He sits among the Doctors. Verily,
Consumes His Heart a Fire Divine, to be
About His Father's Business. Yet doth He
Thy heart behold, O Mother, drawing thee
With bands of love and mutual sympathy.
He notes thy coming footsteps tenderly:
Into thy face He looks, as wistfully,
Joy breaking through thy tears, with dignity
Unchanged and with authority;
Thou askest Him one word - the reason why?
Replies He; but, in words undoubtedly
Conveying to thy soul ineffably
A Light from others hidden, answers: 'Why
To find Me sought ye Me? Knew not ye
About My Father's Business I should be?'
The Work Divine unhesitatingly
He quits, obedient to her summons. She
The Word thus uttered ponders silently,
And treasures in her heart; while He
Leaves in her breast the unsolved mystery.
For why, O Mother, this docility
From Him who is thy Maker? Surely, He
Whose Will was thine from all eternity
Could every wish of thine prevent, yet be
In all Supreme which touched Divinity.
His Godhead was with His Humanity
So wondrously united, that to thee
Would seem obedience given of Deity:
Yet was the Human Will alone to be
The object of subjection unto thee.
And as in Time - so in Eternity:
In Time we learn each lesson that shall be
Eternally performed. Deeper the mystery
Than we can fathom; yet, perchance, we see
How Jesus rules through Dual-unity.
- text taken from Mary: The Perfect Woman, by Emily Mary Shapcote