Translation of Wonder
The Mysteries of the Rosary and Stations of the Cross in Verse
ISBN 9798274571227
ASIN B0G5M7NHCW
I forget how this volume came to be on my wish list. When I went to purchase it I realized I had previous picked up Called to Carmel, Called to Community: Reflections on the Carmelite Rule, Secular Constitutions, and Statutes, nearly a year ago but had not got around to reading it yet. When I picked up this one I also picked up another because the title caught my attention.
The description of this volume states:
“In Translation of Wonder, poet Tim Bete reflects on the life of Jesus through the Mysteries of the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross. Through 34 poems that encompass the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries, as well as the Stations, Bete presents a poetic journey from the Annunciation to the Crowning of Mary in Heaven. These poems are perfect as reflections while praying the Rosary or the Stations of the Cross, or can be read consecutively as a meditation on Jesus' entire life.”
About the author we are informed:
“Tim Bete is a Discalced Carmelite Secular and a member of the Community of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Beavercreek, Ohio, where he has served as a Formator, on Council, and as President. His writing has appeared in media outlets and anthologies, including Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart, Catholic Philly, Catholic Exchange, Integrated Catholic Life, Presence: A Journal of Catholic Poetry, Apostolate of the Little Flower magazine, and The Carmel Clarion. He served on the faculty at the Catholic Imagination Conference and appears on the Carmelite Conversations Podcast, which he also helps produce. Tim has published five books, including Called to Carmel, Called to Community; The Raw Stillness of Heaven; and Wanderings of an Ordinary Pilgrim.”
The chapters and sections of this volume are:
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Prologue
Joyful Mysteries
1st: The Annunciation
2nd: The Visitation
3rd: The Nativity
4th: The Presentation in the Temple
5th: The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple
Luminous Mysteries
1st: The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan
2nd: The Wedding at Cana
3rd: The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
4th: The Transfiguration
5th: The Institution of the Eucharist
Sorrowful Mysteries and Stations of the Cross
1st Sorrowful: The Agony in the Garden
2nd Sorrowful: The Scourging at the Pillar
3rd Sorrowful: The Crowning with Thorns
1st Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death
2nd Station and 4th Sorrowful: Jesus Carries the Cross
3rd Station: Jesus Falls for the First Time
4th Station: Jesus Meets His Mother
5th Station: Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
6th Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
7th Station: Jesus Falls for a Second Time
8th Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
9th Station: Jesus Falls a Third Time
10th Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
11th Station and 5th Sorrowful: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
12th Station and 5th Sorrowful: Jesus Dies on the Cross
13th Station: Jesus’ Body is Removed from the Cross
14th Station: Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
Glorious Mysteries
1st: The Resurrection
2nd: The Ascension
3rd: The Descent of the Holy Spirit
4th: The Assumption of Mary
5th: The Coronation of Mary
Epilogue
I highlighted a few passages and selected different stations and mysteries to share they are:
“This book includes 34 poems — 14 for the Stations of the Cross and 20 for the Mysteries of the Rosary. Two of the Stations overlap with the Mysteries (The Carrying of the Cross is Sorrowful Mystery #4 and Station #2; and The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus is Sorrowful Mystery #5 and Stations #11 and #12). I also included Prologue and Epilogue poems.”
“My two previous poetry books (The Raw Stillness of Heaven and Wanderings of an Ordinary Pilgrim) were written in free verse, without emphasizing rhyme or meter. The poems in this book rely heavily on both rhyme and meter, and each follows the same form, which I hope makes reading the poems in sequence easier and more enjoyable. The consistent format mimics the feeling of praying the Hail Mary repeatedly during the Rosary or singing the Stabat Mater at the end of each of the Stations of the Cross.”
“Another difference between the poems in this collection and my previous poetry is the purposeful lack of metaphor. Because my goal was to enter into Christ’s humanity and into specific moments of His life, I purposely minimized the use of metaphor to more clearly see and feel what Christ and those around Him experienced. It’s helpful to know that, in all the poems, “you” refers to Jesus.”
“THE SECOND SORROWFUL MYSTERY
The Scourging at the Pillar
The flagrum had six braided-leather thongs,
Equipped with sharp sheep bones and iron balls,
Designed to cut down deep with metal prongs,
And from the head to toe, the body maul.
Chained to a pillar, your torso exposed,
They flailed your shoulders, arms, back, legs, and neck,
Each stroke revealing blood, muscle, and bone,
Their goal was to ensure your body wrecked,
But more than that, with each hard stroke that clawed,
They seemed to want to sever Word from man,
As if their blows could disincarnate God
And put an end to your salvific plan.
You lay there in a growing pool of blood,
And prayed for them — the Word exuding love.”
“THE FIRST STATION OF THE CROSS
Jesus is Condemned to Death
Decision made; you were condemned to die,
They didn’t want to hear you preach again,
False witness filled with viciousness and lies,
By Pilate, Caiaphas, and other men.
They washed their hands and cleansed their minds of guilt,
Unwilling to admit their actions wrong,
It was your precious blood that would be spilt,
Encouraged by the angry, raging throng.
And, Peter, he denied he was your friend,
How did it feel to be rebuked, alone?
In silence, there was no one to defend,
The Son of Man, the Word of God, disowned.
Ignoring their own spite and hateful shame,
They claimed that the messiah was to blame.”
“THE THIRD STATION OF THE CROSS
Jesus Falls for the First Time
Your knee went out, like a slow-motion dream,
The cross above, you feared the ground below,
The upright slipped, and it began to lean,
You braced yourself, extending an elbow,
Your body spun around, you saw the sky,
Your back hit first, your wounds were filled with sand,
The cross was fast behind and amplified
The pain as it smashed down upon your hand,
Onlookers stepped away, giving wide berth,
A tangled heap of flesh and wood and dust,
You came from Heaven; now you fell to Earth,
An older man spat at you, in disgust.
“Pick up your cross,” the booming soldier’s cry,
There was no time to waste, so you could die.”
“THE FIFTH GLORIOUS MYSTERY
The Coronation of Mary
On Mary’s head, you placed a twelve-star crown
And sat her on a gem-encrusted throne
But did not think she’d spend time sitting down,
Your mother loved poor souls and not rare stones,
She was the Queen of Heaven, that was true,
But also Queen of Martyrs and of Peace,
She had so many people to tend to,
First she bore God, now graces she released.
Good Counsel, Wisdom’s Seat, Health of the Sick,
The Sinners’ Refuge, Queen of Patriarchs,
The Comforter of those who pain afflicts,
All were embraced by your dear mother’s heart,
Apostles’ Queen, and Queen of Families,
Queen of Mount Carmel, Fatima, and Lourdes,
Queen of all Saints, and the Star of the Sea,
She interceded and she pointed toward:
Her son, the Christ, our Lord — she points to you;
The Word of God, the King of Kings, God true.”
I hope the quote and sample mysteries and stations give you a feel for this volume. As mentioned it does not have the Stabat Mater or prayers with each station, or the mysteries but you can easily add them yourself. They poems flow well, and many are moving. I personally would have preferred if the stations and sorrowful mysteries were separated even if some of the poems were duplicated. Or if separate poems had been composed for the overlapped ones. But, even with that being said, this is a wonderful collection.
I enjoyed working through the 4 sets of mysteries and the stations. They Poems are well composed and many are deeply moving. Before I was even a third of the way done I picked up the remaining volumes that are currently available from Tim.
I really enjoyed this volume. It was well worth the read, and I will occasionally add the stations into my regular praying of that devotion. I try and pray a stations ever day during Lent and every Friday the rest of the year. If the stations was available as a standalone volume with all the prayers I would likely use it more often. But either way this is an excellent volume I can recommend. Almost any Catholic would benefit from these reflections on the 20 Mysteries and the 14 stations. So I encourage you to pick it up and give it a try.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! For all Stations of the Cross review click here. For all Poetry review click here.
Books by Tim Bete:
Called to Carmel, Called to Community: Reflections on the Carmelite Rule, Secular Constitutions, and Statutes
Catholic Poetry Volume 1 The Raw Stillness of Heaven
Catholic Poetry Volume 2 Wanderings of an Ordinary Pilgrim
In the Beginning . . . There Were No Diapers
Guide to Pirate Parenting: Why You Should Raise Your Kids As Pirates And 101 Ways To Do It
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