana Flag and Seal ) .
However this blog gets the essence of the history right here:

The Louisiana state flag and seal, the pelican feeding its young, with the motto "Union, Justice, Confidence," have long been familiar symbols of the "Pelican State." The pelican feeding her young also has ancient Christian roots. It was adopted by early Christians as a symbol of "Jesus the Redeemer." An old legend held that a pelican would wound herself to feed her young with her own blood, which reminded early Christians of Jesus' act of sacrificial love in dying for them on the cross in remission for their sins. Saint Thomas Aquinas in his hymn, Adoro te devote, wrote, "Like what tender tales tell of the pelican, bathe me, Jesus Lord, in what Thy bosom ran, blood that but one drop of has the pow'r to win all the world forgiveness of its world of sin." It is also a reminder to Catholics that Jesus feeds us still today with the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The pelican feeding its young is still seen in many Catholic churches.In 1812 when Louisiana became the 18th state in the union, unofficial flags began appearing throughout the state with the pelican feeding its young on it. Then in 1813, Gov. W.C.C. Claiborne and the Louisiana legislature adopted the pelican feeding its young as the state's official seal. H.L.Favrot, a member of the legislature, is said to have found the pelican symbol in an old Catholic prayer book.

6 comments:

Padre Steve said...

Awesome! Thanks for posting this! GEAUX LOUISIANA!

James H said...

Your welcome. Have a Happy Thanksgiving

Ellen said...

It's MUCH more likely that in 1813 Governor Claiborne and the legislators chose the symbol of the pelican as representing the State because it was already the principal design on the coat of arms of the Diocese of Louisiana (name later changed to Archdiocese of New Orleans). The heraldic description is "Azure, a pelican in her piety between three magnolia blossoms, two in chief and one in base all Argent, on a chief Gules, three fleurs de lis in fess Or."

cveit said...

Very interesting... Thank you from a Catholic flag store owner!

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