Tradition has it that Jesus’ body was placed in His mother’s arms after he was taken down from the Cross. This touching scene became the subject of artistic renderings around 1300, with the most famous of all being Michelangelo’s sculpture in white marble. The Pieta has been housed in St. Peter’s Basilica since the early 18^th Century.  Today’s For Reflection captures in verse what Michaelangelo’s sculpture captures in marble – a deepening insight into the mystery of Mary, Virgin and Mother, whose Son was her Savior and her God, and Whose suffering was mystically her own.

To Mary: At the Thirteenth Station

You are the priest tonight: The paten of your lap holds sacrifice. You are the priest tonight, Offering Peace and its price. Star candles burn palely bright; John is your faithful acolyte. You are the priest tonight.

                                                                  ---Raymond Roseliep          M. Thérèse. I Sing of a Maiden: The Mary Book of Verse.                                                         New York: Macmillan, 1947.

For Reflection:              How is this scene almost para- liturgical? Read Paragraphs, 783 and 1546 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in light of the poem.  Do you think the description of Mary as priest is an apt one? What deeper insights does this give you into the mystery of Mary, her union with her Son and His sacrifice, and the suffering they shared in common?