Joseph joins Mary in adoring the new born Christ Child in a new Christmas-themed artwork from the Sacred Art Pilgrim Collection for the first Sunday in the Season of Advent. This tender image of the Holy Family in acrylic on canvas board is the work of Self-taught Alabama "Visionary" Artist Myrtice West, who believed she received a special calling from the Lord to paint in 1978. West considered her pieces to be visual sermons and often included passages from the Bible. The words encircling Joseph, Mary and the blond-haired(!) Baby Jesus are taken from the message of the angelic hosts to the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks, recorded in Luke 2:14. The sheep bring to mind not only these first visitors to the manger but also the identification of Christ as "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29, KJV)." This new Nativity scene joins other Christmas images in the gallery of the Myrtice West profile page in the Sacred Artists section. (John Kohan)