I place myself in the loving arms

Of Mother Mary

A woman who has known

Risk, love, and loss

I am her child as well

Nestled close enough

To smell the sweetness of her hair

To feel the warmth of her body

To hear her gentle breathing, in and out

Dear Mother, how afraid you must have been

Seeing the hatred directed toward your only son

Did your trust in God ever falter?

Did you want to offer yourself instead?

Even knowing you would be deemed an unworthy sacrifice

Compared to the Son of God

Did you want to throw yourself at Pilate’s feet

Begging for your son’s life?

Or did you know on a profound level

That sparing your son would deny the world

The resurrection and the light.