{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/213/2130242.htm","path":"chr/ecf/213/2130242.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/213/2130242.htm","text":"(Resp.\u2014Glory to all of Thee from all of us! (bis.)\n1. Who then that is mortal man, can declare concerning the All-Life giver,\u2014Who quitted the height of His Majesty, and abased Himself to humility?\u2014Thou Who exaltest all in Thy Birth, exalt my weak mind,\u2014to declare of Thy Birth; not that I should search out Thy Majesty,\u2014but that I should proclaim Thy grace.\nR., Blessed be He Who conceals and reveals in His discourses!\n2. It is a great marvel that the Son, dwelt wholly in a body;\u2014abode therein wholly and it sufficed for Him; dwelt therein though not bounded thereby.\u2014His Will was wholly therein; His bounds reached wholly to His Father.\u2014Who is sufficient to tell, how though He dwelt wholly in a body.\u2014He likewise dwelt wholly in all?\nR., Blessed is He Who though without bounds was bounded!\n3. Thy Majesty is concealed from us; Thy Grace is revealed before us.\u2014I will be silent, O Lord of Thy Majesty; and I will tell of Thy grace.\u2014Thy grace clove to Thee, and bowed Thee down to our vileness:\u2014Thy grace made Thee a babe; Thy grace made Thee man:\u2014it straitened, it enlarged, Thy Majesty.\nR., Blessed be the might that became little and became great!\n4. Glory to Him Who became lowly, though lofty He was by His nature!\u2014He became in His love the firstborn of Mary, Firstborn though He be of Godhead.\u2014He became in name the offspring of Joseph, offspring though He be of the Most High.\u2014p. 256 He became by His own Will man, God though He be by His Nature.\u2014Glorified be Thy Will and Thy Nature!\nR., Blessed be Thy Glory which put on our image!\n5. Yea, O Lord, Thy Birth, has become mother of all creatures; for it travailed anew and gave birth, to mankind which gave birth to Thee. Thou wast born of it bodily; it was born of Thee spiritually.\u2014All that Thou camest for to birth, was that man might be born in Thy likeness.\u2014Thy Birth became the author of birth to all.\nR., Blessed be He Who became a youth and to all gave youth!\n6. When man\u2019s hope had broken down, hope was increased by Thy Birth.\u2014Good tidings of hope they bore, the Heavenly Ones to men.\u2014Satan who cut off our hope, his own hope by his own hands had cut off.\u2014when he saw that hope was increased: Thy Birth became to the hopeless,\u2014a fountain teaming with hope.\nR., Blessed be He Who bore the tidings of hope!\n7. The day of Thy Birth is like Thee, for it is desired and loved as Thou.\u2014We who saw not Thy Birth, and its flame as in its own time,\u2014in this Thy day we see Thee, even as Thou wast a babe;\u2014beloved by all men, lo! in Thee the Churches rejoice;\u2014Thy day adorns and is adorned.\nR., Blessed be Thy day which was ordained for us!\n8. Thy day has given us a gift, to which the Father has none other like;\u2014It was not Seraphim He sent us, nor yet did Cherubim come down among us;\u2014there came not Watchers or Ministers, but the Firstborn to Whom they minister.\u2014Who can suffice to give thanks, that the Majesty which is beyond measure\u2014is laid in the lowly manger!\nR., Blessed be He Who gave us what He had won!\n9. That generation Thy Birth made glad, and our generation Thy day makes glad: twofold was the happiness of that generation, for they saw Thy Birth and also Thy day:\u2014less is the happiness of them that come after, for the day of Thy Birth they see only.\u2014Yet because they that then were, doubted, greater is the happiness of them that come after,\u2014who though they have not seen Thee have believed in Thee.\nR., Blessed be Thy happiness that is added to us!\n10. The Magi exalted from afar; the Scribes murmured near at hand;\u2014the prophet showed his message, and Herod his wrath;\u2014the scribes showed their doctrine, the Magi showed their offerings. It is a marvel that to Him, the Babe, they of His own house hasted with their swords, and they that were strangers with their offerings.\nR., Blessed be Thy Birth which has stirred up all!\n11. The bosom of Mary amazes me, that it sufficed for Thee, Lord, and embraced Thee.\u2014All creation were too small, to conceal Thy Majesty;\u2014Heaven and earth too narrow, to be in the likeness of wings, 506 to cover Thy Godhead.\u2014Too small for Thee was the bosom of earth; great enough for Thee was the bosom of Mary.\u2014He dwelt in the bosom and healed in her bosom.\n12. He was wrapped meanly in swaddling clothes, and offerings were offered Him.\u2014He put on garments in youth, and from them there came forth helps: He put on the waters of baptism, and from them there shone forth beams:\u2014He put on linen cloths in death, and in them were shown forth triumphs; with His humiliations, His exaltations.\nR., Blessed be He Who joined His Glory to His Passion!\n13. All these are the changes of raiment, which Mercy put off and put on,\u2014when He strove to put on Adam, the glory which he had put off.\u2014He was wrapped in swaddling-clothes as Adam with leaves; and clad in garments instead of skins.\u2014He was baptized for Adam\u2019s sin, and buried for Adam\u2019s death:\u2014He rose and raised Adam into Glory.\nR., Blessed be He Who came down and clothed him and went up!\np. 257 14. Though Thy Birth had sufficed, for Adam\u2019s sons as for Adam;\u2014O Mighty One Who didst become a babe, in Thy Birth anew hast Thou begotten me!\u2014O pure One Who wast baptized, let Thy Washing wash away our filth\u2014O Living One who wast buried, may we gain life in Thy death!\u2014I will praise all of Thee in Him that fills all.\nR., Glory to all of Thee from all of us!\nThe word used for \u201cbosom\u201d in this stanza, also means \u201cwing.\u201d","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Ser. II, Vol. XIII: Selec...","type":"page"}