Be merciful, O Lord, to us sinners

An Anglo-Catholic litany

Be merciful, O Lord, to us sinners, and at the pleading of thy mother, sorrowing in thine agony and sharing in thy bitter cup, O Jesus mercy.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

Be merciful O Lord, to us sinners and at the pleading of thy mother, suffering in thy sufferings and bruised with thy stripes, O Jesus mercy.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

Be merciful, O Lord, to us sinners, and at the pleading of thy mother, who saw thee crowned with thorns and robed with shame, O Jesus mercy.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

Be merciful, O Lord, to us sinners, and at the pleading of thy mother, whose love unvanquished trod thy way of sorrows, O Jesus mercy;

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

Be merciful, O Lord, to us sinners, and at the pleading of thy mother, whose soul was pierced beneath thy Cross, O Jesus mercy.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

Eric Milner-White

"Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, have mercy on me."

Saint Margaret Clitherow

Versions of Sub tuum praesidium

In Greek from about 250 A.D. in the Coptic Church we read:

Ὑπὸ τὴν σὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν,

καταφεύγομεν, Θεοτόκε,

τὰς ἡμῶν ἱκεσίας,

μὴ παρίδης ἐν περιστάσει,

ἀλλ' ἐκ κινδύνων λύτρωσαι ἡμᾶς,

μόνη ἁγνή, μόνη εὐλογημένη.

In English this is:

Beneath your compassion,

We take refuge, O Mother of God:

do not despise our petitions in time of trouble:

but rescue us from dangers,

only pure, only blessed one.

The Church Slavonic of the Old Believers:

Подъ твою милость,

прибѣгаемъ богородице дѣво,

молитвъ нашихъ не презри в скорбѣхъ.

но ѿ бѣдъ избави насъ,

едина чистаѧ и благословеннаѧ.

Beneath thy mercy,

we take refuge, O Virgin Mother of God:

disdain not our supplications in our distress,

but deliver us from perils,

O only pure and blessed one.

The Russian Orthodox version since 1586:

Подъ твое благоѹсробїе

прибѣгаемъ Богородице,

моленїѧ наша не презри во ωбстоѧнїй,

но ѿ бѣдъ исбави ны,

едина Чистаѧ, и Благословеннаѧ

Beneath thy tenderness of heart

we take refuge, O Mother of God,

disdain not our supplications in our necessity,

but deliver us from perils,

O only pure and blessed one.

Byzantine Christians sing this at the end of Vespers in Great Lent, and in other seasons the triple invocation Пресвѧтаѧ Богородице спаси насъ (Most Holy Mother of God, save us) may be added.

In Latin, we find this prayer in the following form at about the 11th c AD :

Sub tuum praesidium confugimus,

Sancta Dei Genetrix.

Nostras deprecationes ne despicias

in necessitatibus [nostris],

sed a periculis cunctis

libera nos semper,

Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

We fly to your patronage,

O holy Mother of God;

despise not our petitions

in [our] necessities,

but from all dangers

deliver us always,

O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

I do not care for the English translation above. "Patronage" simply does not convey the depth of meaning of praesidium. I much prefer the English version of my Anglo-Catholic childhood:

We fly to thy protection,
O holy Mother of God;
despise not our petitions in our necessities
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O ever glorious and blessed Virgin.

"The Incarnation of the Human Values Necessary to My Life"

A German Catholic priest told that one day he saw a painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary hanging in place of honor in the cabinet of Field Marshal Hindenburg. As the priest did not hide his surprise, Hindenburg (who was a Lutheran) said, "I see in the Blessed Virgin the incarnation of the human values necessary to my life."

It is possible to dream of a better definition of what Mary has brought to the world? To a world completely abandoned to proud egoism, Mary teaches the humility of Bethlehem. To a world dominated by money and greed, she recalls the poverty of Nazareth. To a twisted, dishonest world, she brings truth and simplicity. To a world that gets more and more hardened by hatred every day, she repeats her lessons of gentleness. To an impure and vain world, she offers the testimony of her fertile virginity. To an aged world, she brings her eternal youth.

H. Engelmann
Excerpt from his book I Lost the Faith (J’ai perdu la foi, p.91)

Our Lady of the Sign - The Theotokos Bearing Christ

Click here to see a contemporary icon of "Our Lady of the Sign" that is the official icon of the Archdiocese of Denver in the United States of America. This archdiocese keeps the Feast of Our Lady of the New Advent on December 16th.

Click here. for a beautiful Eastern Orthodox apse containing and ikon of Our Lady of the Sign. Also, an Eastern Orthodox explanation of this ikon is included.

O Living Lord

______________________________________

On the Occasion of the Birthday of Fr. James T. Moore, Ph.D

O Living Lord,
In thine own Mother thou didst rule and reign.
Nine months her womb all heaven did contain.
Thou heaven’s Lord, within her flesh sustained —
Her blood, thy grain.

Come down from heav’n,
O Bread of Angels by her milk once fed,
For thee we hunger, Thou our Living Bread.
Thy precious Blood to sinners, pray, extend,
O Life without end.

Light of the world,
Star of the morning, Sun of righteousness,
From thy pure Chalice we taste holiness.
By thine own flesh our souls and bodies bless,
Divine Presence.

O Mary’s Son,
Blest be thy Father, Maker of all things.
“Blest be thy Spirit, “ all creation sings.
Blest our redemption! Let all bells now ring
For Christ the King.

____________________________
Copyright © 2006 by Vincent Uher
This may be sung to the tune Ora Labora

Lo, How She Brings Life With Her

Lo, how she brings Life with her
Concealed beneath her heart,
Eve’s daughter, brave and chosen,
God’s partner to his art.
Her will knit with divine will
Desires his Word be done.
For God she weaves within her
The body of their Son.

Elisabeth her cousin
A child will bring to birth –
God’s answer to her longing,
A prophet for the Earth.
“Peace be with you,” said Mary.
Her cousin’s babe did dance
The merry steps of best man:
The Bridegroom’s here, at last.

Elisabeth cried out then,
“The child within me leapt!
When he heard your sweet greeting,
With joy my baby stepped.”
She spoke full of the Spirit,
With insight from the Lord,
“How is it you come to me
The Mother of my Lord?”

Great Mary, Anna’s child,
A daughter born to Israel,
A virgin undefiled,
She sang out as a woman
Brought up on Hannah’s song,
“O praise, my soul, God’s greatness.
Rejoice, our Lord is strong.”

All ages call her blessed
Just as she once foretold.
Blest is she amongst women,
Her Child blest from of old.
Blest is she who believes God
Who carries God’s true Word.
Her Son both God and human
Fulfils great Gabriel’s word.

Our Saviour, God of mercy,
Remembers Abraham’s fold.
Praise God who casts down tyrants.
Rejoice! Our God is bold.
So sing we with blest Mary
To magnify the Lord
Who raised up his handmaiden.
Oh, holy is the Lord!


Copyright © 2006 by Vincent Uher
This may be sung to the tune Far Off Lands
or to the tune Wie lieblich ist der Maien

Especially for the liturgical observances of the Visitation, Nativity of St. John Baptist, Advent III, Advent IV and for Masses for the Respecting of Life.

Bread of Salvation

Bread of Salvation
heaven sent to earth,
Chalice of our redemption
and new birth!

Covenants sealed
by blood in ages past
broke we betraying God
whom we loved last.

Yet God's own mercy flowed,
and we must tell —
a chosen daughter
met by God's angel.

'Hail, full of grace!
Your child shall be adored.'
'Here I am,' Mary said,
'to serve the Lord.'

Mary our Mother
gave her very blood
to bring to birth
our Saviour and our God.

Jesus Redeemer,
Mary and God's Son,
dying upon the cross
Salvation won.

Flesh from his Mother,
water and the blood
gushed forth to save us all
for Life in God.

New Covenant
he sealed with his own Blood.
"Remember me
and drink my Cup of Love."

Taste and believe
the goodness of the Lord –
His Body, and his Blood
for you outpoured.


Words: Copyright © 1997-2007 by Vincent Uher. All rights reserved.
Music: Song 46
Meter: 10 10

Song 46 is the only tune for this text. The marriage of words and music is a blessed one that none should put asunder. The words were written while in preparation for the Annunciation, March 25th.