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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Beautiful Saviour, Mightiest in Mercy

Many of my hymn-texts have begun as poems. I thought today I would give an example with a recent poem of mine that rather easily converted into the regular meter for an hymn. First I will give my poem, and then will follow the hymn version in 11.11.11.5. meter. And by the way, I do like my hymn version sung to Richard Dirksen's Decatur Place or David Hurd's Mighty Savior.


O Mightiest in Mercy

Beautiful Saviour, Mightiest in Mercy,
Light piercing darkness, Joy beyond all sorrow,
Wounded for healing, Dying for our saving,
.....................Sinless Victim and High Priest.

Son of the Father, Child of Mary Mother,
Just Joseph's dear boy, Cause of Great John's leaping,
Mary's Deliverer, Truest friend to Lazarus,
.....................True God from God, our High King.

All laud we bring now praising our Belovèd,
Christ Jesus, Saviour, Victor, and Redeemer
Judge of the Living, Judge of the departed,
.....................Come quickly, Jesus. Come.

© 2007 by Vincent Uher. All Rights Reserved.



The Hymn: Beautiful Saviour, Mightiest in Mercy

Beautiful Saviour, Mightiest in Mercy,
Light piercing darkness, Joy beyond all sorrow,
Wounded for healing, Dying for our saving,
.....................Victim and High Priest.

Son of the Father, Child of Mary Mother,
Just Joseph's dear boy, Cause of Great John's leaping,
Mary's Deliverer, Truest friend to Lazarus,
.....................True God, our High King.

All laud we bring now praising our Belovèd,
Christ Jesus, Saviour, Victor, and Redeemer
Judge of the Living, Judge of the departed,
.....................Come quickly, Jesus.

Words: © 2007 by Vincent Uher. All Rights Reserved.
Other Excellent Suggested tunes:
Iste Confessor
Oblation (which is Crueger's "Lobet den Herren" ),
Coelites Plaudant (Rouen)

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.