Our Heavenly Father is depicted in the top portion of this center window, at the apex of its arch. God is pure Spirit, but man often needs to imagine Him in a form which we can more readily understand. Following a long artistic tradition, He is here represented as an old man, symbolic of His wisdom and His existence before all other things. Adhering to another artistic tradition, the Father's halo is triangular in shape, symbolic of the Trinity. He is sometimes portrayed wearing a multi-tiered crown, similar to the papal triregno. The rays of light streaming from Him may represent the Holy Spirit, Who is sometimes portrayed in this fashion (although a dove or tongues of fire are much more common representations). 

The Father looks down upon the Crucifixion of His Son, and has His arms outstretched in a position which is both giving and receiving. They are giving, for as the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The Sacrifice of Christ is unique... First it is a gift from God the Father... (Who) handed His Son over to sinners in order to reconcile us with Himself." At the same time they are receiving, because the Crucifixion "is the offering of the Son of God...(Who) offered His life to His Father through the Holy Spirit in reparation for our disobedience." 

The outstretched hands also remind us of the many other gifts the Father has given us. One only needs to read the Genesis account of Creation, or to think of our loved ones, or to simply look around to see these gifts. We also recall what He receives from man. He received the food offerings made by Jewish farmers {see Leviticus 2:1-15} and Melchisedek. On the annual Day of Atonement, He received the victims sacrificed by the Jewish high priests. In this window, He receives the Sacrifice of His Son, Who is both Priest and Victim. 

Each Sabbath day, the people and priests offered showbread and incense to God {see Leviticus 24:3}, and also poured wine as a libation {25:29}. At every Mass, after the gifts of bread and wine are placed on the Altar, the celebrating priest requests of the assembled faithful: "Pray, brethren, that our sacrifice may be acceptable to God, the Almighty Father." The People of God then pray, "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His Holy Church." 

In some old prayerbook engravings and art works, the Holy Spirit was portrayed as a young beardless man, standing next to the bearded figures of the Father and the Son. It is interesting to note that St. Martin's parish occasionally hosts a travelling icon of God the Father portrayed as a young man. This may be the image that some people need to have of our Father to symbolize that He is eternally vigorous and strong, that time does not diminish His power and majesty. This icon may also remind us that, despite its 2,000 years of sometimes turbulent existence, His Catholic Church is still strong and is ready for the New Evangelization that has been called for by Pope John Paul II, our Holy Father on Earth. 

- 19th century adaptation of an ancient Latin hymn