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Cross (Conqueror's, Victor's)
  This
Greek cross is complemented with the first and last letters of the Greek
name for Jesus (IC), the first and last letters of the Greek word for
Christ (XC), and the Greek word for Conqueror (NIKA).
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Pelican
This
figure is an ancient one of the Pie Pelicani (Holy Pelican). The myth is
one of a mother pelican who, in order to feed her young, rips a hole in her
breast and feeds them of her own flesh and blood. The ancients saw in it a
marvelous feminine image of Christ as Mother.
Alternatively,
the image of the pelican feeding its young may not refer to the mother
Pelican. The significance, Brother Angelo (of the Franciscan Missionaries
of the Eternal Word, an order of priests and brothers founded by Mother
Angelica to serve the spiritual needs of the Poor Clare nuns) explains, is
when pelicans don’t have food for their young, the father will tear off his
own flesh and feed it to his children—a fitting symbol on His altar of what
Jesus does for us every day at Mass.
Physiologus
deals with the mythical 'pelican' bird in yet a different manner to illustrate
the giving of Christ. If the pelican brings forth young and the little
ones grow, they take to striking their parents in the face. The parents,
however, hitting back kill their young ones and then, moved by compassion,
they weep over them for three days, lamenting over those whom they killed.
On the third day, their mother strikes her side and spills her own blood
over the dead bodies and the blood itself awakens them from death. ...The
Lord ascended the height of the cross and the impious ones struck his side
and opened it and blood and water came forth for eternal life, blood
because it is said, "Taking the chalice he gave thanks", and
water because of the baptism of repentance...
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