I will not be jealous, my Son, that You are with me and also with everyone. Be God to the one who confesses You, Lord to the one who serves You, and Brother to the one who loves You, so that You may give life to all.
While You dwelt in me, Your greatness dwelt both within me and outside me. When I gave birth to You openly, Your hidden power did not depart from me. You are within me and outside me, bewildering Your mother.
When I see Your outward image before my eyes, Your hidden image is pictured in my mind. In Your visible image I see Adam; in the hidden one I see Your Father, united with You.
Have You shown Your beauty in two images to me alone? Let bread portray You, and the mind as well. Dwell in the bread and in those who eat it; in hidden and visible ways may Your Church see You, just as Your mother does.
Whoever hates Your bread resembles the one who hates Your body. The one far away who loves Your bread and the one nearby who loves Your image are alike. In bread and body, both those of old and those who come later have seen You.
Is Your bread, Child, even more precious than Your body? Unbelievers saw Your body, but they do not see Your living bread. Those who were far away rejoiced; their portion surpassed that of those who were near.
See: Your image is portrayed in the blood of grapes upon the bread, and it is portrayed on the heart by the finger of love with the colors of faith. Blessed is He who, by the image of His Truth, made carved images pass away.
You are not merely an ordinary son of man for me to sing You an ordinary lullaby. Your conception is new and Your birth is a wonder. Without the Spirit, who could sing You a new utterance? Prophecy is burning within me.
How shall I call You a stranger to us, since You came from us? Shall I call You Son? Shall I call You Lord—you who gave Your mother another birth from within the waters?
For I am Your sister from the house of David, who is father of us both. Again I am Your mother because of Your conception, and I am Your betrothed because of Your holiness; I am handmaid and daughter through the blood and water by which You purchased and baptized me.
The Son of the Most High came and dwelt in me, and I became His mother. As I gave birth to Him, He too gave me birth in a second birth. He put on His mother's garment—His body—and I put on His glory.
Tamar, who was from the house of David, was shamed by Amnon, and virginity fell and was lost from them both. My pearl was not lost: it is stored in Your treasury, because You have clothed Yourself with it.
All the virgins who are betrothed to You are to be kept for You; they are purple robes, and no one has authority to approach them except our King. Virginity is like a veil for You, O High Priest.
From Tamar came the scent of her father-in-law, whose perfume she had taken; but from Joseph's betrothed not even his breath passed into her garments. She conceived the Cinnamon, and Your conception became a wall of fire for me, holy Son.
The little flower faded because the fragrance of the Lily of Glory was so strong. The treasury of perfumes had no need to place spices upon its blossom. Flesh withdrew when it perceived in the womb a conception from the Spirit.
A woman ministers before the man who is her head. Joseph therefore stood to minister before his Lord who was within Mary; like a priest he ministered before Your ark because of Your holiness.
Moses carried the stone tablets written by his Lord; Joseph carried about the pure Tablet in whom the Son of the Creator dwelt. The former tablets ceased when the world was filled with Your teaching.