Thus 'twas the Will of God that heresy,
E'en in the form of blind idolatry,
Should teach the future ages, how for thee
Thy worship was established. Verily,
Ne'er was the time thou couldst unhonoured be.
The Church with joy, herself saluteth thee
In name of all creation. 'Hail,' saith she,
'Hail, Virgin Pure, the Grape hath sprung from thee.
Hail, Gate of Heaven. Hail, joy of all - to be
The gladness of Apostles, praising thee.
'Oh, meet it is and right, that gratefully
Hymns should be sung with joy in praise of thee,
Yet cannot we extol thee worthily:
And therefore is it due, that silently
We praise the Mystery achieved in thee.
'Open to us, who humbly cry to thee,
Those arms immortal which have tenderly
Borne the Creator. Virgin, pray that He
Us from temptation may deliver. We
To Him look up, from sin to set us free.
'Oh, that thy dew, Beloved of God, might be
Poured out upon our nature plenteously
Its fires unholy to extinguish. See,
Thy light we need to kindle ours - to be
The earnest of our immortality.
* * *
'Thee, Temple unprofaned of Deity,
The Spotless Vase, the Sacred Ark, we see.
O Choice of God, all Strength is born of thee;
All Glory, which to poor humanity
Is needed to salvation, comes from thee.
'He whom thou clothedst supernaturally
With the dear Mantle of our Flesh, can be
Saviour of whom He will: and specially
Of those, who, for His Love and Worship, be
Found loving most, and learning most from thee.'
- text taken from Mary: The Perfect Woman, by Emily Mary Shapcote