XI
NAKEDNESS

You were wrapped in swaddling cloths
at birth. The shepherds came and You,
the Life, were lying on the bed of the manger
when the heavenly host proclaimed: “Glory to God           Luke 2:14.
in the highest”; but now, when you are naked
on the bed of the cross, you dazzle the Sun
which is extinguished by your splendor,
Moon of God, and the earth sympathizes
with your silence. Because in You is the Life           John 1:4.
which is the light of men, and when you died
they were in darkness; but your death
was a burning darkness; it was the darkness
of a blazing love, in which the light
of resurrection was shining. Your death was
the crown and the fulfillment of your
obedience, which let you become flesh.

“I am the handmaid of the Lord” your mother           Luke 1:38.
said submissively, “and let it be to me according
to your word”; and in response to her obedience
to the Father, the Word which is Life,
cast its light on all living beings
and wrapped its flesh in swaddling cloths.
 And when that Word faced death, it said:
“Not my will, but thine, be done!”;           Luke 22:42.
and when You were naked, oh Moon of Spirit,
the eternal darkness was unclothed.
Your naked body is the Word,           1 Peter 2:2.
pure spiritual milk without disguise,
since there can be none in a naked body.

You should not be ashamed to appear           Genesis 2:25; 3:10.
naked before your Father. Adam fled
from the Lord in fear when he realized
he was naked. In the mirror of his
nakedness he saw his transgression.
When their sin opened their eyes,           Genesis 3:7.
they saw their nakedness and made
aprons by sewing fig leaves together.
When God called, “Adam where are you,”
Adam was not able to hide his fear;
but we know how to hide it completely
behind your innocent nakedness. Its light           Romans 7:23-24.
removes the stain of our sin, which is
erased by its whiteness. You returned
naked to the Father, just as You left Him;
your movements are controlled by laws
of the spirit, and your body without stain
is the Life. You let the soldiers who put           Matthew 27:35.
you on the cross divide your garments:
they will wear your clothes, but not
your nakedness, which is our salvation.
And like a flower of nakedness
your thick Nazarene hair covers your
head like a crown! Put on
your nakedness, Lord, conqueror
of our death, and may the Life redeem
all that is still mortal within us!