Category: HYMNS

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Holy Name PRAYERS, HYMNS, JANUARY month of THE MOST HOLY NAME of JESUS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES for CHRIST, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, The HOLY FACE, The HOLY NAME

Our Morning Offering – 20 August – Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee!

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Our Morning Offering – 20 August – Pentecost XII – Within the Octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven

Jesu Dulcis Memoria
Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee!
By St Bernard (1090-1153)
Father and the Mellifluous Doctor of the Church

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.

No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus’ Name,
The Saviour of mankind.

O hope of every contrite heart!
O joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!

But what to those who find?
Ah! this nor tongue, nor pen, can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.

Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shall be;
In Thee be all our glory now
And through eternity.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, IMMACULATE HEART PRAYERS, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR

Our Morning Offering – 14 August – Look down, O Mother Mary!

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Our Morning Offering – 14 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”

Look Down, O Mother Mary!
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor
Transl, Fr Edmund Vaughan, CSSR in 1863

Look down, O Mother Mary!
From thy bright throne above;
Cast down upon thy children
One only glance of love.

And if a heart so tender
With pity flows not o’er,
Then turn away, O Mother!
And look on us no more.

See how, ungrateful sinners,
We stand before thy Son;
His loving heart upbraids us
The evil we have done.

But if thou wilt appease Him,
Speak for us—but one word;
Thou only canst obtain as
The pardon of our Lord.

O Mary, dearest Mother!
If thou wouldst have us live,
Say that we are thy children,
And Jesus will forgive.

Our sins make us unworthy
That title still to bear
But thou art still our Mother,
Then show a Mother’s care.

Open to us thy mantle,
There stay we without fear,
What evil can befall us
If, Mother, thou art near?

O sweetest, dearest Mother!
Thy sinful children save;
Look down on us with pity,
Who thy protection crave.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR

Our Morning Offering – 12 August – O Mother Blest

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Our Morning Offering – 12 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and Mary’s Day

O Mother Blest
By St Alphonsus Maira Liguori (1696-1787)
Most Zealous Doctor of the Church
Trans. Fr Edmund Vaughn C.SS.R. (1827 – 1908 )

O Mother blest, whom God bestows
On sinners and on just,
What joy, what hope thou givest those
Who in thy mercy trust.
Thou are clement, thou are chaste,
Mary thou art fair,
Of all mothers, sweetest best,
none with thee compare.

O heavenly Mother, mistress sweet!
it never yet was told
that suppliant sinner left thy feet,
unpitied, unconsoloed.
Thou are clement, thou are chaste, …

O Mother, pitiful and mild,
Cease not to pray for me;
For I do love thee as a child,
And sigh for love of thee.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …

Most powerful Mother, all men know
Thy Son denies thee nought;
Thou askest, wishest it, and lo!
His power thy will hath wrought.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste, …

O Mother blest, for me obtain,
Ungrateful though I be,
To love that God who first could deign
To show such love for me.
Thou art clement, thou art chaste,
Mary, thou art fair.
Of all mothers, sweetest, best,
None with thee compare.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SAINT of the DAY

Our Morning Offering – 10 August – Holy Deacon Martyr, St Lawrence!

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Our Morning Offering – 10 August – St Lawrence (Died 258) “Keeper of the Treasures of he Church,” Martyr, Archdeacon.

Holy Deacon Martyr, St Lawrence!
Unknown Author

Holy Deacon! by thy yearning
For the Martyr’s glorious crown;
By thy tortures, by thy burning,
By thy death of bright renown;
When the world and flesh and devil
Tempt our souls to sin and evil,
Dear Saint Lawrence, pray for us!

By the love that thou didst ever
To thy Pontiff-Father bear,
Pray that no base act may sever
Us from Peter’s loving care!
But when men would once more lead us
Into bonds from which Christ freed us,
Dear Saint Lawrence, pray for us!

By the Pontiff’s words of warning,
Bidding all thy sorrows cease,
Words foretelling bitter mourning
Leading unto lasting peace!
That to Jesus in our sadness
We may look for help and gladness,
Dear Saint Lawrence, pray for us!

By thy love, which knew no measure,
For the needy and the old,
Giving them the Church’s treasure
Dearer they than gems and gold!
Teaching us that alms well given
Are but treasures stored in Heaven,
Dear Saint Lawrence, pray for us!

By thy fervent love for Jesus,
By thy strong and constant faith,
Of our sinful burdens ease us!
Help us at the hour of death!
When the fears of death confound us
When the cleansing fires surround us!
Dear Saint Lawrence, pray for us!

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, The TRANSFIGURATION

Our Morning Offering – 6 August – An Image of that Heavenly Light

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Our Morning Offering – 6 August – The Feast of the Transgiuration of the Lord

An Image of that Heavenly Light
Sarum Breviary 15th Century
Office Hymn for the Feast of the Transfiguration

An image of that heavenly light,
The goal the Church keeps ay in sight,
Christ on the holy mount displays
Where He outshines the sun’s bright rays.

Let every age proclaimer be
How, on this day, the chosen three
With Moses and Elias heard
The Lord speak many a gracious word.

As witnesses to grace are nigh
Those twain, the Law and Prophecy
And to the Son, from out the cloud,
The Father’s record thunders loud.

With garments whiter than the snows,
And shining face, Lord Jesus shows
What glory for those saints shall be
Who joy in God with piety.

The vision and the mystery
Make faithful hearts beat quick and high,
So on this solemn day of days
The cry goes up of prayer and praise.

O God the Father, God the Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
Vouchsafe to bring us, by thy grace,
To see thy glory face to face.
Amen.

Words: Sarum Breviary, 15th Century
Trans Richard E Roberts (1874-1945), 1906
This Hymn is used for Vespers I
on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
in the Sarum Breviary.
This is the original text as it appears
in The English Hymnal (1906).

Posted in CATHOLIC TIME, DOCTORS of the Church, HYMNS, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PARTIAL Indulgence, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on GRACE, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 16 July – Glory Be to Jesus, Who in Bitter Pains By St Alphonsus

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Our Morning Offering – 16 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” – Pentecost VII

Glory Be to Jesus,
Who in Bitter Pains
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori 1696–1787) [Attrib]
Transl. Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878)
(An Indulgence of 100 days)

Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pain
Poured for me the life-Blood
From His sacred veins.

Grace and life eternal
In that Blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind.

Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream,
Which from endless torments
Dost the world redeem.

Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the Blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.

Oft as it is sprinkled
On our guilty hearts,
Satan in confusion
Terror-struck departs.

Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel-hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.

Lift ye then your voices;
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the Precious Blood.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

Our Morning Offering – 9 July – Deus, Creator Omnium, O God, Creator of Us All

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Our Morning Offering – 9 July – Pentecost VI

Deus, Creator Omnium
O God, Creator of Us All
St Ambrose (340-397)
Father and Doctor

O God, Creator of us all,
From Whom we come, to Whom we go,
You look with pity on our hearts,
The weakness of our wills You know.

Forgive us all the wrong we do
And purify each sinful soul.
What we have darkened, heal with light
And what we have destroyed, make whole.

The fast by law and prophets taught,
By You, O Christ, was sanctified.
Bless all our penance, give us strength,
To share the Cross on which You died.

O God of mercy, hear our prayer,
With Christ Your Son and Spirit blest,
Transcendent Trinity in Whom,
Created thing

This Hymn was used as the Hymn for Vespers I of Sunday (Saturday Evening) in the Sarum Breviary during the weeks following Epiphany. It is used in the Ambrosian Breviary for Vespers on Sundays and Weekdays in the weeks after Epiphany and Pentecost. This version translated by Stanbrook Abbey.

Posted in MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering

Our Morning Offering – 8 July – I’ll Sing a Hymn to Mary By Father John Wyse

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Our Morning Offering – 8 July – “The Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” and Mother Mary’s Day

I’ll Sing a Hymn to Mary
By Father John Wyse (1825-1898)
Irish Priest and Hymn writer

I’ll sing a hymn to Mary,
The Mother of my God,
The Virgin of all virgins,
Of David’s royal blood.
O teach me, Holy Mary,
A loving song to frame,
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
To love and bless thy name.

O Lily of the Valley,
O Mystic Rose, what tree,
Or flower, e’en the fairest,
Is half so fair as thee?
O let me, tho’ so lowly
Recite my Mother’s fame.
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

O noble Tower of David,
Of gold and ivory.
The ark of God’s own promise,
The gate of Heav’n to me.
To live and not to love thee
Would fill my soul with shame.
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

When troubles dark afflict me
In sorrow and in care,
Thy light doth ever guide me
O beauteous Morning Star.
Lo, I’ll be ever ready
Thy goodly help to claim,
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
To love and bless thy name.

The saints are high in glory,
With golden crowns so bright;
But brighter far is Mary,
Upon her throne of light.
Oh that which God did give thee,
Let mortal ne’er disclaim;
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

But in the crown of Mary,
There lies a wonderous gem,
As Queen of all the Angels,
Which Mary shares with them;
No sin hath e’er defiled thee,
So doth our faith proclaim;
When wicked men blaspheme thee,
I’ll love and bless thy name.

And now O Virgin Mary
My mother and my Queen,
I’ve sung thy praise so bless me,
And keep my heart from sin.
When others jeer and mock thee,
I’ll often think how I
To shield my Mother, Mary,
Would lay me down and die.

Verses 4, 5 and 6 omitted on image.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, St PAUL!, St PETER!

Our Morning Offering – 2 July – Apostolorum Passio

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Our Morning Offering – 2 July – The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles and Martyrs

Apostolorum Passio
By St Ambrose (c 340-397)
Father and Doctor of the Church

This happy day is sanctified
As Martyr’s glory we recall,
The cross bedewed with Peter’s blood,
The sword that won a crown for Paul.

The triumph of their Martyrdom
United these great souls in death,
Whose faith in Christ had crowned their lives
In service to their latest breath.

Saint Peter held the primacy,
Saint Paul would equal him in grace,
When once, as chosen instrument
The cause of Christ, he would embrace

Once, Simon, leaving Rome, turned back
To give, by death, full praise to God,
That by the cross he too should tread
The self-same path his Master trod.

Now Rome exults, as well she may
And strives to give devotion’s due
To one who sealed with his own blood
His work as Priest and Shepherd true.

And who can count the crowds that come
As loving children to her gate,
Where nations’ teacher, holy Paul
Once dwelt and gladly met his fate.

Grant us, O Lord, the final grace
Of sharing in their joy above,
That with such Princes we may praise
Your bounty and undying love.
Amen

Trans: The Benedictines of St Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, JULY - The MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, PRECIOUS BLOOD PRAYERS

Our Morning Offering – 1 July – Salvete Christi vulnera – Hail, Holy Wounds of Jesus, Hail!

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Our Morning Offering – 1 July – “The Feast and Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus”

Salvete Christi vulnera
Hail, Holy Wounds of Jesus, Hail!
Anonymous Latin Hymn, 17th Century

Hail, holy Wounds of Jesus, hail,
Sweet pledges of the saving Rood,
Whence flow the streams that never fail,
The purple streams of His dear Blood.

Brighter than brightest stars ye show,
Than sweetest rose your scent more rare,
No Indian gem may match Your glow,
No honey’s taste with Yours compare.

Portals ye are to that dear home
Wherein our wearied souls may hide,
Whereto no angry foe can come,
The Heart of Jesus crucified.

What countless stripes our Jesus bore,
All naked left in Pilate’s hall!
From His torn flesh flow red a shower
Did round His sacred person fall!

His beauteous brow, oh, shame and grief,
By the sharp thorny crown is riven;
Through hands and feet, without relief,
The cruel nails are rudely driven.

But when for our poor sakes He died,
A willing Priest by love subdued,
The soldier’s lance transfixed His side,
Forth flowed the Water and the Blood.

In full atonement of our guilt,
Careless of self, the Saviour trod—
E’en till His Heart’s best Blood was spilt—
The wine-press of the wrath of God.

Come, bathe you in the healing flood,
All ye who mourn, by sin opprest;
Your only hope is Jesus’ Blood,
His Sacred Heart your only rest.

All praise to Him, the Eternal Son,
At God’s right hand enthroned above,
Whose Blood our full redemption won,
Whose Spirit seals the gift of love.

Office Hymn at Lauds on the Feast of the Most Precious Blood. (The Hymn is also used for Lauds on the Friday after the Fourth Sunday in Lent, for the Office of the Instruments of the Passion.)
Translated by – Henry Nutcombe Oxenham (1829-1888) for whom I find little information.

Posted in FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, St PAUL!, St PETER!, The APOSTLES & EVANGELISTS

Our Morning Offering – 29 June – Decora Luce Aeternitatis, What Fairer Light

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Our Morning Offering – 29 June – Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

Decora Luce Aeternitatis
What Fairer Light
Attrib. to H Elphis (Died 493) Wife of Boethius c 477– 524)
Trans. Msgr Ronald Knox (1888–1957)

What fairer light is this
than time itself doth own,
The golden day with beams
more radiant brightening?
The Princes of God’s Church
this Feast day doth enthrone,
To sinners heavenward bound
their burden lightening.

One taught mankind its creed,
one guards the Heavenly Gate,
Founders of Rome,
they bind the world in loyalty;
One by the sword achieved,
one by the cross his fate;
With laurelled brows
they hold eternal royalty.

Rejoice, O Rome, this day;
thy walls they once did sign
With princely blood,
who now their glory share with thee.
What city’s vesture glows
with crimson deep as thine?
What beauty else has earth
that may compare with thee?

To God the Three in One eternal homage be,
All honour, all renown, all songs victorious,
Who rules both heaven and earth
by one divine decree,
To everlasting years
in empire glorious.
Amen

5th century Latin Hymn “Aurea Luce” attributed to H Elphis (Died 493), first wife of the Roman philosopher-poet Boethius (c475–c525). He would eventually be Martyred for his defence of the Faith against the Arian ruler: Theodoric.
Msgr Knox, a convert from Anglicanism, was a noted Scholar, Author, Hymnist and Translator, becoming the Secretary to St Pius X.
Under direction of his religious superiors, he re-translated the Latin Vulgate Bible into English from Hebrew and Greek sources.
What Fairer Light is set to the tune, Decora Lux by the English Catholic Composer, Samuel Webbe (1740–1816).

In 1632, in accord with changes called for by the Council of Trent, Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644) revised the original text of Aurea Luce and divided it into two new Hymns for Lauds and Vespers: Decora Lux and Beate Pastor Petre. In the Liturgy of the Hours, What Fairer Light is used on 29 June, the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul, Apostles. The above is the Older version.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH

Our Morning Offering – 28 June – Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ – The Angelus

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Our Morning Offering – 28 June – Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ / The institution of the Angelus on 28-29 June 1456 by Pope Callistus III.

Pope Innocent XI, after the victorius battle of Vienna in 1683, requested the whole Christian world to recite the Angelus for peace.
Let us renew this pious practice if we have become lax in our devotion and let us pray the Angelus, for the protection of the Church in our own times, from the many menaces, on all fronts, internally and exteriorly facing the Faith, the world and the whole existence of the Catholic Church.

The Angelus
6.00a.m. + 12.00Noon + 6.00p.m.

V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee;
Blessed art thou among women
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, etc.

V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, etc.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord,
Thy grace into our hearts
that we to whom the Incarnation
of Christ Thy Son was made known
by the message of an Angel,
may by His Passion and Cross
be brought to the glory of His Resurrection.
Through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, St JOHN the BAPTIST

Our Morning Offering – 24 June – Præcursor Altus – The Great Forerunner of the Morn

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Our Morning Offering – 24 June –The Nativity of St John the Baptist

Præcursor Altus Luminis
The Great Forerunner of the Morn
By St Bede the Venerable,(673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

The great forerunner of the Morn,
The herald of the Word, is born
And faithful hearts shall never fail
With thanks and prais, his light to hail.

With heavenly message Gabriel came,
That John should be that herald’s name.
And with prophetic utterance told
His actions great and manifold.

John, still unborn, yet gave aright
His witness to the coming Light;
And Christ, the Sun of all the earth,
Fulfilled that witness at His Birth.

Of women-born shall never be
A greater prophet than was he,
Whose mighty deeds exalt his fame
To greater than a prophet’s name.

But why should mortal accents raise
The hymn of John the Baptist’s praise?
Of whom, or ere his course was run,
Thus spake the Father to the Son:

Behold My herald, who shall go
Before Thy Face Thy way to show,
And shine, as with the day-star’s gleam,
Before Thine Own eternal Beam.

All praise to God the Father be,
All praise, Eternal Son, to Thee,
Whom with the Spirit we adore,
For ever and forevermore.
Amen

Trans. J M Neale (1818-1866)

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, HYMNS, JUNE-THE SACRED HEART, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, SACRED HEART PRAYERS

Our Morning Offering – 23 June – Auctor Beate SæculiJesu, Jesu, Creator of the World!

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Our Morning Offering – 23 June – “The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” and the Octave Day of the Sacred Heart

Auctor Beate Sæculi
Jesu, Creator of the World!
Unknown Author

Jesu, Creator of the world!
Of all mankind Redeemer blest!
True God of God in whom we see
The Father’s Image clear expressed!

Thee Saviour, love alone constrained
To make our mortal flesh Thine own;
And as a second Adam come,
For the first Adam to atone.

That selfsame Love that made the sky,
Which made the sea and stars and earth,
Took pity on our misery,
And broke the bondage of our birth.

O Jesu! in Thy Heart Divine
May that same Love forever flow,
Forever mercy to mankind
From that exhaustless Fountain flow.

For this Thy Sacred Heart was pierced,
And both with blood and water ran;
To cleanse us from the stains of guilt,
And be the hope and strength of man.

Jesu! to Thee be glory giv’n,
Who from the Heart dost grace outpour,
With Father and with Holy Ghost,
Through endless ages evermore.

Trans. The Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK slightly adapted from  Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878) original translation
Music: PUER NOBIS, LM; adapted by Michael Praetorius, (1571-1621).
This particular Vespers Hymn is taken from the Feast of the Sacred Heart. In a Seminary or Monastery, this hymn would be sung. It has a very compelling melody, which adds to the beauty of a Hymn which extolls the mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The theme of the entire piece is Our Lord’s Sacred Heart and how It is the Fount of Mercy for all who come to Him. It tells how we should value the Infinite Redemption He wrought for us.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The ASCENSION of the LORD

Our Morning Offering – 25 May – The Octave Day of the Ascension – Sing We Triumphant Hymns of Praise By St Bede

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Our Morning Offering – 25 May – The Octave Day of the Ascension

Sing We Triumphant Hymns of Praise
By St Bede the Venerable (673-735)
Father and Doctor of the Church

Sing we triumphant hymns of praise,
New hymns to Heaven exulting raise.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ, by a road before untrod,
Ascendeth to the Throne of God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
The holy apostolic band
Upon the Mount of Olives stand,
Alleluia, alleluia.
And with the Virgin Mother see
Jesu’s resplendent Majesty.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

To whom the Angels, drawing nigh,
“Why stand and gaze upon the sky?”
Alleluia, alleluia.
“This is the Saviour!” thus they say,
“This is His noble triumph day!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

“Again ye shall behold Him, so
As ye today have seen Him go.”
Alleluia, alleluia.
In glorious pomp ascending high,
“Up to the portals of the sky.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

O grant us thitherward to tend,
And with unwearied hearts ascend,
Alleluia, alleluia.
Toward Thy Kingdom’s Throne, where Thou,
As is our faith, art seated now.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Be Thou our Joy and Strong Defence,
Who art our Future Recompense.
Alleluia, alleluia.
So shall the Light that springs from Thee
Be ours through all eternity.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

O Risen Christ, aAcended Lord,
All praise to Thee, let earth accord,
Alleluia, alleluia.
Who art, while endless ages run,
With Father and with Spirit One.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The ASCENSION of the LORD

Our Morning Offering – 23 May – Æterna Cæli Gloria, Eternal Glory of Heaven By St Ambrose

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Our Morning Offering – 23 May – Within the Octave of Ascension

Æterna Cæli Gloria
Eternal Glory of Heaven
By St Ambrose (340–397)
Father and Doctor of the Churh
Trans. John Mason Neale, (1818-1866)

Eternal glory of the sky,
Blest hope of frail humanity,
The Father’s Sole-begotten One,
Yet born a spotless Virgin’s Son!

Uplift us with Thine arm of might,
And let our hearts rise pure and bright
And, ardent in God’s praises, pay
The thanks we owe Him everyday.

The Day-star’s rays are glittering clear
And tell that day itself is near:
The shadows of the night depart;
Thou, holy Light, illume the heart!

Within our senses ever dwell,
And worldly darkness thence expel;
Long as the days of life endure,
Preserve our souls devout and pure.

The faith that first must be possessed,
Root deep within our inmost breast;
And joyous hope in second place,
Then charity, Thy greatest grace.

All laud to God the Father be,
All praise, eternal Son, to Thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To God the Holy Paraclete.

Posted in HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, The ASCENSION of the LORD

Our Morning Offering – 22 May – Our Hearts are Filled with Joy Today

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Our Morning Offering – 22 May – Within the Octave of Ascension

Our Hearts are Filled with Joy Today
The Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK

Greeting the dawn of this great feast
Our hearts are filled with joy today,
When we recall how Christ our God
Ascended to His realms of light.

Winner forever in the strife
Against the prince of death and sin,
Glory of all creation’s hope,
Before the Father’s face He stands.

Brightest of clouds hid Him from sight,
But pledge remained of life to come,
Since Paradise can now be ours
Which our first parents lost by sin.

Greatest of joys mankind can claim,
That He whom holy Mary bore,
Reigns at His Father’s side in pow’r,
His Cross and bitter Passion past.

Saving Avenger of our race,
To Him our grateful hearts we raise;
In His immortal deity
Our mortal nature dwells on high.

We have a lasting cause for joy,
Which all the saints and angels share;
Theirs is the bliss of seeing Him,
And we still know that He is near.

Jesus, in splendour bright enthroned,
Keep all our hearts at rest in You,
Sending Your Spirit down to us,
To teach the Father’s love for all.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, Ven Servant of God John A Hardon

Our Morning Offering – 21 May – St Robert Bellarmine’s Hymn to Mary the Virgin

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Our Morning Offering – 21 May – “The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

St Robert Bellarmine’s Hymn to Mary the Virgin:
Among St Robert’s extant writing, there is a short poem of twenty stanzas which he composed in the nature of a Litany to the Blessed Virgin. The text was first published in Italian some fifty years ago and to the best of the writer’s knowledge, has never been translated into English. Each verse-line begins with the name “Virgin,” joined to a title and petition to Our Lady, starting with the letter “A” and going down the Italian alphabet to “V.” Thus the first seven verses begin with the invocation: “Vergine adorna … Vergine Bella …Vergine casta … Vergine degna … Vergine eletta … Vergine felice … Vergine gradita …”

A translation to this tribute to the Virgin Mother reads as follows: – Servant of God Fr John A Hardon SJ (1914-2000).

Hymn to Mary the Virgin
By St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621)
Doctor of the Church.

Virgin adored and clothed with the sun,
grant me thine aid.
Virgin most beautiful, mystical rose,
take abode in my heart.
Virgin most chaste, all undefiled,
grant me true peace.
Virgin deserving of all honour and praise,
give me thy love.
Virgin elect and full of all grace,
lead me to God.
Virgin most blessed, star of the sea,
dispel the storms besetting me.
Virgin most virtuous, holy and sweet,
show me the way.
Virgin illustrious, with thy burning light,
enlighten thou my mind.
Virgin more precious than jewels or gold,
make reparation for me.
Virgin most worthy of all praise,
mother, daughter and immaculate spouse.
Virgin and Mother,
make me more pleasing to Jesus thy Son.
Virgin most innocent of any stain or fault,
make me more worthy of God.
Virgin enriched with every gift and grace,
obtain the remission of my sins.
Virgin most pure, grant me to enjoy
the bliss of heavenly love.
Virgin, thou lily among thorns,
I pray thee for the grace of a happy death.
Virgin more rare than the rarest dream,
bring joy to my heart.
Virgin so great, there is none like thee on earth,
bring peace to my soul.
Virgin most true, loving Mother too, Virgin Mary.
Amen.

Posted in "Follow Me", CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The ASCENSION of the LORD, The HOLY FACE, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR

Our Morning Offering – 18 May – O Jesus, Redeemer of Mankind! By St Ambrose

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Our Morning Offering – 18 May – The Ascension of the Lord

O Jesus, Redeemer of Mankind!
By St Ambrose (340-397)
Great Father & Doctor

O Jesus, Redeemer of mankind,
joy of our hearts, Creator of the world redeemed
and chaste Light of them who love Thee.

What mercy was it that led Thee
to take upon Thee our sins?
and suffer death, O Innocent Victim
that Thou might free us from death?

Thou broke the gates of hell
and the chains of them who were bound.
A Conqueror, with noblest triumph,
Thou now sittest at the Right Hand of the Father.

May Thy clemency lead Thee to repair our losses.
Oh! give us to see Thy Face
and enrich us with Thy blessed Light.

Be Thou our Guide and Path to Heaven;
be Thou the object of our hearts desire;
be Thou the joy of our tears
and the sweet recompense of a life spent for Thee!
Amen

Posted in FATHERS of the Church, Gerard MANLEY HOPKINS SJ, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MAY - The Blessed Virgin MARY'S MONTH, PRAYERS of the SAINTS

It’s 1 May, The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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It’s 1 May
Let us Rejoice in our Mother Mary!
The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary

“Bright Mother of our Maker, Hail!
Thou Virgin ever blest,
the Ocean’s Star by which we sail
and gain the port of rest!”
(Anonymous 8th Century Latin Hymn)

The May Magnificat
By Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

May is Mary’s month and I
Muse at that and wonder why:
Her feasts follow reason,
Dated due to season-

Candlemas, Lady Day:
But the Lady Month, May,
Why fasten that upon her,
With a feasting in her honour?
Ask of her, the mighty Mother:
Her reply puts this other
Question: What is Spring?
Growth in everything-
All things rising, all things sizing
Mary sees, sympathising
With that world of good,
Nature’s motherhood.

Well but there was more than this:
Spring’s universal bliss
Much, had much to say
To offering Mary May.

Visits to the Altar of Our Lady
On the Love of Mary for Her Children
(Imprimatur, 1867)

Mary loves us because we are her children. A loving and tender Mother is never wearied by the importunities of her little ones and Mary, who is the most loving and tender of all mothers, will never weary of hearing and answering our petitions.
The one great thing that she desires, for all her children is that they should become like her Son Jesus. He is the only Child who never disobeyed her or grieved her.
It is for His love that she loves us.
How great must be His love for us, when He inspires Mary with such a love! The best return we can make Him is to have a perfect trust and confidence in His Blessed Mother.
Those who are not devout to Mary cannot really understand the great Mystery of the Incarnation and do not love Jesus as they should – for, if they loved Him, they would love His Mother too, even a tiny bit as much as He loves her.

Let us try, then, during this Month of May, to become more like Jesus.
Let us consider what spiritual grace we need most, in order to attain this great end and let us ask it with confidence everyday.
Let us also try to induce others, to honour Mary, by special devotion to her during this most beautiful month.

Let Me Love Your Jesus
By St Ildephonsus (c 607-670)

Virgin Mary, hear my prayer,
through the Holy Spirit,
you became the Mother of Jesus,
from the Holy Spirit,
may I too have Jesus.
Through the Holy Spirit,
your flesh conceived Jesus,
through the same Spirit,
may my soul receive Jesus.
Through the Holy Spirit,
you were able to know Jesus,
to possess Jesus
and to bring Him into the world.
Through the Holy Spirit,
may I too come to know your Jesus.
Imbued with the Spirit, Mary, you could say
“I am the handmaid of the Lord,
be it done unto me according to your word,”
in the Holy Spirit, lowly as I am,
let me proclaim the great truths about Jesus.
In the Spirit, you now adore Jesus as Lord
and look on Him as Son,
in the same Spirit, Mary,
let me love your Jesus.
Amen

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, Hail MARY!, JESUIT SJ, MARIAN Antiphons, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on SUFFERING, The FAITHFUL on PILGRIMAGE

Quote/s of the Day – 27 April – St Peter Canisius

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Quote/s of the Day – 27 April – St Peter Canisius (1521-1597) Confessor, Doctor of the Church

This 16th Century Saint, known as the second Apostle of Germany, followed in the giant footsteps of St Boniface, who evangelised Germany a thousand years earlier. He was also active at the Council of Trent and wrote much on the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The first half of the Hail Mary, of course, comes from Scripture.
What many Catholics do not know, is that the second half of this Catholic prayer is due to the intervention of St Peter Canisius at the Council of Trent. St Peter began adding onto the scriptural part of the Hail Mary the second half of this familiar prayer:
“Holy Mary Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now, and at the hour of our death.”
It was the Fathers of Trent who officially accepted this addition and included it in their famous Catechism of the Council of Trent in 1566.

“For the sake of obtaining that eternal life,
no works of piety,
ought to seem too difficult to a true believer,
no toil too heavy,
no pain too bitter,
no time spent in labour and suffering,
too long or too wearisome.
For, if nothing is sweeter, or more desirable,
than this present life which is so full of calamities,
how much more desirable,
must that other life be deemed
which is so far removed from all sense of evil,
or fear of it, which will, in every conceivable way,
always abound in the unspeakable
and unending joys, delight and happiness of Heaven.”

MORE QUOTES:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/27/quote-s-of-the-day-27-april-st-peter-canisius/

St Peter Canisius SJ (1521-1597)
Confessor, Doctor of the Church

Posted in "Follow Me", FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, QUOTES on EVANGELISATION

Our Morning Offering – 25 April – Behold the Messengers of Christ

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Our Morning Offering – 25 April – Feast of St Mark Evangelist

Behold the Messengers of Christ
By Fr Jean-Baptiste Santeul (1630-1697)
Priest, Monk, Hymnist, Poet, Writer

Behold the Messengers of Christ,
Who sow in every place,
The unveiled Mysteries of God,
The Gospel of His Grace.

The things through mists and shadows dim
By holy prophets seen,
In the full Light of Day, they saw
With not a cloud between.

What Christ, true Man, Divinely wrought,
What God in Manhood bore,
They wrote, as God inspired, in words
Which live forevermore.

Although in space and time apart,
One Spirit ruled them all
And in their Sacred pages still
We hear that Spirit’s Call.

To God, the blessèd Three in One,
Be glory, praise and might,
Who called us from the shades of death
To His Own glorious Light.
Amen.

Trans. Compilers of Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861.
This Hymn was used for Vespers I & II and Nocturns on the Feasts of St Mark and St Luke in the Paris Breviary (1736). Cardinal Newman’s Hymni Ecclesiae has it listed for the same hours, as the Common of Evangelists in the Paris Breviary (presumably a later edition).
Tune: “Tiverton“ Rev J Grigg, c1791.

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, CHRIST the LIGHT, CHRIST, the WAY,TRUTH,LIFE, EASTER, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, Quotes on SALVATION, The LAMB of GOD, The MOST HOLY REDEEMER, Our SAVIOUR, The RESURRECTION

Our Morning Offering – 16 April – At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing

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Our Morning Offering – 16 April – Low Sunday, The Octave Day of Easter – “The Month of the Resurrection”

At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing
By Robert Campbell (1814-1868)
Scottish Catholic Convert, Hymnist

At the Lamb’s high feast we sing
Praise to our victorious King,
Who hath washed us in the tide
Flowing from His pierced side.
Praise we Him, Whose love Divine,
Gives His Sacred Blood for wine,
Gives His Body for the feast,
Christ the Victim, Christ the Priest.

Where the Paschal Blood is poured,
Death’s dark Angel sheathes his sword
Israel’s hosts triumphant go
Through the wave that drowns the foe.
Praise we Christ, Whose Blood was shed,
Paschal Victim, paschal Bread.
With sincerity and love
Eat we manna from above.

Mighty Victim from the sky!
Hell’s fierce powers beneath Thee lie;
Thou hast conquer’d in the fight,
Thou hast brought us Life and Light.
Now no more can death appal,
Now no more the grave enthral.
Thou hast opened paradise,
And in Thee Thy saints shall rise.

Easter triumph, Easter joy,
Sin alone can this destroy;
From sin’s power do Thou set free
Souls new-born, O Lord, in Thee.
Hymns of glory and of praise,
Risen Lord, to Thee we raise.
Holy Father, praise to Thee,
With the Spirit, ever be.

Posted in APRIL -MONTH of the RESURRECTION and the BLESSED SACAMENT, EASTER, HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, The RESURRECTION

Our Morning Offering – 11 April – He is Risen, Tell the Story

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Our Morning Offering – 11 April – Easter Monday and “The Month of the Resurrection”

He is Risen, Tell the Story
By Father Willard F Janusch (1930-2018)

He is risen, tell the story
to the nations of the night;
from their sin and from their blindness,
let them walk in Easter light.
Now begins a new creation,
now has come our true salvation.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

Mary goes to tell the others
of the wonders she has seen;
John and Peter come a’running
what can all this truly mean?
O Rabboni, Master holy,
to appear to one so lowly!
Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

He has cut down death and evil,
He has conquered all despair;
He has lifted from our shoulders,
all the weight of anxious care.
Risen Brother, now before you,
we will worship and adore You.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

Now get busy, bring the message,
so that all may come to know
there is hope for saint and sinner,
for our God has loved us so.
Ev’ry church bell is a’ringing,
ev’ry Christian now is singing.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

A Parish Priest, Seminary Professor and prolific Musician and Hymnist, Fr Willard wa Ordained in 1956 and died at the age of 88 in 2018.

Posted in HOLY SATURDAY, HOLY WEEK, HYMNS, MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN Saturdays, Our MORNING Offering, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 8 April – Holy Saturday – O Come And Mourn With Me Awhile

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Our Morning Offering – 8 April – Holy Saturday

O Come And Mourn With Me Awhile
By Fr Frederick William Faber CO (1814-1863)
(This is the full, original text from an 1852 edition
of Fr Faber’s H ymnal “Jesus and Mary”)

O come and mourn with me awhile,
O come ye to the Saviour’s side,
O come, together let us mourn,
Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!

Have we no tears to shed for Him,
While soldiers scoff and foes deride?
Ah! Look how patiently He hangs,
Jesus, our Lord, is Crucified!

How fast His Hands and Feet are nailed,
His blessed Tongue with thirst is tied,
His failing Eyes are blind with blood,
Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!

His Mother cannot reach His Face;
She stands in helplessness beside.
Her heart is Martyred with her Son’s;
Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!

Seven times He spoke, seven words of love
And all three hours His silence cried
For mercy, on the souls of men.
Jesus, our Lord, is Crucified!

What was Thy crime, my dearest Lord?
By earth, by heaven, Thou hast been tried,
And guilty found of too much love.
Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!

Found guilty of excess of love,
It was Thine own sweet Will that tied
Thee tighter far than helpless nails;
Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!

Death came and Jesus meekly bowed;
His failing Eyes He strove to guide
With mindful love to Mary’s face;
Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!

O break, O break, hard heart of mine!
Thy weak self-love and guilty pride,
His Pilate and His Judas were!
Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!

Come, take thy stand beneath the Cross,
And let the Blood from out that Side
Fall gently on thee, drop by drop;
Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!

A broken heart, a fount of tears,
Ask and they will not be denied.
A broken heart, love’s cradle is,
Jesus, our Love, is Crucified!

O Love of God! O sin of man!
In this dread act, your strength is tried
And victory remains with love,
Jesus, our Lord, is Crucified!

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, HOLY WEEK, HYMNS, MAUNDY THURSDAY, Our MORNING Offering, The LAMB of GOD, The PASSION

Our Morning Offering – 6 April – Man of Sorrows—Wrapt in Grief

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Our Morning Offering – 6 April – Maundy Thursday in Holy Week

Man of Sorrows—Wrapt in Grief
From an old French Hymn
Author Unknown

Man of Sorrows—wrapt in grief,
Bow Thine ear to our relief;
Thou for us the path hast trod
Of the dreadful wrath of God.
Thou the cup of fire hast drain’d
Till its light alone remain’d:
Lamb of Love!—we look to Thee,
Hear our mournful litany!

By the garden—fraught with woe,
Whither Thou full oft wouldst go:
By Thine Agony of prayer
In the desolation there!
By the chains of sleep, which bound
Watchers in their trance profound;
Lord!—behold our bended knee,—
Listen to our litany!

By the conflict foul and fell
With the loosen’d fiends of hell,
By the darkness of the hour
Shadow’d with the tempter’s power,
By the dire and deep distress
Of that mystery fathomless;—
Lord! our tears in mercy see
Mingling with our litany!

By the vision then, which stole
Looming o’er Thy spotless soul,
Of the pride and guilt of man,
Since his fall from grace began,—
Seas of sin, with billowy waves,
Yawning into countless graves;—
Lord! ourselves from shipwreck free,
Hear our solemn litany!

By the Chalice, when it came
Pregnant with a hell of flame:
By those Lips—which fain would pray
That it might but pass away:
By the Heart, which drank it dry,
Lest a rebel race should die;—
Let Thy Pity be our plea,
Hear our solemn litany!

Man of Sorrows! —let Thy grief
Purchase for us our relief—
Lord of Mercy—bow Thine ear,
Slow to anger—swift to hear:
Let the garden Thou hast trod
Draw us to the throne of God;
So Gethsemane shall be
Sweet in every litany!

This translation by Matthew Bridges (1800-1894)
(The Passion of Jesus 1852) Hymnist, Poet, Writer
Converted to Catholicism in 1848, by the influence of
John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
Tune: “Anima Christi (English)” traditional English melody.

Posted in GOOD FRIDAY, HOLY WEEK, HYMNS, POETRY, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The PASSION

Saint of the Day – 2 April – Blessed Arnulf of Leuven O.Cist. (c1200-1276) Abbot

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Saint of the Day – 2 April – Blessed Arnulf of Leuven O.Cist. (c1200-1276) Abbot of the Cistercian Abbey in Villers-la-Ville, Poet, Writer. After serving in this office for ten years, he abdicated, hoping to pursue a life devoted to study and asceticism but he died within a year thereafter. Born in c1200 in Leuven, Belgium and died in 1276 the Abbey at Villers-la-Ville, Brabant (Holland) of natural causes. Also known as – Arnulf, Arnulf of Louvain, Arnulf of Lovanium, Arnolf of Löwen, Arnulf of Villers, Arnulfus Lovaniensis, Arnolfo, Arnoul.

We have scant information on his life and his antecedents. All we have is the knowledge of his work as a Monk.

He compiled the first volume of the Annals of the Villers Abbey (1146–1240). However, his primary significance is as a poet. His “Excerptum Speculi Caritatis” (An excerpt from The Mirror of Charity) is a verse adaptation of the “Summa Causum” (The Sum of the Cause?) of St Raymond of Peñafort.

Arnulf is also the author of the “Membra Jesu Nostri,” a cycle of seven Poems, each a meditation on one of the Wounds of the Crucified Christ.

In the 17th Century, a German translation was written, which became “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” in English.

This Poem/Hymn was incorrectly ascribed to St Bernard of Clairvaux, for they are consistent with his style and his devotion. However, “the external proof for this ascription is so slight as to be negligible” (Hurlbut, VII, 18).

The “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” did appear in St Bernard’s collected works,but only two hundred years after his death. When the Monasteries were suppressed in the French Revolution, all of the relevant manuscripts disappeared. The only surviving manuscript, dated 1320, bears Arnulf’s name (Arnulfus de louan).

The words of the Hymn remind us, not only of the depth of Christ’s love but also how much He suffers because of our sins.

Membra Jesu Nostri
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
By Blessed Arnulf of Leuven O.Cist. (c1200-1276)

O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory,
what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered,
was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine, was the transgression
but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Saviour!
’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favour,
vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee,
Thou noble Countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee
and flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish,
with sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy Visage languish
that once was bright as morn!

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished,
their colour once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished
the splendour that was there.
Grim death, with cruel rigour,
hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigour,
Thy strength in this sad strife.

My burden in Thy Passion,
Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression
which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee,
wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee;
Redeemer, spurn me not!

What language shall I borrow
to thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever
and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never,
outlive my love to Thee.

My Shepherd, now receive me;
my Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me,
O Source of gifts Divine.
Thy Lips have often fed me
with words of Truth and Love;
Thy Spirit oft hath led me
to Heavenly joys above.

Here I will stand beside Thee,
from Thee I will not part;
O Saviour, do not chide me!
When breaks Thy loving Heart,
When soul and body languish
in death’s cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish,
Thee in mine arms I’ll clasp.

The joy can never be spoken,
above all joys beside,
When in Thy Body broken
I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of Life, desiring
Thy Glory now to see,
Beside Thy Cross expiring,
I’d breathe my soul to Thee.

My Saviour, be Thou near me
when death is at my door;
Then let Thy Presence cheer me,
forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish,
oh, leave me not alone
But take away mine anguish
by virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my consolation,
my shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy Passion
when my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee,
upon Thy Cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfolds Thee.
Who dieth thus dies well!

Posted in MARIAN HYMNS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MATER DOLOROSA - Mother of SORROWS, SEPTEMBER-The SEVEN SORROWS of MARY and The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION

Quote of the Day – 31 March – STABAT MATER

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Quote of the Day – 31 March – Friday in Passion Week, the Fifth Friday in Lent, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows – Judith 13:22, 25, John 19:25-27 – – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

STABAT MATER

At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blest,
Of the sole begotten One!
Christ above in torment hangs.
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,
Whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ’s dear Mother to behold?
Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother’s pain untold?

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender Child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
For the sins of His own nation,
Saw Him hang in desolation
Till His spirit forth He sent.

O thou Mother: fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with thine accord.
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ my Lord.

Holy Mother, pierce me through;
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.
Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all my sins was slain,
Who for me in torment died.

Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.
By the Cross with thee to stay;
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.

Virgin of all virgins best,
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share thy grief divine.
Let me to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of thine.

Wounded with His every wound,
Steep my soul till it hath swooned
In His very blood away.
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In His awful Judgment day.

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
Be Thy Mother my defense,
Be Thy Cross my victory.
While my body here decays,
May my soul Thy goodness praise,
Safe in Paradise with Thee.
Amen

Note: This text of the Stabat Mater is one of over 60 translations of this famous 13th Century Latin Hymn/Prayer.
The Author is uncertain but is believed to be either St Jacopone da Todi OFM (1230-1306) or Pope Innocent III (1161-1216)[reigned from from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216].
The title comes from its first line, “Stabat Mater dolorosa” – which means “the sorrowful mother was standing.”
It is often used when praying the Stations of the Cross.
The original Latin text of the Stabat Mater has also been set to music by such composers as Haydn, Rossini, and Poulenc.

Posted in HYMNS, MARCH the month of ST JOSEPH, Our MORNING Offering, PAPAL PRAYERS, PRAYERS for VARIOUS NEEDS, PRAYERS to the SAINTS, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 30 March – Ad Te, Beate Joseph, To Thee, O Blessed Joseph

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 30 March –“The Month of the St Joseph”- As tomorrow is the Lenten Friday of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin, let us bid St Joseph’s month goodbye today.

Ad Te, Beate Joseph
To Thee, O Blessed Joseph
By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)

O most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family,
defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ.
O most loving father,
ward off from us,
every contagion of error
and corrupting influence.
O our most mighty protector,
be propitious to us
and from heaven assist us
in our struggle with the power of darkness
and, as once you rescued the Child Jesus
from deadly peril,
so now protect God’s Holy Church
from the snares of the enemy
and from all adversity.
Shield, too, each one of us
by your constant protection,
so that, supported by your example
and your aid, we may be able
to live piously,
to die holy
and to obtain eternal happiness in Heaven.
Amen

Posted in HYMNS, Our MORNING Offering, St JOSEPH

Our Morning Offering – 20 March –Caelitum, Ioseph, decus, Joseph, the Praise and Glory of the Heavens

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 20 March – “The Month of the St Joseph” and his Feast transferred from Sunday 19 March

Caelitum, Ioseph, decus
Joseph, the Praise and Glory of the Heavens
By Fr Juan Escollar (Died 1700)

Joseph, the praise and glory of the heavens,
Sure pledge of life and safety of the wide world,
as in our joy we sing to thee, in kindness
listen to our praises.

Thou by the world’s Creator wert appointed
Spouse of the Virgin, thee He willed to honour.
Naming thee father of the Word and guardian
of our salvation.

Thou, thy Redeemer, lying in a stable,
whom long ago foretold the choir of Prophets,
sawest rejoicing and thy God adorest
Humble in childhood.

God, King of Kings and Governor of the ages,
He at Whose word the powers of hell do tremble,
He Whom the adoring heavens ever worship,
called thee protector.

Praise to the Triune Godhead everlasting,
Who with such honour mightily hath blest thee.
O may He grant us at thy blest petition
Joys everlasting.
Amen

This Hymn was formerly used at Matins for the Feast of St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (19 March).
It is still used for this Feast but for Lauds. It is also the Hymn for Lauds for the Feast of St Joseph the Worker on 1 May.
Translation by Alan G McDougall (1895-1964).