JUBILEE 2000: ST. PETER'S BASILICA / by Joe Castorino

Reflecting on God’s grandeur, I marvel

At the beauty that surrounds me,

The statue of the Pietà vibrantly reflects

The sweet sublimity of God’s mercy;

The nave floats in the swirling, variegated,

Multi-colored waves of a marble ocean,

And massive pillars of magnificent marble

Stand at attention like the Swiss Guards.

As the doors silently open, the Holy Father’s

Vehicle slowly rolls down the aisle,

And in rushes a breeze of heavenly hope

That placidly fills the sails of our souls;

I stand on my chair and see the saint whose

Faith defeated the dreary dark night,

As he kisses a babe, love ripples through

The crowd and rhymes in our hearts.