Archive for the ‘Advent and Christmas’ Category
Above: The Massacre of the Innocents, by Tintoretto
Image in the Public Domain
Original Text by Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-circa 413)
English Translation by John Athelstan Laurie Riley (1858-1945)
Hymn Source = The English Hymnal (1906), The Church of England
A hymn for the Feast of the Holy Innocents
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All hail, ye little Martyr flowers,
Sweet rosebuds cut in dawning hours!
When Herod sought the Christ to find
Ye fell as bloom before the wind.
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First victims of the Martyr bands,
With crowns and palms in tender hands,
Around the very altar, gay
And innocent, ye seem to play.
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What profited this great offence?
What use was Herod’s violence?
A Babe survives that dreadful day,
And Christ is safely borne away.
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All honour, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, virgin-born, to thee;
All glory, as it is ever meet
To Father and to Paraclete.
Above: Icon of the Nativity, by Andrei Rublev
Image in the Public Domain
Original Text (1540) by Jan Roh (1485/1490-1547)
English Translation (1858) by Catherine Winkworth (1829-1878)
Hymn Source #1 = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum) (1923), Moravian Church in America
Hymn Source #2 = The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal (1942), by William Gustave Polack
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Once He came in blessing
All our ills redressing,
Came in likeness lowly,
Son of God most holy;
Bore the Cross to save us,
Hope and freedom gave us.
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Still He comes within us,
Still His voice would win us,
From the sins that hurt us;
Would to truth convert us,
From our foolish errors,
Ere He comes in terrors.
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Thus if thou hast known Him,
Not ashamed to own Him;
Nor dost love Him coldly,
But wilt trust Him boldly;
He will now receive thee,
Heal thee, and forgive thee.
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But though many a trial,
Deepest self-denial,
Long and brave endurance,
Must thou win assurance
That His own makes thee,
And no more forsakes thee.
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He, who well endureth,
Bright reward secureth;
Come then, O Lord Jesus,
From our sins release us;
Let us here confess Thee,
Till in heaven we bless Thee.
Image in the Public Domain
Hymn Source = The Lutheran Hymnal (1941), Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America
German Text (published in 1571) by Paul Eber (1511-1569)
English Translation (1907) by Carl Doving (1867-1937)
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1. To God the anthem raising,
Sing, Christians, great and small;
Sing out, His goodness praising,
Oh, thank Him, one and all!
Behold how God this year,
Which now is safely ended,
Hath in His love befriended,
His children far and near.
2. Let us consider rightly
His mercies manifold,
And let us not think lightly
Of all His gifts untold.
Let thankfulness recall
How God this year hath led us,
How He hath clothed and fed us,
The great ones and the small.
3. The Church and State He granted
His peace in every place,
His vineyard He hath planted
Among us by His grace.
His ever bounteous hand
Prosperity hath given
And want and famine driven
From this our native land.
4. His Father heart is yearning
To take us for His own
When, our transgressions mourning,
We trust in Christ alone;
When in His name we pray
And humbly make confession,
He pardons our transgression
And is our faithful Stay.
5. Our God hath well defended,
Hath kept us through His grace;
But if He had contended
With us our sins to trace
And given us our meed,
We all would then be lying
In sin and sorrow, dying,
Each one for his misdeed.
6. O Father dear in heaven,
For all Thy gifts of love
Which Thou to us hast given
We lift our thanks above.
In Jesus’ name we here,
To Thee our prayers addressing,
Still ask Thee for Thy blessing:
Grant us a joyful year.
Image in the Public Domain
Hymn Source = Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal (1880), Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and Other States (1818-1930)
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, contains an altered translation.)
Original German Words (1597) by Cyriacus Schneegass (1546-1597)
English Translation (1880) by August Crull (1845-1923)
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1. O Lord, our Father, thanks to Thee
In this new year we render,
For Thou hast been from misery
And evil our defender;
Thro’ all the year that hath now fled
Hast given us our daily bread,
And peace within our borders.
2. Lord Jesus Christ, our thanks to Thee
In this new year we render;
For Thou still rulest zealously
Thy fold, with mercies tender;
Thou hast redeemed us with Thy blood,
Thou art our Joy, our only Good,
In life and death our Savior.
3. Lord Holy Ghost, our thanks to Thee
In this new year we render,
For by Thy grace it is that we
Preserve Thy Word’s pure splendor;
Thou hast infused, Lord, from above
Into our hearts true faith and love,
And other Christian virtues.
4. Our faithful God, we cry to Thee;
Still bless us with Thy favor,
Blot out our iniquity,
And hide our sins forever.
Grant us a happy, good new year
And when the hours of death draw near,
A blest departure.
Above: Diocesan Confirmation, the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, Georgia, December 8, 2013
Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
Hymn Source = The Hymnal 1916 (1918), Episcopal Church
Original Latin Text (Fifth Century C.E.) by Anonymous
English Translation (1849, altered) by Edward Caswall (1814-1878)
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1. Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding;
“Christ is night,” it seems to say;
“Cast away the works of darkness,
O ye children of the day.”
2. Wakened by the solemn warning,
Let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
3. Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heaven;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiven;
4. So when next He comes with glory,
Wrapping all the world in fear,
May He with His mercy shield us,
And with words of love draw near.
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This is post #1350 of GATHERED PRAYERS.
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Above: The Hymn Title
Image Source = Kenneth Randolph Taylor
Hymn Source = The Concordia Hymnal (1932), U.S. Lutheran
Original Words by Aurelius Ambrose (340-397), according to tradition
Original Words by Elisabet Cruciger (Circa 1500-1535), according to the companion volume (1985) to The Covenant Hymnal (1973), The Evangelical Covenant Church of America
Swedish Translation by Olavus Petri (1493-1552)
English Translation by Ernst W. Olson (1870-1958)
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1. Now hail we our Redeemer,
Eternal Son of God,
Born in the flesh to save us,
And cleanse us in His blood.
The Morning Star ascendeth,
Light to the world He lendeth,
Our Guide in grief and gloom.
2. A man, of God begotten,
Brought in the age of grace;
Lo, all the earth is radiant
With light, and hope, and peace.
Our prison He demolished,
Death’s power He abolished,
And opened heaven’s gate.
3. O Jesus, grant us mercy,
And grace on us bestow,
To walk by Thine own guidance,
Thy saving truth to know.
For Thee our hearts are yearning,
From worldly pleasures turning
Unto Thy righteousness.
4. Into Thy hand the Father
Gave all, that we might be
In bonds of faith united;
And dedicate to Thee
A people through Thy merit
Entitled to inherit
Thy realm eternally.
