Alap
The Water said to Mary: “Peace
with you, mother of my Lord; blessed are you, mother of my Lord, and blessed is
the fruit in your womb” [Luke 1:28, 42].
Mary said: “Who
are you, sir? And what is the story you tell? What you say is strange to me,
and I am unable to understand its meaning.”
Beth
Watcher: “Blessed
of women, in you does the Most High wish to dwell. Fear not. In you has Grace
been pleased to pour out his mercies upon the world.”
Mary: “I
wish, sir, that you not insist I accept you without objection. What you say is
distant from me, and I cannot understand it.”
. . .
Dalath
Watcher: “It
is a wonder that you do not believe—that you would let go the trust that has
come to you, for the Begotten of the Most High rejoices to dwell in your womb.”
Mary: “I
am afraid to accept you, sir, for indeed my mother Eve, when she accepted the
snake who spoke to her as a friend, was deprived of glory” [Gen 3:1]
Heh
Watcher: “That
imposter deceived, my daughter, when he made her trust him. I am not like him,
however, for I have been sent by God.”
Mary: “This
story you tell me is contentious like that one—do not blame me—for in a virgin
has never been found a son, nor in a fruti, Divinity.”
. . .
Yodh
Watcher: “Today
hope has been revealed to Adam—that through you the Lord of all would be seen,
that he would descend, unbind, and free him. Accept these things and give thanks.”
Mary: “Today
I have been astonished and amazed in all the things that you have said to me,
but I am fearful of accepting you, for perhaps there is deceit in your word.”
Kap
Watcher: “When
I was sent to convince you, I heard this greeting, and came to you. My Lord is trustworthy,
and desires this: That from you he dawn upon the world.”
Mary: “All
your words amaze me—I am allowed, Lord, do not blame me. The story you speak to
me is hidden from me, and it frightens me to accept you.” (Narsai, “Memra 5: On
the Incarnation,” in Narsai: Selected Sermons [trans. Andrew Younan; The
Classics of Western Spirituality; Mahwah, N. H.: Paulist Press, 2024], 156-157,
158)
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