Recently, you may have seen or heard of the pod of pelicans, numbering over a thousand, that descended on the Children’s Pool in La Jolla. Local bird watchers were in heaven. My first thought was that the local churches must be all aflutter, too. Why? The pelican is an early symbol of Jesus.
Who knew, right? I sure didn’t, until I discovered this on my 2022 trip to Israel. While visiting the room traditionally thought to be the location of the Last Supper, I noticed pelicans carved into the pillars. It seemed so random to me—I had seen no pelicans in Israel.
But when I questioned the guide, he explained the connection. Once he told me the reason, I’ve never forgotten it. Imagine my delight when, almost two years later, I saw Pati Johnson’s artwork donation for the gala. Her work illustrates why the pelican was an early symbol of Jesus! The simple reason is this: Jesus was known for feeding his crowds of followers with crowd-sized amounts. That’s what a pelican does as well—it feeds its children from its copiously sized beak!
Friends, the gala is drawing near; the big date is April 27. It is our pelican moment! This event and the rummage sale are our sole sources of funding for St. Bart’s outreach programs. If you have purchased your tickets already, thank you. If you still plan to do so (like me), please act soon. Even if you can’t attend, please donate to help St. Bart’s live into this early image of Jesus and feed others in so many ways.
Mother Nina+
Comments