Stations of the Cross Series, Station #13, Saturday, April 8th by Fr. Ben Daghir & Luke Daghir

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One Thing, Jesus Christ.
Stations of the Cross Series, Station #13, Saturday, April 8th by Fr. Ben Daghir & Luke Daghir

Editor's Note: Fr. Ben Daghir and Luke Daghir will have 14 articles based upon the stations of the cross. The 14th article will conclude on Easter Sunday.  

Article:
The 13th Station: The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross. 

Have you ever seen Michelangelo’s “Pieta” statue? It depicts this 13th station from a unique perspective: the Virgin Mary is holding her Son. 

Mary once held her newborn baby in a manger in Bethlehem. Now, she holds His ragged, twisted, torn, bruised, and ravaged corpse. Put yourself in Michelangelo’s shoes for a moment - how would you artistically depict this scene? Would you depict it with blood and death? Or, would you eloquently and beautifully show that grace prevails?

Michelangelo depicts the Virgin Mary as a young woman which reflects her purity and motherly love. She is also depicted as being much larger than Jesus. Motherly love overwhelms the scene. 

Jesus’s small stature reflects the entire Gospel message. The path of Christ is the path of humility, lowliness, and nonviolence. There is no room for pride, only love. It also reminds us of the Philipian’s hymn which states, “Though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave” (Philipians 2:6-11). Jesus’s small stature also reminds us of Christ’s words to the disciples, “As you did it to one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:40).

Michelangelo artistically depicts these great theological truths through this brilliant depiction of Christ. 

Michelangelo’s portrayal of Jesus also reminds us of this Gospel passage, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus then called a child to Himself and set the child before them. He then said, “Unless you become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-3). 

Jesus’s small stature contrasts with our sinful selves. We often puff ourselves up with the sins of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. We often puff ourselves up by placing power, wealth, honor, and pleasure as first importance in our lives. Jesus said, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). The puffed up self [the sinful self] is not small enough to enter the kingdom of God. 

Michelangelo brilliantly depicts this 13th station of the cross. Mary’s exaggerated size reflects the power of grace and motherly love. Jesus’s small stature reflects his humble descent and the demands of the Gospel. Michelangelo’s contrast between Mary and Jesus reflects a remarkable truth: hell is no match for the purity of the Virgin and the humility of Christ. 

“We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you; because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.”

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Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie. He is a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School in Saint Marys, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. He considers writing one of his favorite hobbies.