Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Deer's Cry

(St. Patrick's  Breastplate) 

I arise today 
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of sun, 
Radiance of moon, 
Splendour of fire, 
Speed of lightning, 
Swiftness of wind, 
Depth of sea, 
Stability of earth, 
Firmness of rock. 
 I arise today 
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, 
Through belief in the threeness, 
Through confession of the oneness 
Of the Creator of Creation. 
I arise today Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism, 
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial, 
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension, 
Through the strength of His descent for the judgement of Doom. 
 I arise today 
Through the strength of the love of the Cherubim, 
In the obedience of angels, 
In the service of archangels, 
In the hope of the resurrection to meet with reward, 
In the prayers of patriarchs, 
In prediction of prophets, 
In preaching of apostles, 
In faith of confessors, 
In innocence of holy virgins, 
In deeds of righteous men. 
 I arise today 
Through God's strength to pilot me: 
God's might to uphold me, 
God's wisdom to guide me, 
God's eye to look before me, 
God's ear to hear me, 
God's word to speak to me, 
God's hand to guard me, 
God's way to lie before me, 
God's shield to protect me, 
God's host to save me, 
 Christ to shield me today, 
Against poising, against burning, 
Against drowning, against wounding, 
So there come to me abundance of reward.














Christ with me, 
Christ before me, 
Christ behind me, 
Christ in me, 
Christ beneath me, 
Christ above me, 
Christ on my right, 
Christ on my left, 
Christ when I lie down, 
Christ when I sit down, 
Christ when I arise, 
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, 
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me, 
Christ in the eye of every one who sees me, 
Christ in every ear that hears me. 
 I arise today 
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, 
Through belief in the threeness, 
Through confession of the oneness 
Of the Creator of Creation. 
---Attributed to St. Patrick, 385-461 (from a translation by Kuno Meyer;adapted from an earier translation by Cecil Francis Alexander)

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Love Divine, All Love Excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its Beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

--- Charles Wesley, 1747
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day*


I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head**
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

---Henry Wordsworth Longfellow, 1864

*Usually sung to a tune written by Jean Baptiste Calkin
*This poem was written during the Civil War. Two stanzas further reflecting the sense of despair over the war are not usually included anymore in the hymn and are not included here.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Moonless darkness stands between










Moonless darkness stands between. 
Past, the Past, no more be seen! 
But the Bethlehem-star may lead me 
To the sight of Him Who freed me 
From the self that I have been. 
Make me pure, Lord: Thou art holy
Make me meek, Lord: Thou wert lowly
Now beginning, and alway: 
Now begin, on Christmas day.
---Gerard Manley Hopkins

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Daughter Zion*

Daughter Zion, O rejoice;
Shout aloud with cheer, O Jerusalem.
See, your King now comes**, riding unto you***,
Royal Prince of Peace, He comes in God's own time.
Daughter Zion, O rejoice;
Shout aloud with cheer, O Jerusalem.

Hosanna, David's Son;
Blessed be Your people, O blessed One!
Your eternal Kingdom establish, LORD!
Hosanna, "Save us!", Eternal Word.
Hosanna, David's Son;
Blessed be Your people, O blessed One! 

 Hosanna, David's Son;
Be with joy now greeted, O King most mild! 
Forever stands in peace Your royal Throne: 
You, Eternal Father's Eternal Child
Hosanna, David's Son;
Be with joy now greeted, O King most mild! 

---German Adventslied; translated C. Marie Byars (c) 2004 

*A German folk carol for Advent, set to music from G.F. Handel's Judas Maccabeus **The first Sunday in Advent traditionally has a reading from Palm Sunday, which this song reflects. The "hope" that people had all those centuries before Christ came was to be fulfilled soon after Christ's entry into Jerusalem; He suffered, died on the cross and rose from the dead in that next week. ***The fact that Jesus was able to ride the "unbroken colt" of a donkey which had never been ridden before shows that He IS the Lord of Nature.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

O, Blessed Spring*

O, Blessed Spring where Word and Sign 
Embrace us into Christ the Vine: 
Here Christ enjoins each one to be 
A branch of this life-giving Tree. 

Through summer heat of youthful tears,
Uncertain faith, rebellious tears, 
Sustained by Christ's infusing rain, 
The boughs will shout for joy again. 

When autumn cools and youth is cold, 
When limbs their heavy harvest hold, 
Then through us, warm, the Christ will move 
With gifts of beauty, wisdom love. 

As winter comes, as winters must, 
We breathe our last, return to dust; 
Still held in Christ, our souls take wing
And trust the promise of the spring. 

Christ, Holy Vine, Christ, Living Tree, 
Be praised for this blest mystery: 
That Word and water thus revive 
And join us to Your Tree of Life. 
---Susan Palo Cherwien; (c) 1993 

*(A hymn to be sung to the old English folk song, "The Water is Wide [I can't get o'er]"