HYMNS

WEDNEDAY VESPERS HYMNS

Prayer to the suffering Christ

I fall in adoration at your feet, Lord! I thank you, God of goodness;
God of holiness, I invoke you,
on my knees, in your sight. . .
For me, an unworthy sinner,
you have willed to undergo the death of the cross, setting me free from the bonds of evil.
What shall I offer you in return for your generosity?
Glory to you, friend of men!
Glory to you, most merciful!
Glory to you, most patient!
Glory to you who forgive sin!
Glory to you who have come to save us!
Glory to you who have been made man in the womb of a Virgin!
Glory to you who have been bound!
Glory to you who have been scourged!
Glory to you who have been derided!
Glory to you who have been nailed to the cross!
Glory to you, laid in the sepulchre, but risen again!
Glory to you who have preached the Gospel to men and have been believed!
Glory to you who have ascended to heaven!
Glory to you, seated at the right hand of the Father
and who will return with him, in majesty, among the angels, to judge those who have disregarded your passion!
The powers of heaven will be shaken;
all the angels and archangels, the cherubim and seraphim will appear in fear and trembling before your glory;
the foundations of the earth will quake
and all that has life will cry out before your majesty.

In that hour let your hand draw me beneath your wings, and save me from the terrible fire, from the gnashing of teeth, from the outer darkness and from despair without end. That I may sing to your glory:
glory to him who through his merciful goodness
has designed to redeem the sinner.

Ephrem Syrus

In praise of the Cross

O Cross, ineffable love of God and glory of heaven!
O Cross; eternal salvation;
O Cross, terror of the reprobate.
O Cross, support of the just, light of Christians,
for you, God became a slave in the flesh, here on earth; by your means, man in God is crowned king in heaven;
from you streams the true light, victorious over accursed night. You gave believers power to make
the pantheon of the nations quake;
you are the soul of peace
that unites men in Christ the mediator;
you are the ladder for man to climb to heaven.
Be always for us, your faithful, both pillar and anchor;
watch over our homes, set the course of our ship.
In the Cross may our faith remain strong,
and there be our crown prepared.

Paulinus of Nola

Hymn to the Cross

The regal banners now advance, now shines the mystery of the cross on which the Creator of mankind made man, was raised on high to die.

With arms fast bound and nailed hands the cross-piece fixed, we now behold the sign of our redemption there where Clemency the victim makes.

His side, sore wounded by the point, transpiercing, of the cruel lance,
to cleanse the world from sinful stain pours blood and water from the wound.

Now is the prophecy fulfilled
of David speaking with such truth when to the nations he foretold that God would reign upon a tree.

O shining and majestic tree adorned with regal mantle now, most noble trunk, chosen to bear limbs of such great sanctity.

O blessed tree, that with your arms support the Saviour of the world a balance for that flesh divine that snatched away the prey of hell.

From your bark a perfume breathes in sweetness surpassing nectar far, proudly you bear the fertile fruit while shouts acclaim his triumph now.

From the glory of the Passion praise to the altar and Victim blest in passion, undergoing death, with death, restoring life again.

Hail cross, our one and only hope, in this our time of mourning, grant that all the faithful grow in grace and sinners have their guilt forgiven.

O Trinity, the source of life,
all spirits sing their praise to you.
To those time-bound give comfort still, who by the cross have been redeemed.

Venantius Fortunatus

Prayer to obtain forgiveness

Pardon, Lord; pardon your people
whom you have redeemed with your blood, O Christ; may your anger not weigh upon us.

We pray you for your infinite clemency; turn away your wrath from this city and turn from this holy house.

We have sinned against you
and you have been angry with us
and no one can flee from your punishments.

We have sinned against you, O Lord, we have sinned.
Be merciful to us, set us free from ills which every day fall upon us.

Pardon, O Lord, the sins of your people, according to your infinite generosity.

You once showed kindness to our fathers: be merciful to us and your glory
will shine out in our lives.

Pardon, O Lord, those who have sinned; give your grace to those who repent; have pity on us who pray to you,
O Christ, Saviour of the world.

Jesus, look upon us and have pity. Amen.

Hibernian-Celtic hymnody

Ode to Christ the Saviour

Christ Incarnate makes me worthy of God, Christ humbled for me, raises me high, Christ, the giver of life,
suffering in human nature,
makes me impassive.
And so, I sing a hymn of thanksgiving,
to him who is glorified.

Christ crucified raises me high,
Christ who is slain makes me rise again with him;
Christ gives me life.
And so, clapping my hands with joy,
I sing to the Saviour a hymn of victory,
to him who is glorified.

Cosmas of Maiuma

Ode to Christ crucified

By the tree of the cross
you have healed the bitterness of the tree, and have opened Paradise to men.
Glory be to you, Lord!
Now we are no longer prevented.
from coming to the tree of life;
we have hope in your cross.
Glory be to you, Lord!
O Immortal One, nailed to the wood,
you have triumphed over the snares of the devil. Glory be to you, Lord!.

You, who for my sake have submitted
to being placed on the cross,
accept my vigilant celebration of praise,
O Christ, God, Friend of men.
Lord of the heavenly armies,.
who knows my carelessness of soul,
save me by your cross,
O Christ, God, Friend of men.
Brighter than fire, more luminous than flame,
have you shown the wood of your cross, O Christ.
Burn away the sins of the sick and enlighten the hearts of those who, with hymns, celebrate
your voluntary crucifixion.
Christ, God, glory to you!
Christ, God,
who for us accepted a sorrowful crucifixion,
accept all who sing hymns to your passion,
and save us.

Byzantine liturgy

Plea for protection

With the seal of the cross,
impressed with your blood,
with which we have been baptized
to make us ready for adoption,
you have modelled us into the image of your glory:
By all these divine gifts:
satan be put to confusion, his plots overturned,
his snares evaded, the enemy vanquished,
his sharp weapons repelled,
light shine through the gloom,
darkness be dispelled,
mists fade away.
Would that your arms might receive us
into your protection,
your right hand press its seal upon us.
You are indeed full of love and clemency
and your name is invoked over your faithful.
To you, together with the Father
through the Holy Spirit,
be glory and majesty through all ages. Amen.

Gregory of Narek

Communion chant

You, who once spoke to Moses
on mount Sinai,
have received from an immaculate Virgin flesh that is free from all sin.

You who once pastured Israel, now feed on the milk of a Mother who has not known man.
A marvellous happening!

You who once punished kings now save yourself from a king by flight intoEgypt.

You, seated in majesty [on a high throne] were laid in a manger
retaining all your dignity.

And now, full of faith,
we praise the Mother and sing to the Son.

He who in heaven is God and has no mother,
has descended to earth and lived as though motherless.

To you be the glory!

Fragment from an ancient Eucharistic liturgy

Communion chant

Let us invoke Christ.
The sacred Body of Christ! The lamb of God,
the sacred Body of him who died for our salvation!

The sacred Body of him
who revealed the mystery of grace of the new covenant
to his disciples.

The sacred Body which washed with water
the feet of the apostles, and with the Spirit washed their souls.

The sacred Body which pardoned the penitent woman; the sacred Body whose blood makes us clean.

The sacred body which
received the kiss of betrayal; the sacred Body which loved the world so much
as to accept even death on a cross.

We bless and glorify your name.

Fragment from an ancient Eucharistic liturgy

Communion chant

He has given them a heavenly bread
and man has eaten the bread of angels.
He has given them a heavenly bread
we have received a bread of blessing:
the Body of Christ and his precious Blood.
The Lord. . . then took the bread,
and a saving drink, the chalice of life.
We have received the holy bread.
Let us bless the Lord who has done great things on all the earth. All the people, praise the Lord,
exult with joy in the Lord, O you just:
you have received the Body and Blood of Christ.
We give you thanks, O Christ, our God,
because you have deigned to share with us
your Body and your Blood, O Saviour;
you have drawn to yourself our hearts. . .

Fragment from an ancient Eucharistic liturgy

Communion chant

Your sacrament, Lord Jesus Christ,
gives life
and the remission of sins;
you have suffered the passion for our sake.

For us you have drunk gall to take from us all bitterness;

you have drunk a bitter wine for us to lift us from our weariness;

you have been despised for us,
that the dew of immortality might be poured upon us;

you have been beaten with scourges to ensure to our frailty eternal life;

you have been crowned with thorns that your faithful might be crowned with the evergreen laurels of love;

you have been wrapped in a winding sheet that we might be clothed in your strength;

you were laid in the tomb
that in a new age loving kindness might again be granted to us.

Fragment from an ancient eucharistic liturgy