When I did study abroad in Europe back in Fall 1998, my good friend and roommate went on a weekend trip to Rome. I wasn't able to go, but she brought back a book of photos of only Michaelangelo's Pieta. The beauty and emotion of the piece moved me. It is still one of my favorite classical depictions of the Savior. In the LDS religion, we don't really spend a lot of time focusing on Mary. I have often thought that this is likely a reaction against the Catholic obsession and near deification of Mary. I guess I almost hope that it is, and not some inherent doctrinal overlook. As a mother, I can identify with Mary in many ways that I haven't quite arrived at with the Savior. Her own work in raising her son, her suffering and loss, her faith -- all of those seem so human and real. I'm not called to be a savior, but I am a mother. And I feel her grief.
2 comments:
I have always loved this piece. When I saw it at The Vatican it was a definite moment in my life.
Love this post. I do like the times when we talk about Mary. As you say that common bond of motherhood gives us a small look into what she must have gone through. Not sure how she survived it.
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