The Pietà depicts the grieving Mother of God. She holds her dead son on her lap. This image expresses suffering, pain, mourning, and sorrow. The word “Pietà” derives from the Latin word “vespera,” meaning evening. The religious representation of the Pietà is often associated with Evening Prayer (vespers). This is where the name of the image originates.
The Vesper image is also often referred to as a “Pietà”. This is an Italian word and stands for grace, compassion, pity, and loving reverence.
The Vesper image expresses the sorrowful Mother and her Son. The depiction aims to offer support to the bereaved, those affected, those seeking help, the suffering and the sick. Mary helps these people.
Through the vesper image, the well-known Marian hymn “Stabat Mater” becomes a reality. Fear, worry, misery, suffering, and pain grip Mary. Her heart is pierced with sorrow.
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