At A Wedding Feast In Cana : Anglican Patrimony

+

At a wedding feast in Cana

Jesus, Mary, and their friends

joined to celebrate a marriage-

covenant which on Love depends.

And the party it went on

till the bowls of wine were gone.

Mary nudged her Son Christ Jesus,

urged him to step up and please us.

"Dearest woman, let's have no show.

You know well it's not my time."

Mary smiled and told the servants,

"Follow all his words sublime.

Do whatever he may say.

It's the way he'll save the day."

And the servants did her bidding

and to Jesus all were listening.

Jesus guided all their actions

and turned water into wine.

How amazing this great wonder

his first miracle and sign!

It was not to raise the dead

or to heal as it is said,

but to keep a party going --

this his first and wondrous showing.

Let us hearken then to Mary

and do all that Christ shall say.

Heal the sick and feed the hungry,

love the living of each day.

Walk on water when we must,

make disciples of the lost.

Raise the dead and banish demons.

Preach and teach through all the seasons.

Praise and worship to the Father

Laud and glory to the Son,

For the Holy Spirit muster

songs of joy on every tongue.

With Our Lady walk the way

leading to Christ's glorious day

when the faithful rise to meet him

and rejoicing we will greet him!

Words: Copyright © 1998 by Vincent Uher. All rights reserved.

Music: Genevan Psalm 42 ("Comfort, Comfort, ye my people")

Meter: 87877788

O Christ The King, The Royal Banners : Anglican Patrimony

+ 

This hymn text was written in honour of The Revd Fr James T Moore, PhD, 

Founding Pastor, The Catholic Church of Our Lady of Walsingham (Anglican Use), 

Houston, Texas, in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

+ 

Click on the image below to enlarge it.

+Laus Deo!

"Christ Is Our Hope Whom We Have Seen" : Anglican Patrimony

+

Click on each image below in order to enlarge it.

 

2

 +

Bread of the World

+

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.

A Bit of Verse before Nightfall

By Vincent Uher


After Compline

Lord God, when I upon my bed,
forgotten, to the world as dead,
you come to me, my life-long Friend,
oh, Jesus, stay with me.

The light of evening lingering,
a joy, like flame now uprising,
you breathe into my soul a spring,
oh, Jesus, stay with me.

Soon moon and stars will shine above.
I rest here cradled in your love
till dawns the day we go beyond,
oh, Jesus, stay with me.


Copyright © 2010 by Vincent Wm Uher III

The image of a pastel in this post is by Doug Dawson and is entitled
"In the Gentle Light of the Window"

+Laus Deo!

"Sing of Mary, Blest is She"

My hymn text "Sing of Mary, Blest is She" has proven more and more popular over the years since I first wrote it. I have not charged any fee to use it so long as it is not reproduced for commercial use. I simply wanted God's people to have it as freely as God inspired me to write it.

Here is a link to the text set to the well-known tune for 'Good King Wenceslas' that is TEMPUS ADEST FLORIDUM, Piae Cantiones:

Link to SING OF MARY, BLEST IS SHE

God bless all who shall sing this hymn and all who love the Holy Family!

+Laus Deo!

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.

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

CHRIST IS OUR HOPE

Written in honour of Irma Moré
and Our Lady of Walsingham Institutes of Catholic Culture Studies
at the time of the Apostolic Journey of Pope Benedict XVI to the USA


CHRIST is our hope whom we have seen
Each generation rising.
All human dreams are met in Him,
The substance of our longing.
He is the light in darkest night
Who calls us out with lamps alight
To work for God’s own glory.

Christ is the evidence of God,
The Love whose Name sustains us.
Let all the nations of the world
Receive the truth: Love saved us,
Love clothed in flesh in Mary’s womb,
Love raised again from out the tomb,
Love calling us to glory.

Faith, hope, and love are God’s own gift
To souls who seek Christ’s Wisdom.
The Spirit knows this age is dim:
We need the Mind of Jesus.
So God pours out both grace and power
Upon us all to face this hour,
We will make known God’s glory.

Praise be to Christ the Eternal Word
Throughout all ages reigning —
O glorious Spirit, Lord of Life,
Receive our heart’s thanksgiving —
To God Most High all glory be
For time and for eternity —
One God in endless glory.


Copyright © 2008 Vincent W. Uher III

SUGGESTED TUNES: MIT FREUDEN ZART or PALACE GREEN

The Visitation Hymn