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The American flag consists of 13 horizontal stripes that alter red and white with a blue rectangle in the top left corner that consists of 50 white stars. The 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies and the 50 stars represent our current 50 states. This flag is extremely important to Americans because it represents who we are as a country. Behind the flag's appearance is the history of America. We respect it and honor it because of this history and the men and women who have died fighting for the flag and our country.

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Alpha and Omega represent the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The Book of Revelations coins the title "the beginning and the end" for them, which means that God and Jesus are both eternal. Alpha and Omega are an early Christian symbol that were used in Roman catacombs. They are important to Christians because they show what exactly what Christians believe in. God and Jesus are both eternal, and everything that exists from the beginning of time to the end of it, was made by God. Plus, Alpha and Omega represent Christian history, which makes it even more important to Christianity

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The Star of David is a six-pointed star made up of two quadrilateral triangles superimposed over each other, and is most commonly associated with Jewish people. This symbol has many different meanings that were interpreted by Kabbalists, but one of the most common ones is that it represents the relationship between God and the Jewish people. The triangle that points up represents God, and the triangle that points down represents the Jewish people here on Earth. The original symbol itself, according to the legend, was painted on front of King David's shield. This symbol is important to Judaism today because it shows strength. Many of the Jewish prisoners in Nazi-occupied parts of Europe during World War 2 were forced to wear the Star of David as a patch on their clothes. To Jewish people today it represents the strength and courage the prisoners had during one of the darkest times in history

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A symbol is something that universally represents something bigger to the group that is viewing it. For example, a crucifix represents Jesus Christ's sacrifice for us. This is a common representation to Roman Catholics. A universal symbol for winning a sporting event is a medal. Typically, first place is gold or a blue ribbon, second place is silver or a red ribbon, and third place is bronze or a white ribbon.

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The cross is the epitome of the symbols of the Catholic faith. No single image holds as great of meaning to us as the cross. It represents Jesus' sacrifice for us, but it also plays a great role in the sacraments. In the sacraments, we always bless ourselves with the sign of the cross, to remind ourselves of the presence within us. It is no mistake we use the cross so often, especially in blessing ourselves in the sacraments, because of its deep meaning.

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Water holds great symbolic meaning to our sacraments. Water represents the new birth, our new life, that we have with Jesus. In Baptism, we receive a new life free of our Original Sin, which is represented in the holy water. Water is a sign of purity, peace, and renewal. Just as water bring life wherever it is, the holy water we use brings spiritual life no matter where we are spiritually. Water holds such a great value in our faith life, and is well defined by Christ in John 3:5, " Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit."

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Symbols represent the different aspects of the church. As Catholics and Christians, symbols are a way to unite us as one family, one body in christ.
By learning about the symbols, we learn about the history of the church and we learn about our faith. Around the world, all catholics do not speak the same language, but the symbols help serve as a universal language within the church.

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Fire is an important symbol within the sacraments. In the many of the sacraments, the Baptismal Candle is lit, reflecting that we are to share our gifts by lighting the way towards Christ for others. In addition, the Candle reflects that Jesus is the light to our life, and we are to follow him to avoid the darkness.The flame also holds great significance within Confirmation. The Sacrament is similar to Pentecost, in which we are affirming our call to service. And, in Pentecost, the flames of the Holy Spirit came down on the Apostles, and that is represented in the candles lit during the sacramental service. Fire is found in scripture in Matthew 3:11 " He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." This is in reference to the Pentecost.

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Kyle Bell
Luke Kilhafner
Kyle Laird
Kam Smith