On the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh

That Your Resurrection might be believed among the gainsayers, they sealed You up within the sepulchre, and set guards; for it was for You that they sealed the sepulchre and set guards, O Son of the Living One!

When they had buried You, if they had neglected You and left You, and gone, there would have been room to lie [and say] that they did steal, O Quickener of all! When they craftily sealed Your sepulchre, they made Your Glory greater.

A type of You therefore was Daniel, and also Lazarus; one in the den, which the Gentiles sealed up, and one in the sepulchre, that the People opened. Lo! Their signs and their seals reproved them.

Their mouth had been open, if they had left Your sepulchre open. But they went away because they had shut Your sepulchre and sealed it, and closed up their own mouths. Yea they closed it, and when they had senselessly covered Your sepulchre, all the slanderers covered their own heads.

But in Your Resurrection You persuade them concerning Your Birth; since the womb was sealed, and the sepulchre closed up; being alike pure in the womb, and living in the sepulchre. The womb and the sepulchre being sealed were witnesses unto You.

The belly and hell cried aloud of Your Birth and Your Resurrection: The belly conceived You, which was sealed; hell brought You forth which was closed up. Not after nature did either the belly conceive You, or hell give You up!

Sealed was the sepulchre whereto they had entrusted You, that it might keep the dead [safe], Virgin was the womb which no man knew. Virgin womb and sealed sepulchre, like trumpets, proclaimed Him in the ears of a deaf people.

The sealed belly and the closed rock were among the accusers. For they slandered the Conception as being of the seed of man, and the Resurrection as being of the robbery of man; the seal and the signet convicted them, and pleaded that You were of Heaven.

The people stood between Your Birth and Your Resurrection. They slandered Your Birth, Your Death condemned them: they set aside Your Resurrection, Your Birth refuted them; they were two wrestlers that stopped the mouth that slandered.

For Elijah they went and searched the mountains: as they sought him on earth, they the more confirmed that he was taken up. Their searching bore witness that he was taken up, in that it found him not.

If then prophets that had had forewarning of Elijah's ascension, doubted as it were of his going up, how much more would impure men speak slander of the Son? By their own guards He convinced them that He was risen again.

To Your Mother, Lord, no man knew what name to give. Should he call her Virgin, her Child stood [there]; and married no man knew her to be! If then none comprehended Your Mother, who shall suffice for You?

For she was, alone, Your Mother; along with all, Your Sister. She was Your mother, she was Your Sister. She along with chaste women was Your betrothed. With everything You adorned Her, You ornament of Your Mother.

For she was Your Bride by nature ere You had come; she conceived You not by nature after You had come, O Holy One, and was a Virgin when she had brought You forth holily.

Mary gained in You, O Lord, the honours of all married women. She conceived [You] within her without marriage. There was milk in her breasts, not after the way of nature. You made the thirsty land suddenly a fountain of milk.

If she carried You, Your mighty look made her burden light; if she gave You to eat, it was because You were hungry; if she gave You to drink [it was], because You were thirsty; willingly if she embraced You, You, the coal of mercies, kept her bosom safe.

A wonder is Your Mother. The Lord entered her, and became a servant: the Word entered her, and became silent within her; thunder entered her, and His voice was still: the Shepherd of all entered her; He became a Lamb in her, and came forth bleating.

The Belly of Your Mother changed the order of things, O You that orders all! The rich went in, He came out poor: the High One went in, He came out lowly. Brightness went into her and clothed Himself, and came forth a despised form.

The Mighty went in, and clad Himself with fear from the Belly. He that gives food to all went in, and gat hunger. He that gives all to drink went in, and gat thirst. Naked and bare came forth from her the Clother of all.

The daughters of the Hebrews that cried in the Lamentations of Jeremiah, instead of lamentations of their Scriptures, used lulling-songs from their own books: a hidden Power within their words was prophesying.

Eve lifted up her eyes from Sheol and rejoiced in that day, because the Son of her daughter as a medicine of life came down to raise up the mother of His mother. Blessed Babe, that bruised the head of the Serpent that smote her!

She saw the type of You from the youth of Isaac the fair. For You Sarah, as seeing that types of you rested on his childhood, called him, saying, O child of my vows, in whom is hidden the Lord of vows.

Samson the Nazarite shadowed forth a type of Your working. He tore the lion, the image of death, whom You destroyed, and caused to go forth from his bitterness the sweetness of life for men.

Hannah also embraced Samuel; for Your righteousness was hidden in him who hewed in pieces Agag as [a type] of the wicked one. He wept over Saul, because Your goodness also was shadowed forth in him.

How meek are You! How mighty are You, O Child! Your judgment is mighty, Your love is sweet! Who can stand against You? Your Father is in Heaven, Your Mother is on earth; who shall declare You?

If a man should seek after Your Nature, it is hidden in Heaven in the mighty Bosom of the Godhead; and if a man seek after Your visible Body, it is laid down before their eyes in the lowly bosom of Mary.

The mind wanders between Your generations, O Rich One! Thick folds are upon Your Godhead. Who can sound Your depths, You great Sea that made itself little?

We come to see You as God, and, lo! You are a man: we come to see You as man, and there shines forth the Light of Your Godhead!

Who would believe that You are the Heir of David's Throne? A manger have You inherited out of [all] his beds, a cave has come down to You out of all his palaces. Instead of his chariots a common ass's colt, perchance, comes down to You.

How fearless are You, O Babe, that dost let all have you [to carry]: upon every one that meets with You do You smile: to every one that sees You, are You glad-some! Your love is as one that hungers after men.

You make no distinction between Your fathers and strangers, nor Your Mother and maidservants, nor her that suckled You and the unclean. Was it Your forwardness or Your love, O You that loves all?

What moves You that You let all that saw You have You, both rich and poor? You helped them that called You not. Whence came it that You hungered so for men?

How great was Your love, that if one rebuked You, You were not angry! If a man threatened You, You were not terrified! If one hissed at You, You did not feel vexed! You are above the laws of the avengers of injuries.

Moses was meek, and [yet] his zeal was harsh, for he struggled and slew. Elisha also, who restored a child to life, tore a multitude of children in pieces by bears. Who are You, O Child, whose love is greater than that of the Prophets?

The son of Hagar who was wild, kicked at Isaac. He bore it and was silent, and his mother was jealous. Are You the mystery of him, or is not he the type of You? Are you like Isaac, or is it not he that is like You?