Above:  Icon of St. Joseph the Hymnographer

Image in the Public Domain

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St. Joseph the Hymnographer (d. 886), the “Sweet-Voiced Nightingale of the Church,” was an Orthodox defender of icons during the Iconoclastic Controversy and the author of about 1000 hymns and liturgical poems.

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Stars of the Morning, So Gloriously Bright:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/01/22/stars-of-the-morning-so-gloriously-bright/

And Wilt Thou Pardon, Lord:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/01/22/and-wilt-thou-pardon-lord/

The Things of Earth in the Earth Let us Lay:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/01/22/the-things-of-the-earth-in-the-earth-let-us-lay/

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Above:  Trinity Church and Church Yard, Stratford-Upon-Avon, England, 1890

Image Source = Library of Congress

Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-ppmsc-08870

Original Greek Text by St. Joseph the Hymnographer (d. 886)

English Translation (1862) by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal and Order of Service (1925), The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Synod

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The things of earth in the earth let us lay;

The ashes with ashes, the dust with the clay;

But lift up the heart, and the eyes, and the love,

O lift up the soul to the regions above!

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Since He, the Immortal, hath entered the gate,

So shall we mortals, or sooner or late:

Then stand we with Christ; let us mark Him ascend,

For His is the glory and life without end.

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On earth with His own once the Giver of good,

Bestowing His blessing, a little while stood;

Now nothing can part us, nor distance, nor foes,

For lo! He is with us, and who can oppose?

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So Lord, we commit this our loved one to Thee,

Whose body is dead, but whose spirit is free:

We know that through grace, when our life her is o’er,

In bliss we shall be with the Lord evermore.

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Above:  Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Cartersville, Georgia, November 5, 2017

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Original Greek Text by St. Joseph the Hymnographer (d. 886)

English Translation (1862) by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)

Hymn Source #1 = The Lutheran Hymnal (1941), The Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America

Hymn Source #2 = William Gustave Polack, The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal, 2d ed. (1942)

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And wilt Thou pardon, Lord

A sinner such as I,

Although Thy book his crimes record

Of such a crimson dye?

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So deep are they engraved,

So terrible their fear,

The righteous scarcely shall be saved,

And where shall I appear?

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My soul, make all things known

To Him who all things sees

That so the Lamb may yet atone

For thine iniquities.

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O Thou Physician blest,

Make clean my guilty soul

And me, by many a sin opprest,

Restore and keep me whole.

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I know not how to praise

Thy mercy and Thy love;

But deign my soul and earth to raise

And learn from Thee above.

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Above:  Dawn, Crater Lake National Park

Image in the Public Domain

Original Greek Text by St. Joseph the Hymnographer (d. 886)

English Translation (1862) by John Mason Neale (1818-1866)

Hymn Source #1 = The Lutheran Hymnal (1941), The Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America

Hymn Source #2 = William Gustave Polack, The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal, 2d ed. (1942)

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Stars of the morning, so gloriously bright,

Filled with celestial virtue and light,

These that, where never followeth day,

Praise the Thrice Holy One ever and aye.

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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.

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These keep the guard amid Salem’s dear bowers,

Thrones, principalities, virtues, and powers,

Where, with the living ones, mystical four,

Cherubim, seraphim, bow and adore.

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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.

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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.

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Above:  St. Ephrem of Edessa

Image in the Public Domain

St. Ephrem of Edessa (306/307-373) was a deacon, exegete, hymn writer, and the “Harp of the Holy Spirit.”

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Receive, O Lord, in Heaven Above:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/01/19/receive-o-lord-in-heaven-above/

From God Christ’s Deity Came Forth:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/01/19/from-god-christs-deity-came-forth/

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Above:  Icon of Christ Pantocrator

Scanned by Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Original Syraic Text by St. Ephrem of Edessa (306/307-373)

English Translation by J. Howard Rhys (b. 1917)

English Translation adapted and altered by F. Bland Tucker (1895-1984)

Hymn Source = The Hymnal 1982 (1985), The Episcopal Church

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From God Christ’s deity came forth, his manhood from humanity;

his priesthood from Melchizedek, his royalty from David’s tree:

praised be his Oneness.

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He joined with guests at wedding feast, yet in the wilderness did fast;

he taught within the temple’s gates; his people saw him die at last:

praised be his teaching.

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The dissolute he did not scorn, nor turn from those who were in sin,

he for the righteous did rejoice but bade the fallen to come in:

praised be his mercy.

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He did not disregard the sick; to simple ones his word was given;

and he descended to the earth and his work done, went up to heaven:

praised be his coming.

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Who then, my Lord, compares to you?  The Watcher slept, the great was small,

the Pure baptized, the Life who died, the King abased to honor all:

praised by your glory.

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Above:  Evening Sky

Image in the Public Domain

Original Syraic Text by St. Ephrem of Edessa (306/307-373)

English Translation by Francis Crawford Burkitt (1864-1935)

Hymn Source = The English Hymnal (1906), The Church of England

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Receive, O Lord, in heaven above,

Our prayers and supplications pure;

Give us a heart all full of love

And steady courage to endure.

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Thy holy name our mouths confess,

Our tongues are harps to praise thy grace;

Forgive our sins and wickedness,

Who in this vigil seek thy face.

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Let not our song become a sigh,

A wail of anguish and despair;

In loving-kindness, Lord most high,

Receive to-night our evening prayer.

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O raise us in that day, that we

May sing, where all thy Saints adore,

Praise to thy Father, and to thee,

And to thy Spirit, evermore.

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