Why are St. Mathew, St.Mark, St.Luke and St.John related to a lion, an ox, an eagle, etc?

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Alma

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I tried to look it up here but I did not know where to search for more information about this. 🤷

Will someone be kind enough to tell me where can I find about who started this tradition, when, why and what does it mean? :confused:

Thank you very much!:tiphat:

Alma
 
Alma said:
I tried to look it up here but I did not know where to search for more information about this. 🤷

Will someone be kind enough to tell me where can I find about who started this tradition, when, why and what does it mean? :confused:

Thank you very much!:tiphat:

Alma
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These four animals are mentioned in one of the OT prophets books - maybe Isaiah’s?

St. John is the Eagle, because his Gospel sours.
Matthew is the ox, I believe? Does this have any link to the fact that the ox was a sacrificial animal and Matthew wrote to the Jews?
Mark is the Lion because he wrote to the Romans.
Luke is … what is Luke?
 
It is Matthew = Human/angel; Mark = Lion; Luke = Ox or Calf; and John = Eagle

Rev 4:7
The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a face like that of a human being, and the fourth looked like an eagle 7 in flight.
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See also Ezekial 1
5 4 Within it were figures resembling four living creatures that looked like this: their form was human, 6 but each had four faces and four wings, 7 and their legs went straight down; the soles of their feet were round. They sparkled with a gleam like burnished bronze. 10 5 Their faces were like this: each of the four had the face of a man, but on the right side was the face of a lion, and on the left side the face of an ox, and finally each had the face of an eagle.
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Apparently though, the designations vary…
catholic-resources.org/Art/Evangelists_Symbols.htm
 
NotWorthy said:
These four animals are mentioned in one of the OT prophets books - maybe Isaiah’s?

St. John is the Eagle, because his Gospel sours.
Matthew is the ox, I believe? Does this have any link to the fact that the ox was a sacrificial animal and Matthew wrote to the Jews?
Mark is the Lion because he wrote to the Romans.
Luke is … what is Luke?
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Matthew is the human - he begins his gospel with a genealogy of Jesus, so is a great exponent of His human nature.

Mark is indeed the lion - not sure about him.

Luke was a physician - oxen were traditionally associated as symbols of physicians for some reason.

John is the eagle - and his gospel truly does soar! 🙂
 
LilyM said:
Matthew is the human - he begins his gospel with a genealogy of Jesus, so is a great exponent of His human nature.

Mark is indeed the lion - not sure about him.

Luke was a physician - oxen were traditionally associated as symbols of physicians for some reason.

John is the eagle - and his gospel truly does soar! 🙂
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Uh… BTW… I did mean that John’s Gospel “soars” and not “sours”. Thank you for correcting me without “correcting” me!!! 🙂

I think Fr. Mitch Pacwa says of John’s Gospel that it is a stream for the Bible Novice and a bottomless ocean for the Biblical expert. I think the analogy of water is far more appropriate with John’s Gospel.
 
The article on “Evangelist” in the Catholic Encyclopedia, the last paragraph, discusses this topic a little.
 
In RCIA we were told this:

St. Matthew is the human - His gospel starts with Christ’s geneology and emphasizes Our Lord’s human traits.

St. Mark is the lion - His gospel starts with St. John the Baptist roaring out in the desert, just as the Lions did.

St. Luke is the ox - His gospel emphasizes the sacrifical nature of Christ to the Jews, as oxen were sacrifical animals.

St. John is the eagle - His gospels soars over everything, in their view of everything and in its scope of theology.
 
The symbols may be taken from the description of the creatures at the throne in Ezechiel 1:10
As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man in front; * the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle at the back.
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Thank you all very much for taking the trouble of answering this question.:tiphat:

I still wonder who and in what century inventend those explanations. I find them a little far out, don’t you agree?:ehh:
I mean, why would Mark be a lion because he mentions John the Baptist? Mathew and Luke also mention him. And why relate Luke to an ox is still unclear.
Who and on what century started this anyway, does someone know?:hmmm:

Thanks again!!

:blessyou:

Alma
 
Alma said:
Thank you all very much for taking the trouble of answering this question.:tiphat:

I still wonder who and in what century inventend those explanations. I find them a little far out, don’t you agree?:ehh:
I mean, why would Mark be a lion because he mentions John the Baptist? Mathew and Luke also mention him. And why relate Luke to an ox is still unclear.
Who and on what century started this anyway, does someone know?:hmmm:

Thanks again!!

:blessyou:

Alma
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I believe it was early on in the 2nd or 3rd century, but I don’t know how I know that.
 
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