THE BROKEN FINGER OF ST. JOSEPH
Photographs by Stefan Hartwig
I helped Angela with a wedding a little while back. These are a few shots I couldn’t help but take for 3600. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the visuals associated with Catholicism.
joy
that broken finger does not belong to St. Joseph. I think you’ve probably got St Dominic there, from the white gown with black robe and the rosary hanging from his belt, and because he’s holding a book. St. Joseph is often depicted wearing a brown or green robe, workman’s colors, what you might find in Carhartt or Dickies now. he is often shown holding lilies to portray his purity, or holding the infant Jesus to show his adoptive father status. He would not be holding a book, he may or may not have been literate, but his reading or learning would have come through texts written on scrolls. St. Dominic, on the other hand, is widely regarded as a scholar; a reader, writer, preacher, teacher. It was he to whom the physical Rosary was given by a visitation of Our Blessed Mother in the 13th or 14th century, can’t remember the exact date at the moment. This gift was an affirmation of what had already become an oral tradition of recitation of the rosary prayers. Obviously rosary is related to the word Rose, the physical rosary is a bouquet of roses. So, since you have a soft spot for visuals, these things are as readable as a book if you know the vocabulary. I hope they get that guy’s finger fixed or someone is going to take him for a leper. There are still a few statue fixers out there, I know one personally. Your pics are nice. Blessings, Joy
Stefan
Hello Joy, thanks for writing. I obviously don’t know the vocabulary. Sorry.
I’ve been schooled. St. Dominic would be proud.