St. Joseph of Nazareth

Joseph carries a pair of doves, the offering of the poor, for the presentation of the Child in the Temple, seen in the background to the right. In the background to the left is pictured the cave at Bethlehem. Counter to traditional Byzantine iconography, Joseph is here shown as middle-aged rather than as an old man with white hair. Like any child, Jesus was guided and nourished by the love and example of his father. The Greek inscription in the upper corners reads, Ho Hágios Ioseph Ho Nazarenós, “Saint Joseph of Nazareth.” © Robert Lentz, www.trinitystores.com.