Icon: Holy Family/Crombie 8” x 10.7”

ICON TITLE:                                   “The Holy Family of Nazareth”

ICONOGRAPHER:                        Kathleen Bordo Crombie        

ORIGINAL WRITTEN:                  2020

SYNOPSIS:                                                            

Joseph was the foster father of Jesus.  God the Father chose a God-fearing righteous man, and an immaculately conceived/sinless woman, to raise His Son and protect Him in His earthly home. Joseph was the head of the family in every way. He taught Jesus how to become a man, to be a good Jew, to observe Mosaic law, as well as the family trade of carpentry. Jesus and Mary trusted Joseph, just as God the Father trusted him with His beloved Son.  St. Joseph is a prominent figure in this icon in that his headship represents the fullness of the domestic church – the family.   

In this icon, St. Joseph stands intently behind Jesus and Mary.  His head bent slightly downward, symbolizes his deep love for and affection for his family. He is not looking directly at Jesus or Mary, but rather outwardly, as if overseeing all that surrounds them, standing guard against any evil that may be lurking.  His strong arm tenderly cradles the Christ child, while his hand stretches out further to guide and provide  a more firm support. It’s as if Joseph does not want Jesus and Mary to become separated while in his care. Joseph is fully human, symbolized by his greenish colored robe.  He wears a blue tunic to symbolize the Kingdom of God that he served in his role as foster father and husband – head of the family.  The Greek symbols at the upper left-hand corner identify him as St. Joseph.

Mary’s veiled head is profoundly bent and resting lightly on Joseph’s shoulder, symbolizing His supportive nature.  It also teaches us that Mary was most willing to receive his loving kindness and generous heart. Her eyes are tenderly focused and directed at Her Son, Jesus. She is not ignoring St. Joseph in any way. Together, they support the child both physically and spiritually.  In addition, Mary softly embraces the hand of Jesus, which symbolizes the love and connection between this mother and Son, whose two hearts beat as one.   Mary’s blue tunic symbolizes the Heavens, and in this case denotes the Heavenly nature of the Mother of Christ as Queen of Heaven.  Mary’s red robe symbolizes God’s promise of redemption – Christ’s voluntary death on the Cross for sinful mankind.  Gold represents the divinity of Her baby boy as the Son of God.  The two gold stars on Mary’s head and shoulder (there is an implied third star on the other shoulder that we cannot see), symbolize her perpetual virginity (before, during and after the birth of Christ).  The Greek symbols in the upper right corner identify Mary as Theotokos – the Christ-bearer. 

Jesus loves and respects His foster father, St. Joseph, but His eyes are fixed solely on His mother. His love for Her is deep and overflowing. As a young male in a male dominated society, He is not ashamed or afraid to show His feelings for His mother. Jesus rests His hand in Mary’s, and lifts His other arm to tenderly caress the face of the woman who said YES to becoming the Mother of the long-awaited Messiah.  In this very touching pose, Jesus appears confident and relaxed in the company of His loving parents. Jesus wears a white tunic symbolizing His purity and holiness as the one and only High Priest.  His goldish-brown robe symbolizes His human and divine natures. The cruciform halo indicates that this is, indeed, Jesus the Christ, the Savior of the world.  The Greek symbols IC XC in white, also identify the child as Jesus Christ. 

As a whole, this icon symbolizes the tremendous outpouring of love God has for His people and His Church. This is what a holy family should look like – PURE LOVE that is freely poured out for one another.     

8” x 10.5” Nelson Gifts