Alleluia! Hail, Mother of God, you are full of grace. The Lord is with thee.

At the moment of his painful death, the son shivered and then was completely still. The Grail cup tipped over and the wine soaked into the hot sands. The sky filled with clouds preparing to cry out at the injustice of the human race. The Son is dead!

The mother, distraught at the sight of her son's death could be heard singing this song:

O, vos omnes, qui transitis per viam,
attendite et videte si est dolor similis,
sicut dolor meus!

All you that pass by this way,
Look and see if there
Is any sorrow like my sorrow!

Her tears fell heavily to earth and nurtured the small plants.

Dear Mother, rejoice for he is not here...he is gone! One must die in order to be reborn. Rejoice, for the change has come upon us all.

Watercolor and gold on paper. Copyright 2006 by Kelley Vandiver.