The Anchor: A Christian Symbol

The beautiful anchor on top of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, located on Block Island, Rhode Island, has a long history of Christian symbolism. It is a fitting symbol for a church that sits on a hill on an island several miles out to sea. Block Island has been and still is a haven for boats who find it necessary to anchor in its harbors to wait out storms or to simply lay in tranquil waters.

The faithful in the Catholic Church these days certainly need to find a haven and drop anchor. As a Catholic, I find myself wanting to isolate myself from the storms that surround us in terms of politics, cultural direction, violence, and misinformation. I want to anchor up, so to speak, and gather my thoughts and strengthen my faith.

The Rosary as a Sea Anchor

Occasionally the cultural storms are in waters so deep that your anchor line is too short to keep you attached to the seafloor, then, your only option is to deploy a sea-anchor. A sea-anchor is a parachute that expands in the water and will keep your bow headed into the stormy sea. That action can save your life, and keep you from rolling over and sinking.

Frequently, there are events in the world today that explode out of hand so quickly that we can’t find a haven fast enough, and the only thing we can do is adopt some sort of a spiritual sea anchor. Saying the Rosary is a great spiritual sea anchor.

I find myself running against the wind to find the truth in all that is happening in our world today. It does not matter whether I’m in deep water or shallow water; I find myself needing to find safety or respite, and anchoring is a safe bet. Activities and practices in prayer, the sacraments, Mass, and acts of kindness are all ways to anchor oneself in faith.

Just What is a Symbol?

The Merriam-Webster definition of a symbol is an authoritative summary of faith or doctrine; something that stands for or suggests something else because of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance.  The anchor is one such symbol because the stock and shank of an anchor contain the Cross of Jesus and the flukes or palms contain the anchoring bills that bury into the sea-floor.

Christian symbolic reference to an anchor is found in Hebrews 6:16-20:

Human beings, of course, swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all dispute. In the same way, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it by an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Early Christian Symbols

There were many symbols in early Christianity; e.g., doves, fish, cross, pelicans, Greek letters, and of course anchors. Persecuted Christians in first-century Rome often inscribed an anchor on their epitaphs.  An examination of the catacombs revealed many such epitaphs which included variations of anchor depictions. These epitaphs displayed the hope or fresh start these early Christians had put in the promise of Jesus their Lord and Savior.

The anchor as a Christian symbol of hope and renewal was further championed upon the martyrdom of St. Clement of Rome. Pope Saint Clement, considered the first apostolic father of the Church, was consecrated by Saint Peter himself.

In the Acts of the Martyrs, it is noted that St. Clement was imprisoned under Emperor Trajan and forced to work in a stone quarry. After he stuck his pickaxe into a spot on a hilltop that had been revealed to him in a vision, miraculously much-needed water came gushing out to quench the thirst of his fellow prisoners. He created a ministry among fellow prisoners and some pagan guards. His punishment for this was execution by being tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea. Thus, the anchored cross is known as The Mariner’s or St. Clement’s Cross.

The Anchor: Faith and Hope in Jesus

The anchored cross symbolizes stability and strength in the love and hope that we place in Jesus.  Jesus is the anchor of our soul and when we feel the stress of life’s storms, we realize the strength and stability of dropping the hook or putting down the anchor in Jesus.  Later day artisans have incorporated a ship’s wheel into the Mariners cross helping us to stay on course when we veer off.

Saint Ambrose had this symbol in mind when he wrote: “As the anchor thrown from a ship prevents this from being borne about, but holds it securely, so faith, strengthened by hope.”

I pray that you find health, happiness, and love while you keep Jesus anchored as the Mariner’s Cross in your heart.