The church is the corpus Christi, the sacramental image of Christ in the world. The sign of the pelican signifies the church as a nurturing giver of life to the congregation and of love to the world. Just as the community of Christ receives the ultimate gift of life from the Creator, so also must those children grow up themselves to become givers of life. The pelican gives life so that life can be passed on. Biblical themes of lineage, covenant, flesh, and embodiment all flow together in the early image of the pelican’s tale.
