Pelican : a christian symbol depicting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ

Oželis, Remigijus (author)

Alongside with the legendary phoenix, which rises from death through the fire, and with the lamb, which expresses selfless love, the Pelican is one of the oldest symbols of Jesus Christ. This article reviews the rise of the legends about the sacrifice of the pelican, discusses the pelican as a symbol of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and presents Jesus Christ as a true Pelican, feeding His faithful with His blood. Seeing the pelican through the eyes of the faith helps to discover the deepest Christ’s message: to give oneself to one’s brothers because it will make visible what evangelist John said about Jesus’ love: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn 15:13) The symbol of the pelican in Christianity evokes contemplation of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, understanding the depth of God’s love and gratitude for this sacrificial love. Representation of Jesus’ sacrifice through the symbol of the pelican visually reminds us that the Lord, when He feeds people with His Body, receives them into Himself to become His Body.

• Language: English
• Keywords: pelican, symbol, sacrifice, selfless love, christianity
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2023
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: Str. 391-401
• Numbering: Letn. 83, [št.] 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-164183
• UDC: 27-31
• ISSN on article: 0006-5722
• DOI: 10.34291/BV2023/02/Ozelis
• COBISS.SI-ID: 174656515
• Publication date in RUL: 17.10.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Bogoslovni vestnik
• Shortened title: Bogosl. vestn.
• Publisher: Bogoslovna akademija, Bogoslovna akademija, Teološka fakulteta v Ljubljani, Teološka fakulteta Univerze v Ljubljani, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 0006-5722
• COBISS.SI-ID: 8745472

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Pelikan : krščanski simbol, ki upodablja žrtvovanje Jezusa Kristusa

Abstract

Pelikan je poleg legendarnega feniksa, ki iz ognja vstane od smrti, in jagnjeta, ki izraža nesebično ljubezen, eden najstarejših simbolov Jezusa Kristusa. Prispevek obravnava nastanek legend o žrtvovanju pelikana, pelikana proučuje kot simbol žrtvovanja Jezusa Kristusa in predstavlja Jezusa Kristusa kot pravega pelikana, ki vernike hrani s svojo krvjo. Pogled na pelikana skozi oči vere pomaga odkriti Kristusovo najgloblje sporočilo: podariti se bratom, da postane vidno, kar je o Jezusovi ljubezni povedal evangelist Janez: »Nihče nima večje ljubezni od te, da da življenje za svoje prijatelje.« (Jn 15,13) Simbol pelikana v krščanstvu spodbuja razmišljanje o žrtvi Jezusa Kristusa, krepi razumevanje globine Božje ljubezni in hvaležnost za to požrtvovalno ljubezen. Prikaz Jezusove žrtve s simbolom pelikana nas spominja, da ko Gospod ljudi hrani s svojim telesom, jih sprejema vase, da postanejo njegovo telo.

• Keywords: pelikan, simbol, žrtvovanje, nesebična ljubezen, krščanstvo