MDG's Coat of Arms - Visual Look
The Shield
One of the faith paradigms of YUPPEACE is about simplicity, which is also one of the four pillars of YUPPEACE spirit. To symbolize simplicity in the Coat of Arms of MDG (Mother of Divine Grace), I used a simple shape for the shield and the color white. A white ribbon envelopes the shield. This tells us simplicity in our daily lives. The white cross, on the other hand, tells us about the simplicity in expressing our faith. (White or silver is Argent in the lingo of the rules of heraldry.)
The color of the field is red, the house color of MDG. But for this particular color, I used darker red (almost like the color of the blood) to denote life, royalty, and nobility. (Red is Gules in the lingo of heraldry.)
The white (Argent) cross in the middle divides the shield into five fields -- the four quadrants and the cross itself. The cross, complemented by the royal red, represents Christ, His royalty or Kingship, and His nobility. Being white, it signifies light. The cross is at the center of the shield because being Christ-centered is one of the pillars of the YUPPEACE spirit. At the center of the cross is a circle, which symbolizes the Holy Eucharist. This tells us that being
Christ-centered is being (with no compromise) centered in the Holy Eucharist.
The charges (symbolic objects in the fields) in the four quadrant fields represent the ideals, goals, values, and attributes of the House of MDG.
Grace-full
MDG coined the word "grace-full" to describe MDG in one word for the reason that "graceful" or "gracious" means something else. What we wanted to express is being "full of grace". When YUPPEACE was formed, we believed that it is a gift from God. Truly, it is a gift - a divine grace; and, MDG being YUPPEACE, that grace encompasses us. Nevertheless, we don't see ourselves as the source of grace; but rather, as the
instruments of God's grace. And this we do through the various spiritual formations offered by YUPPEACE. For that matter, to symbolize "grace-full", we put the logo of YUPPEACE in our coat of arms.
To Serve and To Lead
In the second field of the shield, there is this one boat with three fishermen. This charge or object means "fishers of men". We believe that this illustration is a good example of visually interpreting the concept of servant-leadership.
When asked what MDG does best, our members replied to lead, to organize, to facilitate, etc. which all sum up to "to lead and to serve".
Goals of MDG
The three goals of MDG are
These goals are expressed in the third field of our coat of arms. The three buildings represent each goal. The windows symbolically present the value of witnessing (sharing Christ-centered life experiences, communicator of faith, hope, and love) to Christ's love. This is one of the ten faith paradigms of YUPPEACE.
Core Values
The four core values of MDG are
These core values are expressed in the fourth quadrant of the shield. The four hills and mountains represent each core value.
Another Story
We can see another story about the charges in MDG's coat of arms. The charges tell us the beginning of YUPPEACE. The "fishers of men" would remind us of the World Youth Day in Manila in January 1995. That's when YUPPEACE was born or when YUPPEACE was called. In Tagalog, this is our "pinagmulan" (birth). The three edifices in the next field represent the workforce. YUPPEACE targeted the working professionals in the business district. We can call this as "pinanggalingan" (source).
In the third quadrant, the mountains and hills are charges that can also be found in the Coat of Arms of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The church in front silhouettes the Church of St. John Bosco in Makati. This tells us of how we were formed by the Church through the Salesian spirituality. This is our "pinaghubogan" (formation). This is also our way of paying tribute to the Salesian community and to the
parish of St. John Bosco that has been our second home since the beginning.
Lastly, in the fourth quadrant, the emblem of YUPPEACE tells us that YUPPEACE is the fruit of this whole experience; and that in return, it has grown as a fruit-bearing tree of the Church transforming lives from woundedness to Christ-centeredness. We can call this as our "pinagbungahan" (fruit-bearer).
In a nutshell, the shield does not only tells us about MDG's grace, strengths, goals, and values; but, also of the beginning -- "pinagmulan, pinanggalingan, pinaghubogan, at pinagbungahan" -- of YUPPEACE.
For the history of the house's processing, you may visit "the Raft".
"So, here we are. Send us oh, Lord! We embrace the world." -- YUPPEACE
"So, here we are. Send us oh, Lord! We embrace the world." -- YUPPEACE
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