Oh brave men,

Where are you goin’?

Why are you leaving?

Why must you be taken away from us?

Sunrise is nearing,

Horses are neighing,

Smell of blood in the air,

Worried wives crying.

Spears on our left hand,

Shields on the right,

Helmet covering our brains,

With only one thing in mind, to fight

Hark! Where lies a foreign star,
Whose pull mere men cannot resist.
Away, away, the time has come,
Let us leave now with kingly gifts.

For many miles we travelled on,
The star our ever-guiding light.
Though even wise men can know fear,
There was no darkness in deepest night.

A blessed day, a divine day,
When holy Bethlehem came to view.
Though we be kings, we learned to kneel,
For one who God had chose to rule.

He lay in a stable as we approached,
With mother Mary looking on.
And as we came to journey’s end,
The angels played a heavenly song.

He kept the company of goats and lambs,
A king for all, the high and low.
But now for gifts, we pay our dues,
With frankincense, myrrh, and heavy gold.

And now the moment had arrived,
My crown came off, I fell to my knees.
And held the saviour of all mankind,
Through whose eyes our God does see.

Though blessed Mary bore some concern,
How could I ever mean to harm,
The king of men, the saviour of men,
Whose grace I now held in my arms.

We three Magi showed our respects,
And left with hearts so filled with love.
Though kings may try and kill the Lord,
We all will live with God above.

– Ryan Mellino

Alas, Is this really the end?

Betrayed by own men

Despite everything I have done, they have turned their backs to me

I know I mustn’t fail my father, I know I mustn’t flee

In the end this is the way I knew that it would go

I have done what I was meant to do but what more do I have to show?

Arms are spread apart and my legs are crossed together

Prepared to let go of this life and my spiritual tether

As I hang here in agony, my breath leaving rapidly

Father, oh father, why have you forsaken me?

With this very Body
I have fed thee,
Dearest Son of Mine.
On that merit
I beseech thee for pardoning.
Not toward me
But to those who have caused
My Dearest Child great Pains.

Ingrained in my chest is
a mark.
Mother, I have not forgotten
that pain, that suffering
bestowed upon me.
But have you forgotten why I suffer?
I suffer because I have loved.
There is no one whose soul
escapes the reaches for
redemption, the power of
my Father.

I send you, great child of Mine
A Dove, in lay the Holy Spirit.
My son I shall have mercy if
That is what you wish.

Ugolino da Siena (Ugolino di Nerio) ca. 1325–30

Fac ut portem Christi mortem

Amongst thirteen bright men,

sits one the darkest yet,

Though sat at thy right hand,

thy cross wilt he beget.

O! Thou dost know thy fate,

but yet sits quiet.

Announce thy betrayal

and awaken denial

How can thou look death in the eyes

and accept its kiss,

tell your companions to sit,

and never resist?

Should I be the receiver of such

I would not sit and wait

For there must have been some way

to avoid such a gruesome fate!