Hymn for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

.

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!

St. Leo the Great, pray for us.

From the Office of Readings, Second Sunday in Lent, Pope St. Leo the Great on the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ:

The Lord reveals his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but he makes it shine with such splendour that his face becomes like the sun in glory, and his garments as white as snow.

The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.

With no less forethought he was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as his gift. the members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.

The Lord had himself spoken of this when he foretold the splendour of his coming: Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Saint Paul the apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared to the future glory that is to be revealed in us. In another place he says: You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

This marvel of the transfiguration contains another lesson for the apostles, to strengthen them and lead them into the fullness of knowledge. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, appeared with the Lord in conversation with him. This was in order to fulfil exactly, through the presence of these five men, the text which says: Before two or three witnesses every word is ratified. What word could be more firmly established, more securely based, than the word which is proclaimed by the trumpets of both old and new testaments, sounding in harmony, and by the utterances of ancient prophecy and the teaching of the Gospel, in full agreement with each other?

The writings of the two testaments support each other. The radiance of the transfiguration reveals clearly and unmistakably the one who had been promised by signs foretelling him under the veils of mystery. As Saint John says: The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. In him the promise made through the shadows of prophecy stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the one who teaches the truth of the prophecy through his presence, and makes obedience to the commandments possible through grace.

In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.
No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in him and in our love for him, we win the victory that he has won, we receive what he has promised.

When it comes to obeying the commandments or enduring adversity, the words uttered by the Father should always echo in our ears: This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him.

Mille grazie a Papa Z.
for reminding me of how glorious
the Latin of Pope St. Leo the Great is!

Behold our Lord transfigured

A beautiful post and original hymn by the beloved pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church (Anglican Use) in San Antonio, Texas, Fr. Christopher G. Phillips:

On a mountaintop in Lent

Click on the link above and treat yourself to something wonderful for the week of the Second Sunday in Lent!