Sandro Botticelli’s Madonna della Melagrana (The Pomegranate Madonna), the 1490 masterpiece housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, depicts Our Blessed Mother in a particular pensive and concerned way.
The pomegranate represents, in almost complete certainty, the hearts of Mother and Son, the Most Sacred and the Immaculate Hearts, united in contemplation of the solemn fate of the Divine Child.
It is in our view a very appropriate depiction of Motherhood. In our current age of ever more vapid portrayals of fake happiness, all one sees in social media are smiles… and smiles are wonderful, especially when they are truthful. But parents know parenthood is more often than not also marked by loving care and the grave concerns that come with it.
To all Mothers who pray, and hope, and love, and weep for their children, in the most difficult job in the world, we wish a Happy, Healthy, and Blessed Mother’s Day!
