Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: Our Lady Queen of Apostles Catholic Church

Studio Name: Willet Hauser Architectural Glass

City: Hamtramck

Window Shape: 3 (arched)

Date of Window: 1951

Subject/Title of Window: Scenes of Jesus Before the Start of His Ministry

Brief Description of Subject: This is the first of three windows located on the north wall of the transept. They picture scenes leading up to the birth of Jesus, the Nativity, and Jesus before his ministry, respectively.
 
Since Jesus before his ministry would have been with his parents, all five scenes pictured in this window include the Holy Family.
 
Starting from the top, the scenes in this window are in chronological order. All quotes from the NRSVCE Bible.
 
Scene 1: Circumcision of Jesus. Luke 2:21.
 
In Genesis 17, God in reaffirming his Covenant with Abram, changes Abram's name to Abraham, and for every generation to come, all males who are eight days old, must be circumcised.
 
"After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was in the womb."
 
Scene 2: Jesus Presented in the Temple. Luke 2:22 - 38
 
In Exodus, because God had the angel of death pass over the firstborn males of the Hebrews in their freedom from the Pharaoh, a ransom must be paid to God 40 days after birth for all future first born males. When his parents brought Jesus to the Temple to pay the ransom a man named Simeon, who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would live to see the Messiah, declared Jesus to be the promised Messiah. Traditionally in the illumination of this scene, the ransom payment is, as seen here, two doves.  
 
Scene 3: The Escape to Egypt. Matthew 2:13 - 14.
 
 
"Now after they [Magi] had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.' Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt."
 
Scene 4: The Boy Jesus In The Temple.Luke 2:46 - 47.
 
As required by Jewish law, the Holy Family had gone to Jerusalem for Passover. On their return home, they didn't realize Jesus had stayed behind, and they returned to Jerusalem to find him. "After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers."
 
Scene 5: The Boy Jesus Working In His Father's Workshop.
 
This subject is not found in scriptures, but is based on Joseph's occupation as mentioned in Matthew 13:54 - 55, "He [Jesus] came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, 'Where does this man get his wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary?"
 
In art, the boy Jesus working in his father's workshop has become a popular subject for portraying the Holy Family.
 
This window was donated in memory of Alexander Szok.

Inscriptions: In Memory of Aleksander Szok


Height: 17'

Width: 2'

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