Although worshiped with the Father
he was sent as a messenger;
he put on our garment, to be seen by us;
walked as a servant,
appeared as a healer,
became as a brother,
served as a slave,
spoke as a teacher,
listened as a student,
fought as a mighty man,
succumbed as a vanquished one;
he was sold as a vassal,
he freed as a lord,
he reproved as a judge,
he was condemned as a malefactor.

With the needy he was needy,
with the almsgivers he gave to the poor,
with the fasters fasting,
with the diners dining,
with the persecuted he was persecuted,
with the fighter he fought,
with those subject to the law keeping the law,
with God a rewarder of those who labour;
with the sons an heir,
with the Father a giver of inheritance,
with the supplicators entreating,
with the Father granting petitions,
with the envoys an emissary,
with the sinners a sacrificed lamb,
with the priests an atoning high priest,

with the departed slain,
with God raising the dead,
with the persecuted persecuted,
with God vindicating the persecuted;
with the reviled reviled,
with the wounded smitten,
with God healing,
with the sick as an invalid,
with the strong strong,
with the perfect perfect,
with the deprived as one deprived,
that he might perfect them;
with the redeemers as a redeemer,
with the imprisoned a prisoner,
so that when he was subjected to death
he might redeem the captives.

St. John the Solitary