BREASTPLATES
OF THE
24 ELDERS
"And round about the throne were four and twenty seats;
and upon the seats I saw four and twenty Elders sitting,
clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold."
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power,
for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."
Book of Revelation, Chapter 4, v.4 and 11
OLD TESTAMENT TRIBE: GAD
Gad was the seventh son of Jacob and the first son of Zilpah.
Gad was named by Leah, and his name means "luck" or "fortune." Gad was also
the name of a pagan deity.
According to rabbinical literature, Gad was born on the 10th of Heshwan and lived for 125 years.
Gad had great strength, and rabbinical sources say that Joseph did not present
his brother Gad to Pharaoh because he did not want Gad to become one of
Pharaoh's prison guards.
In Jacob's blessing, he prophesied that Gad would provide great troops to lead
the children of Israel to the Promised Land.
HIGH PRIEST'S BREASTPLATE STONE: MALACHITE
Malachite is a carbonate mineral.
The name Malachite comes from the Greek work "mallow," a green herb.
Malachite may be the earliest known green pigment.
It has been mined since as early as 4000 B.C.
Large malachite carvings are often used for decorative purposes.
In Greek mythology the throne of Demeter, goddess of grain and harvest,
was made of malachite.
In Ancient Greece, malachite amulets were made for children.
NEW TESTAMENT APOSTLE:
SIMON THE ZEALOT
The name Simon means hearkening or listening, and Zealot comes from
the word zealous
Tradition states that St. Simon evangelized in Egypt and later worked with
St. Jude. They share a feast day on October 28.
In art he is portrayed with a saw to indicate the form of martyrdom he suffered.
NEW JERUSALEM STONE: JACINTH
The word Jacinth comes from the old French and Medieval Latin words for hyacinth.
Jacinth is a variety of zircon. It occurs in clear, transparent red, orange, and yellow colors.
Zirconium, for which zircons are commercially mined, are used for abrasives insulation.
It is said to relieve pain, prevent nightmares, and whet the appetite.
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
LOVE'S LANTERN
By Joyce Kilmer
Because the road was steep and long
And through a dark and lonely land,
God set upon my lips a song
And put a lantern in my hand.
Through miles on weary miles of night
That stretch relentless in my way
My lantern burns serene and white,
An unexhausted cup of day.
O golden lights and lights like wine,
How dim your boasted splendors are.
Behold this little lamp of mine;
It is more starlike than a star!
******************************************************
The artist of "Light of the World" is Mother Margaret Mary Nealis who was a member
of the congregation of Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, based in Halifax. She was born on December 9, 1876. Mother Nealis entered the noviceship in Montreal in 1895. After professing her religious vows in 1903, she spent most of her life in Sault-au-Recollet. As a teacher and accomplished artist, she produced
a variety of works on religious subjects. Mother Nealis died in Montreal
on December 17, 1957. Reproductions of her paintings are popular worldwide
and can be found in picture books, framed lithographs, and on vintage holy cards.
SALE on RELIGIOUS BIOGRAPHIES
NOVEMBER 1 thru NOVEMBER 30
The 12 Tribes of Israel
God said to him: "You whose name is Jacob shall no longer be called
Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." Thus he was named Israel.
God also said to him: "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply.
A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, shall stem from you, and
kings shall issue from your loins. The land I once gave to Abraham
and Isaac I now give to you; And to your descendants after you
will I give this land."
The sons of Jacob were now twelve.
The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's first-born,
Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun;
the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin;
the sons of Rachel's maid Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali;
the sons of Leah's maid Zilpah: Gad and Asher.
Book of Genesis, Chapter 35
The 12 Stones of the
High Priests’ Breastplates
Four rows of precious stones were mounted on it:
In the first row a carnelian, a topaz and an emerald;
in the second row, a garnet, a sapphire and a beryl;
in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst;
in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper.
These stones were twelve, to match the names of the sons of
Israel, and each stone was engraved like a seal with the name of
one of the twelve tribes.
Whenever Aaron enters the sanctuary, he will thus bear the names
of the sons of Israel on the breastpiece of decision over his heart as
a constant reminder before the Lord.
Book of Exodus, Chapter 28.
The 12 Apostles
The names of the twelve apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Book of Matthew, Chapter 10
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the eleven apostles.
Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 1
The 12 Foundation Stones
of the New Jerusalem
The wall was constructed of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass.
The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every precious stone;
the first course of stones was jasper, the second sapphire, the third
chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian,
the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase,
the eleventh hyacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made from a single pearl;
and the street of the city was of pure gold, transparent as glass.
Book of Revelation, Chapter 21
Stained glass designs are original works of Leo Del Pasqua and subject to applicable copyright laws.
) 
