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There are many female authors of hymns outside the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Genevieve Mary Irons is an English hymn writer whose work has found favour with Methodists, Lutherans, Anglicans and others. Her 1884 volume of hymns 'Corpus Christi' included hymns having to do with the Eucharist and the gift of Holy Communion and was for a time a very popular devotional volume.
Today few of her hymns make it into modern hymnals, but verses from the following text are found in the newest Service Book of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in North America showing that an awareness of her writing gift continues to this day. I include the text below because it seems a good devotional companion to Lent worthy of contemplation and prayer.
Drawn to the Cross which Thou hast blest,
With healing gifts for souls distrest,
To find in Thee my Life, my Rest,
Christ crucified, I come.
Stained with the sins which I have wrought
In word and deed and secret thought;
For pardon which Thy Blood hath bought,
Christ crucified, I come.
Weary of selfishness and pride,
False pleasures gone, vain hopes denied,
Deep in Thy wounds my shame to hide,
Christ crucified, I come.
Thou knowest all my griefs and fears,
Thy grace abused, my misspent years;
Yet now to Thee, for cleansing tears,
Christ crucified, I come.
I would not, if I could, conceal
The ills which only Thou canst heal;
So to the Cross, where sinners kneel,
Christ crucified, I come.
Wash me, and take away each stain,
Let nothing of my sin remain;
For cleansing, though it be through pain,
Christ crucified, I come.
To share with Thee Thy life divine,
Thy very likeness to be mine,
Since Thou hast made my nature Thine,
Christ crucified, I come.
To be what Thou wouldst have me be,
Accepted, sanctified in Thee,
Through what Thy grace shall work in me,
Christ crucified, I come.
Genevieve Mary Irons
1855-1928
