I continue to be fascinated by the symbolic message that lies in the life and death of Jesus Christ. In mourning and pain lies the redemption. In many ways, the lamentation is a new take on the ancient Jewish tradition at passover – to mourn the loss of freedom and celebrate redemption. An evolution to point to the true meaning of death and liberation.
Always thought it was interesting, that it was the women who got it…any thoughts why ?
Lamentation
Giotto Bondone
c 1306, Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Italy
The Living Room 
Beautiful reflections on these holy days Marille.
The message dramatizes the human condition on Earth, the conflict between the painful human play of destiny and the glory of redemption through Being. Pain melts into Being and surrender at the internal meeting, in the experience of the two movements, two realities.
Of course women. The mother. Woman is the epitome of the Yin principle in human form.
It doesn’t take to much imagination to visualize the human pain….the beautiful miraculous infant, the son, the man, prophet and messenger, epitome of God’s compassion and love on Earth, the apparently gruesome, inexplicable end of that form……on one side.
True knowing from having been recipients of that living teaching…on the other side…hence the halo’s and the peaceful, albeit, grieving expressions.
I happened to see an exhibition of religious paintings from the middle ages and was so impressed by the living understanding they seemed to convey, so beautiful—The Ascension of Mary was among them. At the time I wondered why there didn’t seem to be modern examples of such in representational art? Maybe there are.
Some thoughts.
Thank you for the contemplative moment.
Yes, I seem to be in particular drawn to Giotto. The clarity of early Renaissance, they still knew what this was all about…its so clear.
Thank you for your comments.
The women – that may be symbolic as well. maybe a greater capacity for taking on the pain and transcending it. This is what we do for humankind, taking on the pain and transcending it…