SPREAD, O SPREAD, ALMIGHTY WORD

 A HYMN FOR THE 20TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

By Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78

 

1 Spread, O spread, almighty word,

spread the kingdom of the Lord,

where the breath of God has given

life to people meant for heaven.

 

2 Tell them how the Father's will

made the world, and keeps it still;

how his only Son he gave

all from sin and death to save.

 

3 Tell of our Redeemer's love,

who, for ever to remove

all the guilt that on us lies,

gave himself as sacrifice.

 

4 Tell them of the Spirit given

now to guide us on to heaven,

strong and holy, just and true,

working both to will and do.

 

5 Up! the ripening fields you see,

mighty will the harvest be;

but the reapers still are few,

great the work they have to do.

 

6 Lord of harvest, kind and true,

give us strength to work for you,

till the nations everywhere

see your light, and know your care.

GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT REDEEMER

 A HYMN FOR THE 19TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

By William Williams, 1717-91

 

1 Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand:
bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.

2 Open now the crystal fountain
whence the living waters flow:
let the fiery, cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through:
strong deliverer, strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield,
be thou still my strength and shield.

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan
bid my anxious fears subside:
death of death, and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side:
songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to thee,
I will ever give to thee.

SING WE OF THE BLESSED MOTHER

 A HYMN FOR ROSARY SUNDAY

By G.B. Timms

 

1 SING we of the blessed Mother

who received the angels 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.

 

2 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 from the awful tree,

Saw the price of man’s redemption

paid to set the sinner free.

 

3 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,

Tokened in the wind and flame.

 

4 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 thy Son, the world’s redeemer,

Grant us all to see his face.

ANGEL VOICES EVER SINGING

 A HYMN FOR THE 17TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

By Francis Pott, 1861

 

1 Angel voices ever singing

round Thy throne of light,

angel harps, forever ringing,

rest not day nor night;

thousands only live to bless Thee

and confess thee Lord of might.

 

2 Thou who art beyond the farthest

mortal eye can scan,

can it be that Thou regardest

songs of sinful man?

Can we feel that Thou art near us

and wilt hear us? Yea, we can.

 

3 Yea, we know Thy love rejoices

o'er each work of Thine;

Thou didst ears and hands and voices

for Thy praise combine;

craftsman's art and music's measure

for Thy pleasure didst design.

 

4 Here, great God, today we offer

of Thine own to Thee;

and for Thine acceptance proffer,

all unworthily,

hearts and minds and hands and voices

in our choicest melody.

 

5 Honor, glory, might, and merit

Thine shall ever be,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

blessed Trinity:

of the best that Thou hast given

earth and heaven render Thee.  Amen.

FIRMLY I BELIEVE AND TRULY

 A HYMN FOR THE 16TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

By John Henry Cardinal Newman

 

1 Firmly I believe and truly

God is Three and God is One;

And I next acknowledge duly

Manhood taken by the Son.

 

2 And I trust and hope most fully

In that manhood crucified;

And each thought and deed unruly

Do to death, as he has died.

 

3 Simply to his grace and wholly

Light and life and strength belong,

And I love supremely, solely,

Him the holy, him the strong.

 

 

4 And I hold in veneration,

For the love of him alone,

Holy Church as his creation,

And her teachings as his own.

 

5 Adoration ay be given,

With and through the angelic host,

To the God of earth and heaven,

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

CHRIST, ENTHRONED IN HIGHEST HEAVEN

 A HYMN FOR THE 15TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

13^th century, translated by R.F. Littledale

 

 

1. Christ, enthroned in highest Heaven,

Hear us crying from the deep,

For the faithful ones departed,

For the souls of all that sleep;

As Thy kneeling Church entreateth,

Hearken, Shepherd of the sheep.

 

2. King of Glory, hear our voices,

Grant Thy faithful rest, we pray;

We have sinned, and may not bide it,

If Thou mark our steps astray;

Yet we plead the saving Victim,

Which for them we bring today.

 

3. That which Thou Thyself hast offered

To Thy Father, offer we;

Let it win for them a blessing,

Bless them, Jesu, set them free;

They are Thine, they wait in patience;

Merciful and gracious be.

 

4. They are Thine, O take them quickly,

Thou their Hope, O raise them high;

Ever hoping, ever trusting,

Unto Thee they strive and cry;

Day and night, both morn and even,

Be, O Christ, their Guardian nigh.

 

5. Let Thy plenteous loving-kindness,

On them, as we pray, be poured;

Let them through Thy boundless mercy,

From all evil be restored;

Hearken to the voices pleading

Of Thy Church, O gracious Lord.

 

6. Hear and answer prayers devoutest,

Break, O Lord, each binding chain,

Dash the gates of death asunder,

Quell the devil and his train;

Bring the souls which Thou hast ransomed

Evermore in joy to reign.

ETERNAL RULER OF THE CEASELESS ROUND

 A HYMN FOR THE 14TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

By John W. Chadwick, 1864

 

1 Eternal Ruler of the ceaseless round

Of circling planets singing on their way;

Guide of the nations from the night profound

Into the glory of the perfect day;

Rule in our hearts, that we may ever be

Guided and strengthened and upheld by thee.

 

2 We are of thee, the children of thy love,

The brothers of thy well-belovèd Son;

Descend, O Holy Spirit, like a dove,

Into our hearts, that we may be as one:

As one with thee, to whom we ever tend;

As one with him, our Brother and our Friend.

 

3 We would be one in hatred of all wrong,

One in our love of all things sweet and fair,

One with the joy that breaketh into song,

One with the grief that trembles into prayer,

One in the power that makes thy children free

To follow truth, and thus to follow thee.

 

4 O clothe us with thy heavenly armour, Lord,

Thy trusty shield, thy sword of love divine;

Our inspiration be thy constant word;

We ask no victories that are not thine:

Give or withhold, let pain or pleasure be;

Enough to know that we are serving thee.

SAVIOUR, WHO DIDST HEALING GIVE

 A HYMN FOR THE 13TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

By Canon Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley (1851–1920)

 

1 Saviour, who didst healing give,

Still in power go before us;

Thou through death didst bid men live,

Unto fuller life restore us;

Strength from thee the fainting found,

Deaf men heard, the blind went seeing;

At thy touch was banished sickness,

And the leper felt new being.

 

2 Thou didst work thy deeds of old

Through the loving hands of others;

Still thy mercies manifold

Bless men by the hands of brothers;

Angels still before thy face

Go, sweet health to brothers bringing;

Still, hearts glow to tell his praises

With whose name the Church is ringing.

 

3 Loved physician! for his word

Lo, the gospel page burns brighter,

Mission servant of the Lord,

Painter true, and perfect writer;

Saviour, of thy bounty send

Such as Luke of gospel story,

Friends to all in body’s prison

Till the sufferers see thy glory.

CHRIST IS MADE THE SURE FOUNDATION

 A HYMN FOR THE 12TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

 

Translated by J.M. Neale, 1861

 

1 Christ is made the sure foundation,

Christ, our head and cornerstone,

chosen of the Lord and precious,

binding all the Church in one;

holy Zion’s help forever

and our confidence alone.

 

2 To this temple, where we call you,

come, O Lord of hosts, and stay;

come with all your lovingkindness,

hear your people as they pray;

and your fullest benediction

speak within these walls today.

 

3 Grant, we pray, to all your faithful

all the gifts they ask to gain;

what they gain from you forever

with the blessed to retain;

And hereafter in your glory

evermore with you to reign.

 

4 Praise and honor to the Father,

praise and honor to the Son,

praise and honor to the Spirit,

ever three and ever one:

one in might and one in glory

while unending ages run!  Amen.