My mouth does not know how to call You, O Son of the Living One. If I dare call You Joseph’s son, I tremble, for You are not his seed; yet I fear to deny his name, since it is to him that I was betrothed.
Refrain: Praise to You, Son of the Most High, who took on our body.
Though You are the Son of One, how shall I call You the son of many? Countless names are not enough for You: You are Son of God, Son of Man, Son of Joseph, Son of David, and Lord of Mary.
Who has made the Lord of mouths to be without a mouth? Because of my pure conception of You, the wicked have slandered me. Be a defender for Your mother, O Holy One; show a wonder so that they may be convinced from whom I conceived You.
Because of You I am hated, O Lover of all; see, I am persecuted. I conceived and gave birth to one Refuge for humankind. Let Adam rejoice, for You are the key of Paradise.
See, the sea is raging against Your mother as it did against Jonah. See, Herod, a raging wave, seeks to drown the Lord of the seas. Where shall I flee? You teach me, O Lord of Your mother.
With You I will flee, that I may gain Life in You everywhere. With You a pit is no pit, for through You a person ascends to heaven; with You a grave is no grave, for You are the Resurrection.
A star of light, unlike anything in nature, suddenly shone. It was smaller than the sun and greater than the sun: smaller in visible light, but greater in hidden power because of its mystery.
The Star of the Dawn cast its rays amid the darkness and drew them like blind men. They came and received the great Light; they offered gifts and received Life, worshiped, and returned.
In the height and in the depth there were two heralds for the Son: the star of light proclaimed from above, and John proclaimed from below—two heralds, one heavenly and one earthly.
The one above revealed His nature as coming from Majesty; the one below revealed His nature as coming from humanity. Great wonder: both His divinity and His humanity were proclaimed through them.
Whoever thought Him merely earthly was rebuked by the star of light: He is heavenly. Whoever thought Him only spiritual was rebuked by John: He is also bodily.
In the holy Temple Simeon carried Him and praised Him: ‘You have come, O Merciful One; have mercy on my old age. Bring my bones in peace to Sheol. Through You I shall rise from the grave into Paradise.’
Anna embraced Him and placed her mouth upon His lips, and the Spirit rested upon her own lips. As with Isaiah, whose silent mouth was opened by the coal brought near his lips, so her mouth was opened.
Anna burned with the Spirit from His mouth and praised Him: ‘Son of the Kingdom, Son of lowliness, You hear and are silent; You see and conceal; You know and hide. God, Son of Man, glory to Your name!’
The barren women heard, ran, and came. The Magi came with their provisions and treasures; the barren women came with their provisions. Supplies and riches were suddenly heaped up in the house of the poor.
A barren woman cried out at what she had never expected: ‘Who has granted me to see your Child, O blessed one, by whom heaven and earth are filled? Blessed is your Fruit, who made a cluster grow upon a barren vine.’
Zechariah came with his mouth opened, shining and crying: ‘Where is the King for whose sake I begot the Voice who is to proclaim before Him? Peace to You, Son of the King! Even our priesthood is handed over to You.’
John approached with his parents and worshiped the Son, and splendor rested upon his face. He was not unmoved as he had been in the womb—great wonder: here he worshiped, while there he had leaped.
Herod too, that contemptible fox who strutted in a lion’s place, crouched like a fox and howled when he heard the roar of the Lion who had come to lie down upon his kingdom, as it is written.
The fox heard that the Lion was still a cub, a suckling, and sharpened his teeth. While He was still a Child, the fox plotted to choke the Lion before He grew strong; but the breath of His mouth would destroy him.
All creation became mouths and cried out about Him. The Magi cried through their offerings; the barren women cried with their children; and the star of light cried in the air: ‘See, the Son of the King!’
The heavens were opened, the waters rejoiced, the Dove was glorious, and the Father’s voice—greater than thunder—descended and said, ‘This is My Beloved.’ The Watchers proclaimed Him, and children cried out with their Hosannas.
These voices above and below proclaimed and cried aloud, yet Zion’s sleep was not broken by the sound of thunder. She took offense, rose up, and killed the Watcher because He had awakened her.
The Watcher rose from within the grave. He who had slept while still awake came and found the nations sleeping; He shouted and cried out and awakened them. The sleepers confessed the Watcher who made watchers upon the earth.