The Prayer of Adam of Saint-Victor on the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple

The Prayer of Adam of Saint-Victor on the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, the Light of the Nations “The sacred Day has come, the Day of our songs of joy, when our hearts are illuminated”: “The holy Day has come, the Day of our songs of joy, when our hearts are illuminated. Day of joyful splendor which brings back the Feast dedicated to the praises of the Mother of God. Let the voice raise its modulations, let the soul respond in its most intimate, and do not leave the hymn of praise sterile. May praise be sung to God, and may his august Mother be glorified in Him. Glorious in dignity, compassionate in charity, her Name inspires compunction. To the honor of the Mother she unites virginal modesty, resplendent at the summit of Heaven. A bush was once in flames, and its fires did not consume it, nor alter its green leaves. Thus under the lights of the Spirit, without any human contact, the Virgin gave birth to a God. She is the sealed Fountain, the enclosed Garden where the seeds of virtues happily prosper. She is the closed Door that, in a mysterious council, God kept closed to men. She is the Fleece which attracts the dew, the fertile Field from which exhales the perfume which perfumes all the regions of the earth. She is the Branch which produces the Flower, the Earth which germinates the Savior, for the salvation of the faithful. It is She who was called in figure, the Mountain, the Fortress, the Palace, the Temple, the Wedding Bed and the City. Thus, She alone sums up the sublimity of all the elected Names. His prayer triumphs over sin, his Name drives away sadness, his Perfume surpasses the aroma of the lily, his Lips sweetly prevail over honey. More delectable than wine, whiter than snow, pinker than the rose, brighter than the moon with the splendor of the true Sun. Empress of the heavens, Triumphant of the underworld, Sure way of Heaven, object of our faithful hope, we so far from You, draw us to You, and reunite us with the family of Your children. Good Mother whom we invoke, grant us what we desire, do not despise sinners, do not disdain Your clients; our sins worry us; but in You we trust: present us to your Son.” Amen