Christ Administering the Chalice

Heaton, Butler and Bayne

South aisle stained glass window

St Mary Magdalene Church, Enfield

Again, this window is not dated, but probably comes from the early twentieth century, since it belongs to the sequence about a Christian's progress through the world. As Christ offers the chalice to a young communicant, an angel watches lovingly over him, and is about to hand him his fighting colours — the flag with the red cross. Underneath is written, "My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed" (John 6, 55). In the main tracery light is a pelican, symbol of Christian self-sacrifice, particularly apt in this context because, in time of need, the bird was reputed to feed its young with blood drawn from its own breast.

Photograph by John Salmon, and text by Jacqueline Banerjee.

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