This November, Canada Post issued its new Christmas stamps. The first issue of Caruso's work produced in 2008, showed the Wise Men, last year the stamp depicted Baby Jesus and this year it’s the Madonna and Child. It is a beautiful image which should remind us about why we celebrate Christmas. It is also a perfect reason to get these stamps and send them to your friends and family as well as an opportunity to talk to your children about the stamp and its significance. If you have not seen the series of stamps, I encourage you to do so. They are truly beautiful and inspiring. The 2010 Madonna and Child visually makes the point that Christmas is a religious celebration. We celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour. It ought to remind us too that so much of our Canadian history, including the first European settlers to Canada, the French, the English, the Jesuits as well as that wonderful Huron Christmas song, the Huron Carol, is wrapped around this special time of the year.
One of the reasons Caruso originally sculpted the nativity scene was to be a display piece for his own house. Christmas for the Caruso family is very important chiefly because it reminds us of the gift of God-made-man. In addition, families get together, friends are visited, and Christmas mass including all the other wonderful church activities are attended. Christmas is part of the family tradition and who they are.
The Christmas crèche tradition was started in 1223 in Europe and popularized by St. Francis of Assisi. A few years ago Caruso had put his sculpted crèche as part of a Christmas exhibit at the Cathedral Church of St. James Church. Caruso’s pieces came to the attention of designer Joe Gault, who photographed and designed the background lighting, and the rest is history. (In fact, the World of the Creche is coming to Toronto next year on November 10-12, 2011. If you’re interested in going to this world event or want more information, you can visit the St. James
The statue itself is carved from lime wood. It measures 85 cm in height and weighs 15 Kg. Its title is Our Lady of the Night and was inspired by the idea of the baby Jesus sleeping in his mother's arms. Mary's tender embrace, as the child rests safely, reminds us how children feel protected by their mothers in the darkness of the night.
Canada Post issued the very first Christmas stamp in the world over 100 years ago on December 7, 1898. The tradition continues with this Madonna and Child. Antonio Caruso who lives and has an art studio in Maple, Ontario, is grateful that his art work has found its way on Canadian stamps. He also recognizes the significance of a Christmas stamp for the entire Christian community. His paintings and sculptures are found in private collections, museums, cathedrals and churches in North America and Europe.
With past images of the infant Jesus, the Wise Men and this year’s Madonna and Child millions of stamps will have been issued by Canada Post. Caruso says that he has been getting many requests for information from many people across Canada and also from different parts of the world. You can get the stamp at your local post office or by calling Canada Post. By using the stamp for our Christmas cards and other mail, we can help keep the true meaning of Christmas in our minds.
Canada Post describes the stamp this way, “The first images of the Madonna and Child are found in the catacombs of Rome, and the tradition of Madonna art flourished in Europe during the Renaissance. Inspired by this tradition, Canadian artists have produced spectacular representations of this sacred scene, many of which have been feature on Christmas stamps—traditional paintings (2006), wood icons (1988), and stained glass (1997), to name a few.”
We congratulate Antonio Caruso and we hope that all Canadians use the stamp on envelopes this Christmas season. It’s one way to keep in mind that we need to keep Christ in Christmas and throughout the year. We give credit to Canada Post for selecting and issuing this wonderful commemorative stamp of the Madonna and Child. Canada needs this positive message of love, of hope and of life during Christmas and everyday for the rest of the year.
by Lou iacobelli
Everyday For Life Canada: A Blog of Canadian Life, Family & Cultural Issues
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