Before Jesus Was His Mother - Rev. Alla Renee Bozarth

Before supper

in the upper room,

breakfast in the barn.

Before the Passion Feast,

a feeding trough.

And here, the altar

of Earth, fair linens

of hay and seed.

Before His cry,

her cry.

Before His sweat of blood,

her bleeding

and tears.

Before His offering,

hers.

Before the breaking

of bread and death,

the breaking of her body

in birth.

Before the offering

of the cup,

the offering

of her breast.

Before His blood,

her blood.

And, by her body and blood,

alone, his body and blood

and whole human being.

The wise ones knelt

to hear the woman's word

in wonder.

Holding up her sacred child,

her God in the form of a babe,

she said "Receive and let 

your hearts be healed,

and your lives fulfilled 

with love, for

this is my body,

this is my blood."