Keble: St. John the Baptist

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In The Christian Year, John Keble offers this for St. John Baptist:


Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers. Malachi iv. 5, 6.


Twice in her season of decay
The fallen Church hath felt Elijah’s eye
Dart from the wild its piercing ray:
Not keener burns, in the chill morning sky,
The herald star,
Whose torch afar
Shadows and boding night-birds fly.

Methinks we need him once again,
That favoured seer—but where shall he be found?
By Cherith’s side we seek in vain,
In vain on Carmel’s green and lonely mound:
Angels no more
From Sinai soar,
On his celestial errands bound.

But wafted to her glorious place
By harmless fire, among the ethereal thrones,
His spirit with a dear embrace
Thee the loved harbinger of Jesus owns,
Well-pleased to view
Her likeness true,
And trace, in thine, her own deep tones.

Deathless himself, he joys with thee
To commune how a faithful martyr dies,
And in the blest could envy be,
He would behold thy wounds with envious eyes,
Star of our morn,
Who yet unborn
Didst guide our hope, where Christ should rise.

Now resting from your jealous care
For sinners, such as Eden cannot know,
Ye pour for us your mingled prayer,
No anxious fear to damp Affection’s glow,
Love draws a cloud
From you to shroud
Rebellion’s mystery here below.

And since we see, and not afar,
The twilight of the great and dreadful day,
Why linger, till Elijah’s car
Stoop from the clouds? Why sheep ye? Rise and pray,
Ye heralds sealed
In camp or field
Your Saviour’s banner to display.

Where is the lore the Baptist taught,
The soul unswerving and the fearless tongue?
The much-enduring wisdom, sought
By lonely prayer the haunted rocks among?
Who counts it gain
His light should wane,
So the whole world to Jesus throng?

Thou Spirit, who the Church didst lend
Her eagle wings, to shelter in the wild,
We pray Thee, ere the Judge descend,
With flames like these, all bright and undefiled,
Her watch-fires light,
To guide aright
Our weary souls by earth beguiled.

So glorious let thy Pastors shine,
That by their speaking lives the world may learn
First filial duty, then divine,
That sons to parents, all to Thee may turn;
And ready prove
In fires of love,
At sight of Thee, for aye to burn.

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"Fill thou my life, O Lord my God"

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Fill thou my life, O Lord my God,

in every part with praise,

that my whole being may proclaim

thy being and thy ways.

Not for the lip of praise alone,

nor e’en the praising heart

I ask, but for a life made up

of praise in every part:

Praise in the common things of life,

its goings out and in;

praise in each duty and each deed,

however small and mean.

Fill every part of me with praise:

let all my being speak

of thee, and of thy love, O Lord,

poor though I be and weak.

So shalt thou, Lord, receive from me

the praise and glory due;

and so shall I begin on earth

the song for ever new.

So shall each fear, each fret, each care,

be turnèd into song;

and every winding of the way

the echo shall prolong.

So shall no part of day or night

unblest or common be,

but all my life, in every step,

be fellowship with thee.

Words: Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

Tune: Richmond

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There's a Voice in the Wilderness Crying

A great hymn text from Canada

by James Lewis Milligan (1876-1961)

based upon Isaiah 40:3-11 

No. 153 in The Hymn Book, 1971

There's a voice in the wilderness crying,

a call from the ways untrod:

Prepare in the desert a highway,

a highway for our God!

The valleys shall be exalted,

the lofty hills brought low:

make straight all the crooked places

where the Lord our God may go!

O Zion, that bringest good tidings,

get thee up to the heights and sing!

Proclaim to a desolate people

the coming of their King.

Like the flowers of the field they perish,

the works of men decay,

the power and pomp of nations

shall pass like a dream away;

But the word of our God endureth,

the arm of the Lord is strong;

he stands in the midst of nations,

and he will right the wrong.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd,

and fold the lambs to his breast;

in pastures of peace he'll lead them,

and give to the weary rest.

There's a voice in the wilderness crying,

a call from the ways untrod:

Prepare in the desert a highway,

a highway for our God!

The valleys shall be exalted,

the lofty hills brought low:

make straight all the crooked places

where the Lord our God may go!

+Get thee up to the heights and sing!

Christmas Hymn in June

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Although it is summertime and the heat in Texas is unbearable, I have been filled with thoughts of the Nativity of Our Lord and how his Sacrifice began with His entrance into the virgin womb of His most holy Mother.  

In preparing another post on prayers written by Father Andrew, S.D.C.  I came across a Communion Hymn he wrote for Christmas communions.  I do not recall a tune for it, and it may have simply been a rhyming prayer at first meant for one to learn by heart and once learnt by heart to become a prayer of one's heart.

I believe this is written in the voice of that little child we should hope to be if we desire to enter into eternity in the Kingdom of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  Here is the lyric that moves me more and more with each passing year: 

Christmas Communion

Thou Babe most dear,
Thou Babe divine,
Beneath these veils of Bread and Wine
I know Thee here.

Behold, I come
To worship Thee,
To take Thee in this Mystery
To have Thee home !

Thou, very God,
For love of me
From Bethlehem to Calvary
Love's paths hast trod.

Thou, very Man,
In humbleness
Didst learn obedience through distress –
And that I can.

Lord JESU Christ,
As Thou to me,
So would I humbly come to Thee
In Eucharist.

Father Andrew, S.D.C

+Ora pro nobis.

Bread of the World

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Jeffrey Tucker expressed a desire for the tune 'Rendez-a-Dieu' to receive a worthy Catholic text.  The first verse of 'Bread of the world in mercy broken' by Reginald Heber is beautiful.  Unfortunately, the text is a posthumous one finished by a Protestant friend who did not share Heber's perspective on the theology.  I was asked to try to do something with the text.  I kept one verse that was clearly by Reginald Heber.  I provided three verses that would echo the original but speak in explicitly Catholic terms.  When printed with 'Rendez-a-Dieu' the text appears as though it is two verses long though it is actually four verses in length.  

The following is a .jpg image file. Click on the hymn below to see it in larger format.

The copyright of the text is under Creative Commons 2009 by Vincent Wm Uher III, reprint permission granted with author attribution.

Hymn for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

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I am most happy to share with you my hymn for the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6th) set to a beautiful new tune by Noel Jones.  The tune 'GALVESTON ISLAND' was named for the island I called 'home' for many years and where I wrote the words to this hymn.  This hymn and several more of mine are included in The Catholic Choirbook Anthology I which may be purchased via this Link.  A collection of 62 Motets and Anthems from The Catholic Choirbooks 1-5 plus 57 hymns old and new in one book for use by choirs, this Anthology is a genuine treasury of magnificent music for directors of music, organists, and choirs in the Catholic Church.  Certainly the choral music and hymns would prove valuable for Episcopalian and Anglican choirs as well as some Lutheran and Methodist ones.

The image below is linked to a PDF of the hymn located on the CMAA's MusicaSacra.com website.  As with all of my hymns, I pray that this hymn will be used by many congregations and parishes.  The text was written in Thanksgiving for the Revd Fr James Moore, PhD and his priesthood.  Father Moore is the founding pastor of Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Church - Anglican Use, Houston, Texas.  Now in his retirement Father Moore remains dearly loved by his former congregation.  I remain deeply grateful to him for being the one who first welcomed me and then received me into Holy Mother Church.

+Laus Deo!

My Hymn for Transfiguration

Hymn useful  for Transfiguration, Lent 2 (RC) &  Last Epiphany (Anglican)

O Christ the King, the royal banners rise.

Thy Cross, thy standard we raise to the skies,

And hail thee, “Lord!” and bow before thine eyes.

Praise to Jesus! All praise and glory!

Transfigured thou upon the mountain’s height

Revealed the glory of the Bridegroom’s face

And showed to them thy purpose and thy Light.

Praise to Jesus! All praise and glory!

The Cross, thy throne where thou wast lifted high

Embracing all the broken world’s dark heart

Till blood & water gushed when pierced was thine.

Praise to Jesus! All praise and glory!

Death could not hold thee, nor a tomb contain,

O Love and Life, who now from heav’n dost reign,

The King of kings, the Lord who healeth pain.

Praise to Jesus! All praise and glory!

____________________________
Copyright © 2007 by Vincent Uher

Noel Jones' beautiful new tune 'GALVESTON ISLAND' was written for this hymn text: PDF CLICK HERE.

The tune and text are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, text by Vincent Uher, tune by Noel Jones.  This permits copying and sharing except for commercial purposes. Text originally ©2007 Vincent Uher.

Also, this text may be sung to the tune Sine Nomine

+Laus Deo!

I had a great friend in the late Right Reverend Leopoldo Jesus Alard, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. In 2003 after learning of his death, I sat down and wrote this hymn text as an expression of my filial love for a wonderful spiritual father, and I hoped to shine a light on the very genuine living martyrdom he endured for Jesus' sake.

Having had some recent requests for it, I feel it is the right time to make it more easily available via this blog. Made popular again at the end of the 20th century coupled with Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith's marvellous poem "Tell Out My Soul", the tune 'WOODLANDS' by Greatorex is known by Christians of all sorts of backgrounds. Set to my text the tune is strong, bright and uplifting. Certainly a more contemplative tune would also work.

As with all my hymns I pray they please the Blessed Trinity and are useful to the Church. And for you, gentle reader, I ask God to impart to you blessings and graces to press on in the upward call of Christ our God.

TO PARADISE

To Paradise may angels lead you home.
The arms of Christ enfold you in his love.
The hosts of heav'n and all saints sing with joy
to welcome you, true friend of Christ our God.

Bearing your cross, you suffered for his sake,
strong as a lion, gentle as a lamb.
Your witness shines from earth to heav'n above.
Christ calls your name, "Well done, my faithful one."

All shall be well. Rest in the peace of God
and rise in glory in the Day of Christ.
All shall be well, and all things turned to joy
when reunited we will see the Lord.

Tune: Woodlands (Greatorex)
Words: Copyright © 2003, 2010 by Vincent Uher.

Please write to me for reprint permissions by email: vuher@alumni.rice.edu

+Laus Deo!

Hymn to Jesus

It seemed to me a good time to post this hymn again. Christe eleison imas.


Jesus, Son of Mary,
David's heir, we praise thee.
King and High Priest, we acclaim thee:
Splendour of the heavens
As a tiny baby
Child divine of our dear Lady!
Earth doth stand
In thy hand
Past and future holding,
Love and grace enfolding.

Jesus, raised by Joseph,
Master of construction,
Artist and source of instruction.
Worker of great wonders,

To life raising Lazarus,
Bearer of our sins and sadness.
Nails and cross,
Blood and loss,
Sacrifice and mystery --
Masterpiece of mercy.

Jesus Christ, now risen,
In thy mercy listen
To our needs and each petition.
Show us how to serve thee
At this urgent hour.
How we need thy grace and power!
Earth still spins
Mired in sins.
People God-defying.
Innocents are crying.

Jesus, good Physician,
Heal thy Church we pray thee.
By thy Blood defend her daily.
Purify the nations.
Cleanse the ranks of shepherds.
Wash away all false endeavours.
Let us be
One with thee,
Will and purpose pleasing,
Heart and soul appealing.


Words: Copyright © 2002 Vincent Wm. Uher III.
Music: Tysk

When You in Silence Speak

God, do You hear our prayers

God, do You hear our prayers
Or answer what we pray?
Sometimes it feels as if we are alone today.
So now we seek to understand
Your silence and Your outstretched hand.

Waiting is not our strength
While fears or anger rise.
When illness strikes or when one of our people dies,
Our hearts are stirred by loss and grief,
And hope seems stolen by a thief.

Yet what we learned we know
And here we must proclaim
That no disaster breaks the power of that great Name
Of Jesus Christ who has endured
All that we suffered or deserved.

When You in silence speak
Help us then to rephrase
Our prayers and pattern them to follow Jesus' ways.
So now we dare as did Your Son
to pray Your perfect will be done.

Words: Copyright © 2001 by Vincent Uher.

Tune: 'LOVE UNKNOWN' by John Ireland

Meter: 66 66 44 44

Please feel free to use this in your parish or congregation reprinting it as I have written it and with my copyright notice. Also, feel free to share it with others who may find it helpful in the face of a disaster or a personal tragedy. I only ask that the text be reproduced in its entirety with my copyright. May the Lord bless us all with His peace.

+Laus Deo.

A Hymn of Humble Access

In the Anglican traditional Liturgy, the Prayer of Humble Access has gone through various revisions (as well as outright substistution with a fine contemporary prayer: 'Most merciful Lord, your love compels us to come in. Our hands were unclean, our hearts were unprepared ...' -- a fine prayer that deserves use in the future formularies of the Anglican Ordinariates within the Roman Catholic Communion). This prayer of approach to the sacred mysteries is defining for the Anglican spirit as well as the Anglican patrimony.

Drawing inspiration from said Prayer of Humble Access, I decided to write a few hymn-texts to explore the themes of the prayer as well as other catholic particulars in Anglo-Catholic eucharistic theology. My intention was for this first hymn to be sung as the People came forward to kneel and receive the Sacrament. I believe within Roman Catholic use it could be sung as well by the assembly after all have received the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The text I post below became known as my Hymn of Humble Access although it is only the first of seven hymns inspired by that great prayer of priest and people. It has always been sung to 'ENGELBERG', but I encourage composers to consider it for a new tune. In publishing the text here, my hope is to share it with all Christians who would like to use it, and so I grant permission for Christian parishes or congregations to reproduce it without alteration and including my Copyright. May Christ bless the reading and singing of this hymn:

A Hymn of Humble Access

Lord, we do not presume to come to thee
As equals or as those of high degree,
But on our knees we cry and sing to thee.
Alleluia!

Great is our Lord who heals the broken heart,
Who saves the weak and bids us do our part
To conquer evil and God's love impart.
Alleluia!

Lord Jesus Christ, we know the time is near
For that great day when thou wilt soon appear.
By thy good Spirit help us persevere.
Alleluia!

O help us grow in living faith and grace
Until we see thy Mercy face to face,
And with thy Saints in Glory take our place.
Alleluia!

Words: Copyright © 1995 by Vincent Uher. All rights reserved.
Tune: Engelberg
Metre: 10 10 10 with Alleluia

+Laus Deo.

Stephenmas

Grant us, O Lord, to learn to love our enemies,
by the example and intercession
of thy holy martyr Stephen,
who prayed to thee for his persecutors;
who liveth and reigneth with thee
and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

Inspired by a variation on the 1549 BCP Collect for Saint Stephen, I had written a new hymn text for Stephenmas in 2008 but unfortunately it seems to have perished in the waters of Hurricane Ike which destroyed my home on Galveston Island in the same years. It is now almost 2010 and the words from that text are beginning to arise again in my mind -- no small fete after strokes (in the plural) and neurodegenerative brain atrophy! So, my friends, I credit the reappearance of that hymn albeit fragmentary as a grace received through Saint Stephen who was one of my childhood heroes.

There is a magnificent hymn by Adam of St. Victor translated by J.M. Neale (of blessed memory):

Yesterday, with exultation,
Join'd the world in celebration
Of her promised Saviour's birth;
Yesterday the Angel-nation
Pour'd the strains of jubilation
O'er the Monarch born on earth;

But today o'er death victorious,
By his faith and actions glorious,
by his miracles renown'd,
See the Deacon triumph gaining,
'Midst the faithless faith sustaining,
First of holy Martyrs found.

Some may ask, Why write a new hymn when there is already one so brilliantly rendered? At root such a question -- which gets asked with some frequency -- speaks to a kind of divorce in the questioner's mind with regard to his or her own creativity. When we realise we are all called to a creative synthesis of our faith and talents and life, then it becomes clear that each poet will write his own poem, each needlepoint worker will create her own tapestry work, each cook her own recipe, each chef his own pastry, and so on. The genius of another does not render the rest of the world silent and motionless, but rather genuine genius leads to a kind of Pentecost event inspiring others in their own turn and in their own right. The painter inspires other painters, the dancer inspires other dancers. The athlete inspires aspiring athletes. The saint inspires others to be holy. And the hero inspires others to be heroic.

I never turned much to the traditional sources of childhood heroes in the world today. I suppose in part that was due to my maternal grandmother who told me about Jesus and the great saints; and, indeed she was the one who introduced me in the most personal and touching terms to the Blessed Virgin Mary during the difficult time when I was five years old and my young father suffered stroke and was in hospital.

I recall the way my Grandmother tenderly and simply comforted me by inviting me to tell the Blessed Mother everything in my heart. I begged Holy Mother Mary to return to my father to me ... a desperate cry, a prayer I had already begged of Jesus the Lord. God did indeed return my father to me alive -- a genuine miracle! -- plus with nearly an 100 % recovery, a second miracle to be sure. Following that experience, I wanted to know whatever I could learn about the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, the Little Flower, St. Frances Cabrini, and all others that filled my Grandmother's world. It was that world where we were never alone but always helped and encouraged by the saints of God ... it was that world of Christ's saints which I wished to inhabit all the days of my life.

Starting simply I remember singing Good King Wenceslaus and learning from my paternal grandparents about St. Wenceslaus and also St. Stephen the Martyr. "Upon the Feast of Stephen" -- a small line -- but one filled with mystery and interest for me, and in the succeeding years I tried to learn all I could about St. Stephen.

"He was the first martyr in the world!" -- I still recall the great excitement of realising that the good saint was the very first one ... and oh! was that powerfully important to me. The men named Vincent in my family (of which I was the third Vincent William) were named for Saint Vincent the Martyr, of Saragossa, Proto-Martyr of Spain. And thus, the martyrs became the great heroes and heroines of childhood, and of my spiritual life and finally of my artistic imagination.

I have tried to relate in very simple words the great sweep of years in which I have grown to know St. Stephen more deeply. Fascinating it is that -- should I be called by anything other than 'Vincent' by someone who does not know me well -- invariably they call me 'Stephen'. This has continued to the present day and at times has had the variation of someone insisting that my middle name is 'Michael' not 'William' ... but that is a tale for another day.

Writing a hymn for S. Stephen has been very important to me, but I have never been truly satisfied with my results. I pray this Stephenmas I may be able to continue writing that special hymn in earnest and have something useful by the Feast of S. Stephen in 2010. Until then I offer the following hymn of mine for All Saints which is well suited to this 'candled season'. It can be sung to the oft used tune 'WINCHESTER NEW', but I sincerely hope it will come to be sung to the new tune written for it by the brilliant musician Noel Jones. The new tune 'TYBURN' was composed for this text, and I am profoundly grateful to Noel Jones for the honour of this marvellous tune for my poem 'Bright Torches in the Darkest Night'.

Bright torches in the darkest night,
The saints of God as lights yet shine.
Lord, let our witness rise with theirs,
And through their prayers give grace divine.

A dimly burning wick were we,
But now our faith fills with thy fire
For thou art all consuming love —
Thy perfect will our hearts desire.

Unite thy saints through every age
And cleansed from sin lift us above,
O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
One God in glory, one in love. Amen.
____________________________
Copyright © 2006 by Vincent Uher
This may be sung to the tune Winchester New

+Laus Deo.

Lo, How She Brings Life With Her

The Visitation by Brigid Marlin

"Lo, How She Brings Life With Her" is a hymn-text I wrote for the Feast of the Visitation and also for the Fourth Sunday in Advent in Year C of the Lectionary for the Ordinary Form. The first link below gives you my words set to a tune that was once much loved by Episcopalians in the USA and Anglicans elsewhere. The second link below is the same text set to a marvellous new tune by Noel Jones. There is also a setting to the rather well known tune Wie lieblich ist der Maien.

Lo, How She Brings Life With Her -- tune: Far Off Lands

Lo, How She Brings Life With Her -- tune: Ein Kerem (Noel Jones)

Noel Jones requested a suggestion for the name of the new tune, and I offered 'EIN KEREM' which is the village of St. Elisabeth and the place where I wrote down the very first ideas for this text. I love the new tune and hope parishes and congregations will make use of both my words and Noel's tune.

As so many are travelling, I pray for everyone complete safety under the protection of St. Raphael the Archangel. And as we journey to that place where we will keep Christ Mass, let us remember St. Mary the Virgin and St. Joseph the Carpenter and give thanks to God for their humility and for the part they play uniquely in the salvation of our souls through their beloved Jesus, Messiah, Saviour, Lord. God love you all !

Creative Commons and Copyright Issues

I have been slow to recognise the potential in changes in the copyright laws in the USA and the UK. The copyright option known as Creative Commons Attribution - Non-commercial is really what I have been looking for.

I have never asked for a license fee or use fee for my hymn texts. I felt the Living God wanted me to use His gift to make these texts gifts available for the entire Church and for all people.

With that in mind I will be reposting my hymns to this blog with the updated copyright information.

Some friends and family would like me to post more frequently to this blog. It is a good way to let the ones I love know that I am still alive and kicking.

God bless the Church, and God save the nations. Amen.

Examining the conscience ...

From John and Charles Wesley:

Depth of mercy! can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear -
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

Now inlcine me to repent;
Let me now my sins lament;
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.

There for me the Saviour stands,
Holding forth His wounded hands;
God is love! I know, I feel,
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Laus Deo. +

Hymn for the Year of Priestly Jubilee

Annus Sacerdotalis

In honor of
The Most Reverend Edward James Slattery
Bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa
And in honor of Father Mark Daniel Kirby and
The Adorers of the Eucharistic Face of Jesus, O.S.B.

Friends of Christ, O royal priesthood,
Sing God’s praise for every priest –
Strong and faithful, weak or lonely –
From the greatest to the least.
Brother priests of the Good Shepherd
Called to live the Lamb’s high feast,
Witness to your love of Jesus,
Lord and Master, Great High Priest.

Take the Cross upon your shoulder.
Place your mind within your heart.
Make of Christ your perfect model.
Walk His steps and learn His art.
Beat down Satan with each footstep.
Fight to free each captive soul
Till the world’s deceits and pleasures
Are no longer mankind’s goal.

Learn from Mary Blessed Mother;
Ponder in your hearts God’s grace:
How Christ makes His living presence
Real to feed the human race –
The Atonement raised to heaven
Through the holy hands of priests
For the life of all creation
Christ’s own life, His Heart, His peace.

Forward go the royal banners
Of our Eucharistic King.
The Wise Virgins follow closely
Lamps of seven in offering.
Priests of God guide Christ’s lay faithful
To bring forth their gifts and lights
And to call both friend and stranger
To the Way of Jesus Christ.

Now behold the Cross illumined
By the Uncreated Light.
See your Lord alive and risen
Calling you to share His life
And around Him all assembled
Martyred priests and Saints of God
Calling all of us together
To the Wedding Feast of God.

Copyright © 2009 Vincent William Uher III

Noel Jones has written a beautiful new tune for this text
which can be found HERE.

Other Suggested Tunes:
Ode to Joy (Beethoven)
Beach Spring
Chartres (Hymnal 1940)
In Babilone (Dutch melody)
Hyfrydol
Meter: 8 7 8 7 D

Hymn for the Visitation

Dear friends in Christ,

It is my sincere desire that this text be shared widely and used freely. Please feel free to post it on your blogs or email it to friends. I give permission for its use provided that my copyright notice is kept intact and that no words are altered.

Our Lady of the Sign, pray for us!

God bless us one and all,

Vincent Uher

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?"

The Mother of her Lord, yes,
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 William Uher III

A hymn for Visitation, Fourth Advent, and the Nativity of St. John Baptist

This may be sung to the Bohemian Brethren tune Far Off Lands

or to the lovely tune Wie lieblich ist der Maien

ALL GLORY BE TO GOD ON HIGH

Though my house is in ruins, my neighbourhood destroyed, and my City suffering in so many ways, yet my heart is supremely grateful to God Most High for preserving our lives and giving so many an opportunity to begin anew, should they take these grave troubles, raise them up to God in prayer, and receive the gift of His transformation of everything into His Glory and His Kingdom. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

All glory be to God on high!
Peace, laud, and joy be our reply
To angels singing in the sky.
Praise Jesus Christ, true light from light.
Tender his love and great his might,
Christ Jesus, saviour, our delight.

O Word and Wisdom, thee we name,
Jesus the infant, God the same.
Praise and all worship to thy Name.
Son of blest Mary, spotless Lamb,
High Priest most holy, Great I AM,
Receive our lives into thy hand.

Praise God for Joseph, sainted man,
Brave Guardian of God’s saving plan,
Protector of the God-made-man.
Praise God for Mary Mother true,
Faithful to Jesus her life through,
Mother of God, our Mother too.

Lord Jesus Christ, most holy Lord,
With thy blest Spirit be adored
In God’s own glory here outpoured.
Joy now to hear thine infant cries!
Hope of the simple and the wise!
Love from all souls to thee arise!



© 2008 by Vincent Wm. Uher III



TUNE: OLD 113th
(O Mensch, bewein), Strassburger Kirchenamt, 1525
88.88.88

The Lord will not bless warfare conceived by human greed

The Lord will not bless warfare conceived by human greed.
Christ never blesses violence, but turns to human need :
he sets his face against war that harms humanity
and raises up peacemakers with his integrity.


Christ saves the homeless victim for whom Earth was not home.
He rescues yet the righteous and saves each broken soul.
Christ weighs the works of nations and sees all lies laid bare.
He judges leaders, empires and peoples unaware.


The Lord of all the ages -- who loves both small and great --
insists we love creation, choose peace not wars of hate;
demands we turn from evil and walk his Way alone --
Christ's love of every person, our Gospel to make known.


© 2008 by Vincent Uher


Suggested Tunes: Blairgowrie, King's Lynn, Passion Chorale (O Sacred Head)

Father Andrew of East London

anglo-catholic Church of England monk

These days there are very, very few who remember Father Andrew. I suspect this has a great deal to do with the scattering and expulsion of anglo-catholics from the Anglican Communion. My intention with this post is to shine light on two of his poems that would make marvellous hymns. The first poem entitled "The Sacred Wounds" is very simple and straightforward. The impulse within it, of the soul seeking blessing so as to entirely serve Christ, is very similar to the type of prayer known generally as a Wesleyan or Methodist Covenant Prayer. The second entitled "Laudamus" is a splendid hymn of praise.

THE SACRED WOUNDS by Father Andrew

O DEAREST Lord, Thy sacred Brow

With thorns was pierced for me :

O pour Thy blessing on my head,

That I may think for Thee.

O dearest Lord, Thy sacred Hands

With nails were pierced for me ;

O send Thy blessing on my hands,

That they may work for Thee.

O dearest Lord, Thy sacred Feet

With nails were pierced for me ;

O send Thy blessing on my feet,

That they may follow Thee.

O dearest Lord, Thy sacred Heart

With spear was pierced for me :

O shed Thy blessing on my heart,

That I may live for Thee.

One cannot help but make the connexion to the Theresian Carmel and St. Teresa of Ávila's own words of commission to her sisters.

LAUDAMUS by Father Andrew

PRAISE we our God, for we are His creation !

Naught life can bring should make His sons afraid.

Keep we our souls for Him a pure oblation :

In His own perfect Image we were made.

Praise we the Saviour for His great salvation !

We are the purchase of His precious Blood;

He King and Priest of God's own holy nation,

Himself our Leader, and Himself our Food.

Praise we the Spirit, Comforter indwelling !

Lifting our lives to ways of righteousness.

Praise we the love of God, all love excelling !

Live we in love with God's own loveliness.

As I have said before I believe a local musician knows best which tune to pair with what text so that an unfamiliar text may be given a chance being buoyed aloft by a locally familiar tune. Sometimes though a new tune is the best partner for a text, and I am of the opinion that a tune named SADIE, the copyright of which is held by Selah Publishing in the USA, is the perfect partner for Father Andrew's poem on the Wounds of Our Lord.

+Ora pro nobis.