Thursday, January 1, 2009

New Year, and a new header


I finally worked up the courage to add a header to the blog, and I love it. Hope you don't mind scrolling down a bit more.
Here is the story of this exceptional painting, by Andrea Mantegna at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, which depicts the Madonna and the Child Jesus with Down syndrome. The story is as beautiful as the painting which is on my desktop as a reminder of why I blog.
I have always been certain that Jesus has a special love for children like Christina, and I am sure He would appreciate being portrayed as one of our vulnerable little ones, the "least of these". They reflect Him so clearly in the world, yet, like Him, the world rejects them, aborting 90% of them.

All our children with Down syndrome are Christ figures, and we are like the Blessed Mother who cherish them, nurture them and see them hurt.

5 comments:

Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller said...

It is really beautiful, and in case anyone didn't know why you titled your blog Cause of our Joy, it makes it very clear!

EC Gefroh said...

Leticia, What a beautiful new header!! Happy New Year.

Jackie Parkes MJ said...

Love the new look!

Anonymous said...

Leticia,
Back when my older daughter was in 2nd grade, I noticed that the painting on her Spelling book from Seton (homestudy) looked to have angels with Down syndrome. It is "The Immaculate Conception" by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. I remember googling and read some information on someone's website about children with Down syndrome being models for paintings. I had wanted to research this more, but never got around to it. You can see The Immaculate Conception here:
http://www.catholictradition.org/Mary/gallery6.htm

I just love this painting.

Monica Crumley said...

Leticia, I love this image. Have you seen/read the book, Theology and Down Syndrome? It also has an image on the cover that looks like the infant Jesus has Ds.