Son and His Mom

“Son and His Mom”
2003, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

It was my second Easter in Cambodia. I followed a Jesuit priest who was going to a small village to celebrate Holy Thursday Mass. The village was not far from the city. I got on one of the jeep trucks with our community members. While we were on the way there, one of them quietly told me that the village was a famous prostitution area.

There was a small parish in the centre of the village. It seemed to be more of a social club than a parish. I found the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus near the main door. It looked very old. Both hands of Jesus were missing although his arms were still intact, outstretched. I didn’t know why. But the surface was really glossy; it had been kissed and rubbed by many people. I asked myself, “What did they ask Him while they were touching Jesus?”

Jesus, standing in the middle of a prostitution village,
His mom, Mary, embracing her lovely Son,
and I, the one who living in their hearts.