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Fear not, for God will be unto us a helper, a mariner, and a pilot. May God do unto us his servants and his little vessel as he willeth.
- Saint Brendan
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The rooster symbolizes vigilance. Vigilance means watchfulness. The rooster is always keeping vigil for the dawning of the sun. For the Christian this recalls the hope of the Second Coming of Christ, which may be interpreted as the reappearance of Christ at the end of time or as Christ's reappearance in day-to-day life under the guise of persons in need.
In connection with the idea of watchfulness for the Second Coming, vigilance calls to mind Jesus' reference in Matthew 24 to his Second Coming as being like a thief in the night. "Be vigilant, therefore, for you do not know on which day your Lord will come." (Matthew 24:42) Likewise, in the next chapter the Parable of the Ten Virgins ends with an urging of vigilance. "Be vigilant, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:13) In the parallel passage in Mark 13, the "cockcrow" is cited in verse 35 as a possible time for the Second Coming. A similar exhortation to vigilance is found in Luke 21.
Some Christians interpret the Second Coming as referring to all those instances in which we seem to encounter Christ under the guise of persons in need. This idea is taken from the Parable of the Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25, in which those who are judged to be righteous are persons who have fed the hungry, given drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited the imprisoned. They are told by Christ that "…whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40) So vigilance in this instance involves always being watchful for opportunities to serve Christ through service to our neighbor.
Another form of vigilance may be that of watchfulness for temptation or evil. While experiencing the agony in the garden prior to his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus periodically broke from his prayers to find his closest disciples asleep. Jesus woke them up and said, "Be vigilant and pray that you may not be tempted; for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mark 14:48, Matthew 26:41) We find later in a New Testament letter written by one of those disciples a similar warning. "Be sober and vigilant. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (I Peter 5:8) Whether or not a literal all-evil entity called Satan actually exists, the advice to be on the lookout for "devils" of accusation or opposition in the spiritual life is just as valid and valuable.
Somewhat connected to this last interpretation is the rooster's symbolic meaning of courage, for courage is precisely what is called for in the face of a threat. Anyone who has encountered a rooster in a barnyard will likely need little convincing of the courage of a rooster. Roosters are extremely territorial and, when threatened, will courageously defend themselves and their territory, if need be to the point of death. In the ancient world the rooster sometimes symbolized courage in battle.
Early Christians also saw the rooster as a symbol of resurrection, and the symbol was painted in the catacombs near the tombs of the martyrs. This meaning of resurrection likely came about because of the association of the rooster with vigilance for the sunrise, since Christians saw the risen sun (s-u-n) as a symbol of the risen Son (s-o-n) of God. The dawn symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, and likewise resurrection symbolizes the victory of life over death and of good over evil. As the prologue to John puts it, "…the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5)
In connection with the idea of watchfulness for the Second Coming, vigilance calls to mind Jesus' reference in Matthew 24 to his Second Coming as being like a thief in the night. "Be vigilant, therefore, for you do not know on which day your Lord will come." (Matthew 24:42) Likewise, in the next chapter the Parable of the Ten Virgins ends with an urging of vigilance. "Be vigilant, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:13) In the parallel passage in Mark 13, the "cockcrow" is cited in verse 35 as a possible time for the Second Coming. A similar exhortation to vigilance is found in Luke 21.
Some Christians interpret the Second Coming as referring to all those instances in which we seem to encounter Christ under the guise of persons in need. This idea is taken from the Parable of the Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25, in which those who are judged to be righteous are persons who have fed the hungry, given drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited the imprisoned. They are told by Christ that "…whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40) So vigilance in this instance involves always being watchful for opportunities to serve Christ through service to our neighbor.
Another form of vigilance may be that of watchfulness for temptation or evil. While experiencing the agony in the garden prior to his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus periodically broke from his prayers to find his closest disciples asleep. Jesus woke them up and said, "Be vigilant and pray that you may not be tempted; for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mark 14:48, Matthew 26:41) We find later in a New Testament letter written by one of those disciples a similar warning. "Be sober and vigilant. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (I Peter 5:8) Whether or not a literal all-evil entity called Satan actually exists, the advice to be on the lookout for "devils" of accusation or opposition in the spiritual life is just as valid and valuable.
Somewhat connected to this last interpretation is the rooster's symbolic meaning of courage, for courage is precisely what is called for in the face of a threat. Anyone who has encountered a rooster in a barnyard will likely need little convincing of the courage of a rooster. Roosters are extremely territorial and, when threatened, will courageously defend themselves and their territory, if need be to the point of death. In the ancient world the rooster sometimes symbolized courage in battle.
Early Christians also saw the rooster as a symbol of resurrection, and the symbol was painted in the catacombs near the tombs of the martyrs. This meaning of resurrection likely came about because of the association of the rooster with vigilance for the sunrise, since Christians saw the risen sun (s-u-n) as a symbol of the risen Son (s-o-n) of God. The dawn symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, and likewise resurrection symbolizes the victory of life over death and of good over evil. As the prologue to John puts it, "…the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5)
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