Mother of Light and Immortality,
How didst thou reach the gate of Heaven, whereby
Salvation thou hast brought us. . .? Verily,
Twas by Obedience. Yes, alone to be
For God was thy self-chosen destiny.
Eternal Wisdom, from the Father He
Came forth One God, One Will, One Entity.
His Manhood so indwelt with Deity,
That in Him nothing could be found to be
At variance with that Sovereign Unity.
And Wisdom framed Himself a House; and He
Therein enclosed seven beauteous Shafts which He
O'erlaid with gold, and made them fair and free,
Secure from storm - O Virgin, thou wert she,
This Counterpart of His Humanity.
Thou wert the Rock-built House; and in it He
Found shelter and companionship with thee.
Himself the Image of the Father, He
Found the Reflection of Himself in thee,
Obedient unto death prepared to be.
Yet thou wert human only: not in thee
Was aught thine own of pure Divinity.
Yet must the work of sovereign Sympathy
With that Divine, dear Son ship, truly be
The free-will offering of thine entity.
What an Obedience - Woman though thou be -
To trample down susceptibility;
To supernaturalize Maternity;
The weakness of thy state to know, yet be
O'ertaken never by infirmity.
O tenderest of Women: thou to be
The Priestess at the Sacrifice? to be
Fit to endure unhesitatingly
What never woman dared? Oh, verily,
Obedience trained thy will - the Strength gave He.
- text taken from Mary: The Perfect Woman, by Emily Mary Shapcote