Before Jesus

This poem comes from a book called Women's Uncommon Prayers (Morehouse Publishing, 2000). Wonderful, powerful, connection of the nativity to the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Posted by Rev. Pam Everhart

Before Jesus

Before Jesus
was his mother.

Before supper
in the upper room,
breakfast in the barn.

Before the Passover 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 be filled
with Love, for
this is my body,
this is my blood."
--The Reverend Dr. Alla Renee Bozarth