Description St. Joseph bursts from the darkness, holding the Light of the World; the pillar, elevating and guiding us to Christ. He cradles the house of the Holy Family (the domestic life) in his arm, and stomps on the devil who snarls at our Lord, furious that he cannot further destroy the domestic church. Lilies of purity spring forth around Joseph, the symbol of his purity. One tradition recounts that his staff burst forth in blooms of lilies when placed before the Arc of the Covenant, signifying God’s choice of him as the husband of Mary. Joseph wears the brown of humility and poverty (and a symbol of carpentry), and is covered in green symbolizing his fidelity to God. On his head is the traditional Jewish prayer shawl. Jesus gazes directly into our eyes, He give a blessing with His right hand, with His arms spread wide in reference to his death on the Cross. In the same way it is also the symbol of an embrace as it is often said that Jesus’ arms were stretched out on the Cross in an embrace of humanity. Here, depicted as a child, the warm embrace of us comes to the forefront, but the Cross is never forgotten.
