O purest of creatures! sweet Mother, sweet Maid;
The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid.
Dark night hath come down on us, Mother, and we
Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea.Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world.
And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurled;
And the tempest-tossed Church -- all her eyes are on thee.
They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea.He gazed on thy soul, it was spotless and fair;
For the empire of sin, it had never been there;
None had e'er owned thee, dear Mother, but He,
And He blessed thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea.Earth gave Him one lodging; `twas deep in thy breast,
And God found a home where the sinner finds rest;
His home and His hiding-place, both were in thee;
He was won by thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea.Oh, blissful and calm was the wonderful rest
That thou gavest thy God in thy virginal breast;
For the heaven He left He found heaven in thee,
And He shone in thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea.
F.W. Faber
O Thou, Who At Thy Eucharist Didst Pray
O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray
that all thy Church might be for ever one.
Grant us at every Eucharist to say,
with longing heart and soul, "Thy will be done".
O may we all one bread, one body be,
one through this sacrament of unity.For all thy Church, O Lord, we intercede;
make thou our sad divisions soon to cease;
draw us the nearer each to each, we plead,
by drawing all to thee, O Prince of peace;
thus may we all one bread, one body be,
one through this sacrament of unity.We pray thee too for wanderers from thy fold,
O bring them back, good shepherd of the sheep,
back to the faith which saints believed of old,
back to the Church which still that faith doth keep;
soon may we all one bread, one body be,
one through this sacrament of unity.So, Lord, at length when sacraments shall cease,
may we be one with all thy Church above,
one with thy saints in one unbroken peace,
one with thy saints in one unbounded love:
more blessed still, in peace and love to be
one with the Trinity in unity.
W.H. Turton
Our Lady of Good Succour,
In the city by the sea,
Where the Don flows down the valley
To greet the silver Dee,
The ashes of faith still smoulder
Where the fire of the faith has been:
Bring the old faith back to Scotland
Our Lady of Aberdeen.Our Lady of Good Succour,
In the country saints have trod,
While martyrs and brave confessors
Who gave their lives for God,
O hear the prayer of Columba,
Of Margaret, Saint and Queen:
Bring the old faith back to Scotland
Our Lady of Aberdeen.Our Lady of Good Succour,
The love of God grows cold
In a country that has forgotten
The saving truths of old;
But a brighter dawn is breaking
And a fairer hope is seen:
Bring the old faith back to Scotland
Our Lady of Aberdeen.Our Lady of Good Succour,
In the happy days of old
Men deck'd thy gracious image
With silver and with gold;
Though darker days succeeded
Thou still art Scotland's Queen,
Come back, come back to Scotland,
Our Lady of Aberdeen.
Mother F.A. Forbes, R.S.C.J.
Our Lady of Good Succour (Modernised Version)
Our Lady of Good Succour,
we raise our thoughts to thee,
where the Don flows down the valley
to greet the silver Dee.
Help us to foster bravely,
amid this beauteous scene,
a faith both deep and loving,
Our Lady of Aberdeen.Our Lady of Good Succour,
in the country saints have trod,
Saint John the brave Confessor
laid down his life for God;
with the zeal of great Columba
and Margaret, saint and queen,
inspire anew thy children,
Our Lady of Aberdeen.Our Lady of Good Succour,
may the love of God enfold
our people, and surround them
with gifts of grace untold.
May a brighter dawn be breaking,
and a fairer hope be seen
for our city and our nation,
Our Lady of Aberdeen.Our Lady of Good Succour,
once by this comely shore
men looked to thy protection
and favours would implore.
To serve thy Son still guide us,
O patroness serene;
for Scotland is thy kingdom,
Our Lady of Aberdeen.
Revised April `83, +MGC
Queen of the World, the stars around her spread,
Up on the summit of the world she stands.
Her heel is set upon the serpent's head,
And grace falls shining from her outstretched hands.Queen of all Pain and Sorrow, she implores
Our peace and healing with her dying Son;
And Queen of Glory, opening golden doors,
She gives the golden treasures He has won.For He has made her Mother of all lands,
And all our prayer she lifts above the sky,
And all our grace is favour from her hands,
Queen of our Intercession, hear our cry!Dark is the earth; our sins blot out the day,
and evil, armed, sits upon the height.
Though all things fail, unshaken still we pray;
Queen of the Dawning, rise upon our night!Queen of the World, the stars around her spread,
Up on the summit of the world she stands.
Firm is her foot upon the serpent's head,
O heal and bless us with those gentle hands!
Charles Fraser
Sing, My Tongue, The Saviour's Glory
Sing, my tongue, the Saviour's glory,(Tamtum ergo sacramentum)
Of His Flesh the mystery sing;
Of the Blood, all price exceeding,
Shed by our immortal King,
Destined, for the world's redemption,
From a noble womb to spring.Of a pure and spotless Virgin
Born for us on earth below,
He, as Man with man conversing,
Stay'd, the seeds of truth to sow;
Then He closed in solemn order
Wondrously His life of woe.On the night of that Last Supper,
Seated with His chosen band,
He the Paschal victim eating,
First fulfils the Law's command;
Then, as Food to His Apostles
Gives Himself with His own hand.Word made Flesh, the bread of nature
By His word to Flesh He turns;
Wine into His Blood He changes: --
What though sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
Faith her lesson quickly learns.
Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith, for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.To the Everlasting Father,
And the Son who reigns on high,
With the Holy Ghost proceeding
Forth from Each eternally,
Be salvation, honour, blessing,
Might, and endless majesty.
Trans: E. Caswall
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