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"God saw that mankind worship things created: He put on a created body, that in our custom He might capture us. Lo! In this our form, He that formed us healed us; and in this created shape, our Creator gave us life. He drew us not by force: blessed be He Who came in ours, and joined us in His!
"He was servant on earth; He is Lord in Heaven. Heir of height and depth, He became a stranger: Whom men judged in guile, He is judge in truth: He whose face they spat on, breathes His Spirit on theirs: He Who held the frail reed, is become the staff of the world, which grows old and leans on Him.
"And as He began at birth, He went on and fulfilled in death. His Birth received worship; His Death paid the debt. As He came to His Birth, the Magi worshipped Him; again He came to His Passion, and the thief sought refuge in Him. Between His Birth and Death, midway He set the world: in birth and Death he gave it life."

-- from Hymn XIV on the Nativity by St. Ephrem the Syrian, 4th century

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