Nativity Hymn 11: The Virgin Mother to Her Child

I will not be jealous, my Son, that you are with me and also with everyone. Be God to the one who confesses you, be Lord to the one who serves you, and be a Brother to the one who loves you, so that you may win all! [a]

When you lived in me, you also lived outside me. And when I brought you forth openly, your hidden might did not leave me. You are within me, and you are outside me, you who fill your mother with amazement.

For when I see your outward form before my eyes, your hidden form is pictured in my mind, Holy One. In your visible form I see Adam, and in your hidden form I see your Father, who is joined with you.

Have you, then, shown your beauty in two forms to me alone? Let the Bread picture you, and the mind as well. Dwell also in the Bread and in those who eat it. In secret, and openly too, may your church see you, as your mother does. [b]

Whoever hates your Bread is like the one who hates your Body. The one far off who desires your Bread, and the one near at hand who loves your image, are alike. In the Bread and in the Body, the first and the last alike have seen you.

Yet your visible Bread is far more precious than your Body. For even unbelievers have seen your Body, but they have not seen your living Bread. Those who were far off rejoiced! Their portion utterly scorns the portion of those who are near.

See, your image is pictured on the Bread in the blood of the grapes. And it is pictured on the heart with the finger of love, in the colors of faith. Blessed is he who by the image of his truth made the carved idols pass away. [c]

You are not the Son of Man in such a way that I should sing you an ordinary lullaby. For your conception is new and your birth is marvelous. Without the Spirit, who will sing to you? A new murmur of prophecy burns within me.

How shall I call you a stranger to us, you who are from us? Should I call you Son? Should I call you Brother? Should I call you Husband? Should I call you Lord, Child who gave your mother a second birth from the waters? [d]

For I am your sister, of the house of David, the father of us both. Again, I am your mother because of your conception, and I am your bride because of your sanctification. I am your handmaid and your daughter, by the blood and water with which you have bought me and baptized me. [e]

The Son of the Most High came and lived in me, and I became his mother. And as I brought him forth by a second birth, so he brought me forth by the second birth. Because he put on his mother’s clothing, she clothed her body with his glory.

Tamar, who was of the house of David, Amnon put to shame, and virginity fell and perished from them both. My pearl is not lost; it is stored in your treasury, because you have put it on. [f]

The scent of her brother-in-law, whose perfume she had stolen, crept away from Tamar. But as for Joseph’s bride, not even his breath came from her clothing, since she conceived Cinnamon. Your conception was a wall of fire to me, holy Son. [g]

The little flower grew faint, because the fragrance of the Lily of Glory was great. The treasure house of spices had no need of a flower or its scents! The flesh stood aloof, because it perceived in the womb a conception from the Spirit. [h]

The woman serves before the man, because he is her head. Joseph rose to serve before his Lord, who was in Mary. The priest served before your ark because of your holiness. [i]

Moses carried the tablets of stone which the Lord wrote, and Joseph carried about the pure Tablet in whom the Son of the Creator was dwelling. The tablets came to an end, because the world was filled with your teaching.