The Holy Family at Work

This is one of two main scenes at each side of the “St. Joseph Chapel” of the Basilica. Above this Holy Family scene is the punishment of Adam and Eve, with the Latin quote from Genesis 3:17: In laboribus comedes eam cunctis diebus vitae tuae, “In toils you shall eat of it [the cursed earth] all the days of your life.” The quote at the bottom is of Luke 2:51: et descendit cum eis Nazareth et erat subditus illis et mater eius conservabat omnia verba haec in corde suo, “and he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, and his mother kept all these words in her heart.” The ribbon the angels carry above Joseph quotes Psalm 104:21: Constituit eum dominum domus suae et principem omnis possessionis…, “He made him lord of his house and ruler over all his possessions.” The overall theme here is “The burdens and joys of work.”