Oil on Panel
For Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Joseph
by Ascension Press
Available for purchase here:
Have you ever beamed with joy? Have you ever had a time when you were so filled with happiness that it felt as if you were full of an uncontainable energy that radiated from you?
I have had experiences like that as a parent when I look at my children and marvel at the miracle of who they are and who they are becoming. Even now as my children are entering adulthood, they make my heart swell with pride, joy and love. That feeling motivates me to be a better parent and a more loving person to my neighbors.
I imagine Mary and Joseph may have had those moments of beaming joy as well. In this painting for Ascension Press, I imagined a moment where the Holy Family is just spending a moment together. Joseph holds Jesus and gazes into the his incarnate eyes. Mary reclines, relaxed and content, next to Joseph as she watches Joseph and Jesus bond. And Jesus reaches out to Joseph the way babies do—full of love, trust, and curiosity. The whole family is in a moment of beaming joy together—illustrated by the flood of light surrounding them.
Advent is over. The baby, Emmanuel, (which means "God with us") is here. Now is the time to bond with Him. Let us make time to get to know Him. Let us marvel at who Jesus was, is, and is becoming. May our time with Him swell our hearts with so much uncontainable joy and love that it radiates out to the world. May that love make us lights to the world with Him. May it make us shine.
Merry Christmas to you all.
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