A Painted Advent | With Smithsonian & Olympic Artist Ron DicianniExemplo

Holding Heaven

Any painting that involves Christ, at any age, is difficult. The urge to question what color his hair really was, or how big he might have been as a baby, is overwhelming. Ron Dicianni, in Holding Heaven, decided in this work to make the viewer feel a connection between Joseph and Jesus as they shared a silent moment on a starry night.

If we were to let our imagination run, we could think of many scenes of history that would fascinate & thrill us beyond words. None, however, would compare with the moment that earthly Father Joseph met Jesus, his baby, and his King. Is it impossible to fully appreciate the electricity running through Joseph’s veins when he held that little baby in his arms? Joseph knew who Jesus was. He was schooled in the history of the Messiah and the knowledge of the special meaning of His birth. We might imagine, that as similarly many Father’s hold their babies in their arms and whisper in their ear sweet nothings--and hopes for their future, that Joseph whispered in Jesus’ ear all that was to be accomplished through him and his incarnation.

How does one hold Heaven in their hands and not quake? Joseph looked into the eyes of eternity every night of his life. The stars must have been anticlimactic—the smell of a rose, humdrum. Imagine Joseph’s kiss on Jesus’ soft little cheeks, or a squeeze from Jesus’ tiny fingers. This infant’s fingers were the same fingers that fashioned mankind and flung the universe into existence. Somehow Joseph handled it all, and maybe one day we will all have the chance to sit down and hear Joseph tell us the story in person.