nal Word in the bosom of the
Father, the Beloved Son who looked in compassion upon the warring world
beneath; and offered Himself to the Father who gave Him through the
Energy of the Blessed Spirit.

Then it was a silent Maid that he saw waiting upon God, offering herself
with her lily beside her; and in answer on a sudden came the lightning of
Gabriel's appearing, and, lo! the Eternal Word stole upon her down a ray
of glory. And then at last he saw the dear Child born; and as he looked
he was invited to enter the stable; and again he put out his hand and
touched the coarse straw that lay in the manger, and fingered the rough
brown cord that hung from Mary's waist, and smelled the sweet breath of
the cattle, and the burning oil of Joseph's lantern hung against the
wall, and shivered as the night wind shrilled under the ill-fitting door
and awoke the tender Child.

Then he watched Him grow to boyhood, increasing in wisdom and stature,
Him who was uncreated Wisdom, and in whose Hands are the worlds--followed
Him, loving Him more at every step, to and from the well at Nazareth with
the pitcher on His head: saw Him with blistered hands and aching back in
the carpenter's shop; then at last went south with Him to Jordan;
listened with Him, hungering, to the jackals in the wilderness; rocked
with Him on the high Temple spire; stared with Him at the Empires of all
time, and refused them as a gift. Then he went with Him from miracle to
miracle, laughed with joy at the leper's new skin; wept in sorrow and joy
with the mother at Nain, and the two sisters at Bethany; knelt with Mary
and kissed His feet; went home with Matthew and Zaccheus, and sat at meat
with the merry sinners; and at last began to follow silent and amazed
with face set towards Jerusalem, up the long lonely road from Jericho.

Then, with love that almost burned his heart, he crouched at the moonlit
door outside and watched the Supper begin. Judas pushed by him,
muttering, and vanished in the shadows of the street. He heard the hush
fall as the Bread was broken and the Red Wine uplifted; and he hid his
face, for he dared not yet look with John upon a glory whose veils were
so thin. Then he followed the silent company through the overhung streets
to the Temple Courts, and down across the white bridge to the garden
door. Then, bolder, he drew near, left the eight and the three and knelt
close to the single Figure, who sobbed and trembled and sweated blood.
Then he