Fair Daughter of Divine Paternity;
Unstained Creation of the Trinity;
Rarest of flowers of our humanity;
Sweet Virgin Blossom of maternity;
Great Mother of our Hope - I worship thee.
Plunged through the Ævas of Eternity,
In the Conception of Divinity,
Lo, the great Love of God enfolded thee:
And Wisdom's Word-creative moulded thee,
A Fount perennial of His Grace to be.
Before all worlds created named He thee,
His chosen Mother from eternity;
As to a Daughter fond unceasingly
His perfect ways lay open unto thee;
And thine, reflecting His, played wondrously.
Eternal Wisdom stooped to counsel thee,
And thou wert one with Him, and He with thee
All was included in this Mystery:
Creation was subordinate to thee;
Thou wert His only One: He dwelt with thee.
Oh, wondrous union that was formed with thee;
Creator and the Creature joined in thee;
In God's eternal Present, thou wert she,
His Blessed Mother; through Eternity,
Past, present and for aye, He honours thee.
In His Conception truly wouldst thou be
Immaculate and lovely: it was He
Who gave His grand Conception birth in thee,
That thou of Eve the unfallen Child shouldst be
And her great Advocate - oh, Mystery.
The Father's Gift is thy Maternity:
His Wisdom all His Glory sheds on thee:
The Paraclete His Title shares with thee,
That thou the Daughter, Mother, Spouse, mayst be
'Twixt God and Man, a perfect Hierarchy.
- text taken from Mary: The Perfect Woman, by Emily Mary Shapcote