BasiliCAST 12: Stained Glass Clerestory Windows 1 and 2- Betrothal and Annunciation

Johan van Parys, Ph.D, shares the second installment in our series about The Basilica's stained glass windows, discussing the clerestory windows which tell the story of Mary's life in color and light. He discusses Window 1. The Betrothal to Saint Joseph and Window 2. The Annunciation, plus their connection to the ambulatory windows below. If you are interested in Catholic sacred art, Marian devotion, the Magnificat, the Litany of Loreto, or simply in stained glass windows, this is a rich place to start. Which detail in the window was most interesting to see up close?

Transcript

How The Marian Windows Work

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Hello and welcome to Basilicast, a production by the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis. A couple of weeks ago, we released an introductory video on the windows here at the Basilica of St. Mary. In it we explained that the windows depict scenes from the life of Mary. The narrative begins with the rose window on the northwest side of the basilica, which depicts the Immaculate Conception. And you can find a video on our website that explains in detail that very window. The nave of the basilica has ten Marian archways, each of which has a roundell or a round window at the top, which is flanked by two triangular windows, within it an angel head with wings. Beneath the roundell there are two clearer story, large clearer story windows with the principal theme, and then underneath these windows there are smaller ambulatory windows that have images of figures from both the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament. The five Marian archives on the west side depict scenes from the private life of Mary, whereas those on the east side depict scenes from the public life of Mary after Jesus started his public mission. The narrative ends with the great rose window on the northeast side, which depicts the coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven. We have a third rose window, which is on the south facade, which depicts Mary as the seat of wisdom. More about that in upcoming videos.

Magnificat Scrolls And Mary’s Fiat

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Today I would like to talk a bit about the first Marian archway, which is located on the northwest side of the Basilica nave. As I mentioned, each one of these archways is topped with a roundel or a round window. And each of these roundels depicts an angel who is holding a scroll. And those scrolls contain a verse from the Magnificat or the Canticle of Mary, which is found in the Gospel of Saint Luke. When Mary was pregnant with Jesus, she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist at the same time. In response to Elizabeth's greeting, Mary exclaimed a song of praise known as the Magnificat. This very title is actually taken from the Latin version of the first verse of the Magnificat, which reads, Magnificat anima mea dominum, or my soul magnifies the Lord. The Magnificat celebrates God's faithfulness to the humble and serves as a very prophetic voice of God's reversal of the worldly order where the proud are humbled and the lowly are exalted. The Magnificat is part of the official prayer of the Catholic Church, and it is sung during Vespers or evening prayer. As I mentioned, each one of these ten roundels has a verse of the Magnificat, except for the first roundel. The first roundel has in its written, Eci Anchila Domini Fiat Mihisum Verbum Tum, or in other words, behold the handmaid of the Lord, that it be done to me according to your word. This was Mary's response to the angel Gabriel when he came to tell her that she was going to be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and conceive a son. This is, of course, a clear reference to the Annunciation, which is the theme of one of the clearest story windows below.

Betrothal Window Symbols And Loreto

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As we now look at the clearer story windows, the two of them, on the right side, we have the betrothal of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Joseph, and on the left side we have the depiction of the Annunciation. Let's start with the betrothal. At the very top, an angel holds another scroll. Now, in this scroll, and this repeats itself in each one of the clear story windows, an angel holds a scroll with a line from the Litany of Loreto. In this case, Santa Maria or Holy Mary. Now, the Litany of Loreto is actually a series of titles, official and less official titles, for Mary. It originates from the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto in Italy, and the first documented version of it dates back to 1558. In 1587, Pope Hius V made it an official prayer for the Catholic Church, and it could be used anywhere. It is a litany prayer, so somebody will announce a title of Mary, and then the community respond, pray for us. For instance, Queen of the Apostles, pray for us. Over the centuries, new titles of Mary have been added to the Litany of Loreto. Most recently, the late Pope Francis added three titles of Mary: Mother of Mercy, Mother of Hope, and Solace of Migrants. The titles that are selected for each one of these clear story windows is more or less related to what is actually depicted in the window. Below this angel holding the scroll on the top of the window are two more angels, and they seem to be floating on clouds. Each one of these angels holds a symbol, in this case, white lilies, which refer to the virginity, the purity, the humility of Mary. The main portion of this window depicts the betrothal of the Blessed Virgin to Saint Joseph. In the time of Joseph and Mary, there was a difference between betrothal and marriage. And though a betrothal was legally binding and required a formal divorce for dissolution, the couple was not allowed to cohabitate. It was not until the marriage time that the couple was allowed to cohabitate. This underlies the fact that Jesus is born of the Holy Spirit and not of Saint Joseph. In the center of the window you can see the high priest who is presiding over this event. He is dressed in traditional garb and he is flanked by two temple servants, each holding a candle. In front of him, Saint Joseph, somewhat awkwardly with his right hand, places a ring on the finger of Mary. And according to ancient Jewish tradition, the very fact of placing the ring on the finger of the woman by the man is the moment of betrothal. Now in his other hand, Saint Joseph holds a flowering staff. In the New Testament, there is nothing written about the betrothal of Mary or why Joseph would be holding a flowering staff, but in non-canonical, non-biblical, official biblical texts, much more is written about the details of the life of Mary, the life of Jesus, Saint Joseph. And in this case, this is borrowed from the proto-gospel of Saint James. Now, when the priests who were entrusted with Saint Mary were looking for a suitable husband, they brought all the eligible bachelors together in the temple and they asked them to bring their staff. And one by one they would give their staff to the high priest who then place it on the altar. Nothing happened, nothing happened. Saint Joseph was somewhat reluctant, and he was in the back. And the high priest called him forward and said, Give me your staff. And when Joseph gave his staff to the high priest, place it on the altar and it started to flower, which was an indication that this man, Joseph, was worthy to be the husband of Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary is dressed in the traditional white and blue, and she gazes attentively at Joseph, who's placing the ring on her finger. And though she is wearing a head cover, you can still see her golden locks through the head cover. Now, traditionally, unmarried women would have their hair uncovered. Married women, respectable married women, would have their hair covered. And so you can see here the moment of the transition from Mary being a single woman to becoming betrothed to the time of her wedding. There are two vases in the foreground, and they have red roses in them, which is a reference to the love and devotion between Saint Mary and Saint Joseph.

Tobit’s Marriage Blessing Connection

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The ambulatory window below the clearestory window depicts Ragel. Ragel is one of the main figures in the Book of Tobit, which is part of the Bible. He was a righteous man and who remained faithful to God even through very difficult times. In the Book of Tobit, the difficulty that is described is that his daughter Sarah is afflicted by a demon named Asmodius. Sarah had been betrothed seven times, and each time during the wedding night, the husband was killed by the demon. So they were a little trepidatious when Tobias approached them and asked for Sarah's hand. Now Tobias was accompanied by the archangel Raphael. At their wedding night, they together, Sarah and Tobias, prayed, and Tobias was saved. He was not killed by the demon. Ragel is depicted here as he is about to bless the marriage between Sarah and Tobias, raising his hand in a blessing. The inscription beneath Ragel, which is taken from Tobias chapter 7, reads, The God of Abraham be with you, and may he join you together and fulfill his blessing in you. This is the very blessing Ragel offered at the time of the marriage between Sarah and Tobias. The blessing entrusts their future to God. And there is a parallel to between the marriage between Sarah and Tobias and the marriage between Mary and Joseph. In both cases, divine providence brought them together and was at work in their marriage, and both couples exhibited similar spiritual virtues of holiness, chastity, and love of God.

Annunciation Details In Stained Glass

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On the left side we have the annunciation of the angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary. At the very top, the angel holds a scroll with an inscription from the litany of Loreto, which says Virgo Virginum or Virgin of Virgins. This is a reference to the fact that Mary remained a virgin before, during, and even after giving birth to Jesus. Below this angel floating again on clouds are two angels holding olive branches, which are symbols of fertility, divine blessing, and peace. In the depiction of the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel is shown entering the room very dynamically where Mary was praying. As he enters, the Blessed Mother turned around to see him, and the book that she was reading from fell on the ground next to her predue. Traditionally, Mary is shown praying the one verse or reading the one verse from the prophet Isaiah, behold, a virgin shall conceive a son. The angel Gabriel is presenting a scepter adorned with a scroll on which is written, The greeting the angel spoke to Mary. Ave Gratia plena dominus decum. Hail favored one, the Lord is with you. Mary, who is still kneeling, has her hands folded over her chest in a gesture of acceptance and obedience, ready to say, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word. This was her response to the message of the angel that she would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit and bear a son. The Holy Spirit is depicted in the traditional form of a dove hovering over Mary, and rays emanate from the Holy Spirit and touch Mary. The vase with white lilies again symbolizes Mary's virginity, and the vase with the red roses is a reference to the pain and suffering that Mary will feel during the course of the life of Jesus, but most especially at his passion and death.

Isaiah’s Prophecy And Final Takeaways

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The figure depicted in the ambulatory window, not surprisingly, is the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah is one of the major prophets who is the author of the better part of the book of Isaiah. He holds his right hand up, calling attention to what he is saying as a prophet. In his left hand, interestingly, he is holding a saw, which is a reference to his martyrdom. Now the Bible doesn't mention this at all, but some non-biblical writings described the martyrdom of Isaiah by the hand of King Manasseh. Now King Manasseh was known for his idolatrous practices, and the prophet Isaiah prophesied against that. So Manasseh didn't care very much about Isaiah. And at some point, Isaiah was hiding in the trunk of a tree. Upon learning of this, Manasseh sent his soldiers to the tree and had the tree trunk cut into with Isaiah inside of it. The inscription below the prophet is taken from Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14, which reads, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and will call him Emmanuel. This verse is actually taken from a message the prophet Isaiah delivered to King Ahaz of Judah, who was facing some threats from northern kingdoms. The full prophecy reads, Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call him Emmanuel. With this the prophet counseled the king to rely on God for protection. This very prophecy you can find, we can find in the Gospel of Saint Matthew in chapter 1, verse 23, which confirms that the virgin birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy by Isaiah. And this completes the first Marian window. Please watch the next video, which will be about the second and the third and the fourth of these Marian windows. Until then, please stay good care.