The sixth joy : The Finding of Jesus in the Temple 

This event is one of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary.  Joseph and Mary emerge from the darkness of their anxiety, framed in an archway.  They find Jesus at the centre of a group of elders, holding the scroll of the scriptures. Another boy of his age is also pictured there.

The dove in the centre window recalls the Holy Spirit at work in this event, and on the horizon through the window to the right we see three crosses– a recurring motif in O’Brien’s work. 

As we see this mystery through Joseph’s eyes we probably name his feeling as relief.  But there is also joy for a father to find a son or a daughter pushing beyond the boundaries of childhood towards the person they are destined to become in the Lord’s plan.

We join those whose Lough Derg prayers include their anxieties and their hopes for the coming generation, especially for those among them who seem a bit lost from time to time.

Let us pray with Pope Francis:

  Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,

Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To you God entrusted his only Son;

in you Mary placed her trust;

with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,

show yourself a father

and guide us in the path of life.

Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,

and defend us from every evil. Amen.

St Joseph, pray for us.