PURIFICATION OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN
LORD, to Thy holy temple
Return, return again ;
Come back, and fill with glory
The hearts and ways of men :
Not as a lowly Infant,
Unnoticed and unknown,
But in the royal splendour
Of Thine eternal throne.
O Thou, whom we delight in,
The Messenger of love,
Come to Thy temple quickly
Back from Thy throne above:
But who may bide Thy coming,
Who hear Thy footstep's tread,
Who stand when Thou appearest,
Thou Judge of quick and dead?
Thy Spirit send before Thee,
Till every heart, restored
By His new life, adore Thee,
Their only God and Lord :
And make our offerings pleasant
As in the days of old,
And as in former happy years
Of which our fathers told.
Come back, and fill Thy temple,
Built up of human hearts,
With that abiding presence
Which never more departs :
prostrate nations
Come, where the
Before Thy feet shall fall;
Come, with Thy holy angels,
Come back the Lord of all.
LORD! pour Thy Spirit from on high,
And Thine ordainèd servants bless; Graces and gifts to each supply,
And clothe Thy priests with righteousness.
Within Thy temple when they stand
To teach the truth as taught by Thee,
Saviour, like stars in Thy right hand
Let all Thy Church's pastors be.
Wisdom and zeal and love impart,
Firmness and meekness, from above,
To bear Thy people on their heart,
And love the souls whom Thou dost love.
To watch and pray, and never faint,
By day and night their guard to keep,
To warn the sinner, cheer the saint,
To feed Thy lambs and tend Thy sheep.
So, when their work is finished here,
They may in hope their charge resign;
So, when their Master shall appear,
They may with crowns of glory shine.
HALL we not love thee, Mother dear,
Whom Jesus loves so well?
And, to His glory, year by year,
Thy joy and honour tell?
Bound with the curse of sin and shame
We helpless sinners lay,
Until in tender love He came
To bear the curse away.
And thee He chose from whom to take
True flesh His Flesh to be;
In It to suffer for our sake,
By It to make us free.
O wondrous depth of grace divine
That He should bend so low!
And, Mary, oh! what joy 'twas thine
In His dear love to know!
Jesu, the Virgin's holy Son,
We praise Thee and adore,
Who art with God the Father One,
And Spirit evermore.
SAINT MARK THE EVANGELIST
THOU, Who didst at Pentecost
Send down from heaven the Holy Ghost, That He might with Thy Church abide For ever, to defend and guide; Illuminate Thy servants, Lord, The preachers of Thy holy word.
O may Thy pastors faithful be,
Not labouring for themselves, but Thee:
Give grace to feed with wholesome food
Whom Thou hast purchased by Thy blood,
Thy sheep and lambs, and thus to prove
How dearly they the Shepherd love.
That which Thy holy Scriptures teach,
That, and that only, may they preach;
May they the true foundation lay,
Build gold thereon, not wood or hay ;
And meekly preach, in days of strife,
The sermon of a holy life.
'HOU art the Way; by Thee alone
From sin and death we flee;
And he who would the Father seek
Must seek Him, Lord, by Thee.
Thou art the Truth; Thy word alone
True wisdom can impart ;
Thou only canst inform the mind,
And purify the heart.
Thou art the Life; the opening tomb
Proclaims Thy conquering arm;
And those who put their trust in Thee
Nor death nor hell shall harm.
Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life ;
Grant us that way to know,
That truth to keep, that life to win
Whence joys eternal flow.
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