O Sacred Virgin, known were they to thee,
His times and seasons. Forth He went from thee
To Jordan's stream by John baptised to be,
And thus fulfil all Justice; there, to be
With Power proclaimed the Son of God, was He.
Then were the Heavens first opened visibly,
And as a Dove the Holy Ghost saw He
Coming, descending on Him from on high:
When lo, the Voice Eternal, audibly
Gave utterance to thy Son's Divinity.
Oh, who, conceiving thus the verity
Of God-made-Flesh in Mary - seeing why
With His her life was joined (that all might be
The just accomplishment of God's decree)
Would doubt her presence at the Mystery?
Not in the flesh, but in her privacy
Where He had left her for the time, would she -
Who was in soul united utterly
To Him in all things - rapt in ecstasy,
The glory of her Son in vision see.
'Twould be her prayer, if prayer were needed, He
Would thus her soul enlighten: so that He
Would never for a moment sundered be
From her His chosen Help-mate; and that she
Co-ordinate with Him might ever be.
Retired in prayer - as she was wont to be
From childhood upwards - to the Father she
Would turn for consolation; ask to be
Found faithful; and in all, obediently
To suffer with her Son, unceasingly.
Thus would she His dear Footsteps follow; see
Him in the desert wand'ring. Thus would she
The Vision of Temptation share. Twould be
Dream-like, yet clear before her Soul; and she
The Foe would recognize - unshrinkingly.
- text taken from Mary: The Perfect Woman, by Emily Mary Shapcote