Thursday, June 9, 2016

Seasonal Hymns: Holy Days 371-380

The Dormition of St. Mary the Virgin
371
Sing we of the Blessed Mother – G Timms

Sing we of the blessed Mother
Who received the angel’s word,
And obedient to his summons
Bore in love the infant Lord;
Sing we of the joys of Mary
At whose breast that child was fed
Who is Son of God eternal
And the everlasting Bread.

Sing we, too, of Mary’s sorrows,
Of the sword that pierced her through,
When beneath the cross of Jesus
She his weight of suffering knew,
Looked upon her Son and Saviour
Reigning high on Calvary's tree,
Saw the price of man's redemption
Paid to set the sinner free.

Sing again the joys of Mary
When she saw the risen Lord,
And in prayer with Christ’s apostles,
Waited on his promised word;
From on high the blazing glory
Of the Spirit’s presence came,
Heavenly breath of God’s own being,
Manifest through wind and flame.

Sing the chiefest joy of Mary
When on earth her work was done,
And the Lord of all creation
Brought her to his heavenly home;
Virgin Mother, Mary blessed,
Raised on high and crowned with grace,
May your Son, the world’s redeemer,
Grant us all to see his face.

St. Bartholomew
372
God of saints, to whom the number – J Ellerton

God of saints, to whom the number
of the starry host is known:
many saints by earth forgotten
live for ever round your throne.

In the roll of your apostles
stands the name Bartholomew,
for this faithful saint we offer,
year by year, our thanks to you.

All his faith and prayer and patience,
all his toiling and his strife,
all are veiled from us, but written
in the Lamb's great book of life.

There are named the blessed faithful
of the new Jerusalem.
When Christ comes again in glory,
number us, we pray, with them.

Nativity of St. Mary the Virgin
373
Your birth, O Theotokos, - adapted from the Apolytikion and Kontakion by S Houghton

Your birth, O Theotokos, brought joy into the world
from you dawned the sun of righteousness, Jesus Christ our Lord
He freed us from the curse, abolished death, and gave us hope,
Your fruit has saved us all.
Glory, glory, hallelujah! . . . Your fruit has saved us all.

From the shame of childlessness, you freed Anna and Joachim
As your son would free our parents Eve and Adam from their sin
We celebrate crying, all generations shall call you blessed.
Your fruit has saved us all.
Glory, glory, hallelujah! . . . Your fruit has saved us all.

O God most high exalted and the Father of us all
with your Son our redeemer and the Holy Comforter
You Chose Blessed Mary to be mother of us all.
Her fruit has saved us all.
Glory, glory, hallelujah! . . .  Her fruit has saved us all.

 
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
374
Lift High the Cross – G Kitchen & M Newbolt

Refrain:
Lift high the cross,
the love of Christ proclaim
till all the world adore
his sacred Name.

Come, brethren, follow where our Captain trod,
our King victorious, Christ the Son of God. Refrain

Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
the hosts of God in conquering ranks combine. Refrain

Each newborn soldier of the Crucified
bears on the brow the seal of him who died. Refrain

This is the sign which Satan's legions fear
and angels veil their faces to rever. Refrain

Saved by this Cross whereon their Lord was slain,
the sons of Adam their lost home regain. Refrain

From north and south, from east and west they raise
in growing unison their songs of praise. Refrain

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
as thou hast promised, draw the world to thee. Refrain

Let every race and every language tell
of him who saves our souls from death and hell. Refrain

From farthest regions let their homage bring,
and on his Cross adore their Savior King. Refrain

Set up thy throne, that earth's despair may cease
beneath the shadow of its healing peace. Refrain

For thy blest Cross which doth for all atone
creation's praises rise before thy throne. Refrain

St. Mathew
375
He sat to watch o'er customs paid – W Bright
He sat to watch o'er customs paid,
a man of scorned and hardening trade,
alike the symbol and the tool
of foreign masters' hated rule.

But grace within his heart had stirred,
there needed but the timely word;
it came, true Lord of souls, from thee,
that royal summons, "Follow me."

Enough, when thou wert passing by,
to hear thy voice, to meet thine eye;
he rose, responsive to the call,
and left his task, his gains, his all.

O wise exchange! with these to part,
and lay up treasures in the heart;
with twofold crown of light to shine
amid thy servants' foremost line.

Come, Savior, as in days of old;
pass where the world has strongest hold,
and faithless care and selfish greed
are thorns that choke the holy seed.

Who keeps thy gifts, O bid them claim
the steward's, not the owner's name;
who yield up all for thy dear sake.
let them of Matthew's wealth partake.

St. Michael and all Angels
376
Around the throne of God a band – J Neale

Around the throne of God a band
of glorious angels always stand;
bright things they see, sweet harps they hold,
and on their heads are crowns of gold.

Some wait around him, ready still
to sing his praise and do his will;
and some, when he commands them, go
to guard his servants here below.

Lord, give thy angels every day
command to guide us on our way,
and bid them every evening keep
their watch around us while we sleep.

So shall no wicked thing draw near,
to do us harm or cause us fear;
and we shall dwell, when life is past,
with angels round thy throne at last.

377
Stars of the morning, so gloriously bright – Joseph the Hymnographer / J Neale trans

Stars of the morning, so gloriously bright,
filled with celestial splendor and light,
these that, where night never followeth day,
raise the Trisagion ever and aye.

These are thy ministers, these dost thou own,
Lord God of Sabaoth, nearest thy throne;
these are thy messengers, these dost thou send,
Help of the helpless ones! man to defend.

These keep the guard amidst Salem's dear bowers,
Thrones, Principalities, Virtues and Powers,
where, with the Living Ones, mystical Four,
Cherubim, Seraphim, bow and adore.

"Who like the Lord?" thunders Michael the chief;
Raphael, "the cure of God," comforteth grief;
and, as at Nazareth, prophet of peace,
Gabriel, "the light of God," bringeth release.

Then, when the earth was first poised in mid space,
then, when the planets first sped on their race,
then, when were ended the six days' employ,
then all the sons of God shouted for joy.

Still let them succor us; still let them fight,
Lord of angelic hosts, battling for right;
Till, where their anthems they ceaselessly pour,
We with the angels may bow and adore.

378
Angels and ministers, spirits of grace – P Dearmer

379
Christ, the fair glory of the holy angels – Latin 9th cent. / A Riley trans

Christ, the fair glory of the holy angels,
thou who hast made us, thou who o'er us rulest,
grant of thy mercy unto us thy servants
steps up to heaven.

Send thine archangel Michael to our succor;
peacemaker blessèd, may he banish from us
striving and hatred, so that for the peaceful
all things may prosper.

Send thine archangel Gabriel, the mighty;
herald of heaven, may he, from us mortals,
spurn the old serpent, watching o'er the temples
where thou art worshiped.

Send thine archangel Raphael, the restorer
of the misguided ways of men who wander,
who at thy bidding strengthens soul and body
with thine anointing.

May the blest mother of our God and Savior,
may the assembly of the saints in glory,
may the celestial companies of angels
ever assist us.

Father Almighty, Son, and Holy Spirit,
God ever blessèd, be thou our preserver;
thine is the glory which the angels worship,
veiling their faces.

380
O ye immortal throng – P Doddridge


O ye immortal throng
of angels round the throne,
join with our earth-bound song
to make the Savior known.
On earth ye knew
his wondrous grace,
his beauteous face
in heaven ye view.

Ye saw the heaven-born child
in human flesh arrayed,
so innocent and mild
while in the manger laid.
"Glory to God
and peace on earth,"
for such a birth
ye sang aloud.

Ye in the wilderness
beheld the Tempter spoiled,
unmasked in every dress,
in every combat foiled.
With great delight
ye crowned his head
when Satan fled
the Savior's might.

Ye thronged to Calvary
and pressed with sad desire
that awful sight to see--
the Lord of life expire.
E'en angel eyes
slow tears did shed:
ye mourned the dead
in sad surprise.

Around his sacred tomb
a willing watch ye kept;
till out from death's vast room,
up from the grave, he leapt.
Ye rolled the stone,
and all adored
your rising Lord
with joy unknown.

When all arrayed in light
the shining conqueror rode,
ye hailed his wondrous flight
up to the throne of God.
And waved around
your golden wings,
and struck your strings
of sweetest sound.

The joyous notes pursue
and louder anthems raise;
while mortals sing with you
their own Redeemer's praise.
With equal flame
and equal art,
do thou my heart
extol his Name.

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