Then the angel said to her,
'Do not be afraid, Mary, for God has been gracious to you; you shall
conceive and bear a son, and you shall give him the name Jesus. He
will be great; he will bear the title 'Son of the Most High;' the
Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David, and he
will be king over Israel for ever; his reign shall never end."
-- The New English Bible
This year, the Canada Post Christmas stamps recall the history
of the December 25th tradition. Entitled Madonna and Child, this
issue celebrates the birth of Christ through illustrations of
stained glass windows depicting the Madonna and baby Jesus. The
design firm, Eskind Waddell, conducted a Canada-wide search for
glass works of the Madonna and Child. Those selected represent
different religious denominations and various regions within Canada.
In each image, the closeness between mother and child is conveyed,
giving the stamp a warm, human feel.