My Song is Love Unknown was written by Anglican Priest and Dean of Bristol Cathedral, Samuel Crossman (c.1624-1698). It was first published in 1664 as part of his only collection of hymns: The Young Man's Meditation, a modest pamphlet containing 9 poems. The tune, Love Unknown is by the English composer John Ireland (1879-1962). It was composed one day in 1918 over lunch with his friend Geoffrey Shaw (1879-1943). Shaw suggested he compose a new setting for My Song is Love Unknown. On a scrap of paper, Ireland proceeded to write out the melody in less than 15 minuets. The next year it was published in the Public School Hymnal which Shaw was editor. In the Divine Office (1974) it is used during Lent and Holy Week.
Man of Sorrows, Wrapt in Grief was written by author, Matthew Bridges (1800-1894). He was one of several Anglicans in the 19th century that were greatly influenced by John Henry Newman and the Oxford Movement. In 1848, Bridges joined the Roman Catholic Church. The tune recommended in the Divine Office (1974) for Man of Sorrows, Wrapt in Grief is Afron, but myself and others have not found any information about it. As an alternative (see video below), the tune: Aberystwyth is commonly used with this text in other hymnals. In the Divine Office it is used during Lent and Holy Week.
Lord Jesus, Think On Me is a translation of the Greek hymn, Mnoheo Christe by Synesius of Cyrene (c.375-430). He was the Bishop of Ptolomais, one of the ancient capitals of Cyrenaica that is today part of modern day Libya. Early in life he was schooled in Greece and Alexandria in Neo-Platonism. We still have many of his letters, essays, and homilies. Mnoheo Christe is one of 10 hymns that he is believed to have written. In 1876 it was translated by the Anglican Priest, Allen William Chatfield (1808-1896). His text is set to the tune, Southwell (Daman), written in 1579 by William Daman. In the Divine Office (1974), Lord Jesus, Think On Me is used during Lent and Holy Week.
The hymns used during Holy Week in the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) recall the dramatic events of Christ's passion, death, and resurrection as they are recounted by His Church through Holy Thursday, Good Friday. and the Easter Vigil. In the following video, Fr. Dan O'Reilly of Columbia Catholic Ministry reflects upon Jesus in the of Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives. Fr. Dan begins by discussing the significance of the Greek word used in Luke 22: "agonia", which means 'the feelings you have preparing for the struggle ahead'. As he goes through his "agonia", Christ turns to his Father, praying in words reminiscent of the "Our Father" from Luke 11, asking that the Father's will be done, but if possible, that he be delivered from the struggle ahead. In our own times of "agonia", we too can pray the words he taught us in the "Lord's Prayer" and unite our sufferings and sacrifices with his as we journey together, with him through this week of the Passion of the Lord.
AH, HOLY JESUS, HOW HAST THOU OFFENDED by Robert Bridges, 1897 (Public Domain)
1. Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended,
that man to judge thee hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.
2. Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee.
'Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee:
I crucified thee.
3. Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
the slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered;
for our atonement, while we nothing heedeth,
God intercedeth.
4. For me, kind Jesus, was thy incarnation,
thy mortal sorrow, and thy life's oblation;
thy death of anguish and thy bitter passion,
for my salvation.
5. Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee,
I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee,
think on thy pity and thy love unswerving,
not my deserving.
I Shall Praise the Savior's Glory is an Anthony G. Petti adaption of the English translation by Fr. Edward Caswall (1814-1878) of the 13th century Latin hymn, Pange Lingua by Saint Thomas Aquinas (c.1225-1274). Caswell's original translation: Sing, My Tongue, the Savior's Glory was first published in 1850, the same year he left the Anglican Church and converted to Catholicism; following in the footsteps of his friend, Cardinal Newman. Caswall's translations from latin were noted and respected for their faithfulness to the original text, while respecting the rhythm and lyrical qualities of his english verse. The Italian Dominican Priest and Doctor of the Church, Thomas Aquinas is famous as an influential philosopher and scholastic theologian. In 1264 Aquinas was commissioned by Pope Urban IV (c.1195-1264) to compose an Office for the institution of the Feast of Corpus Christi. Pange, Lingua, Gloriosi (Acclaim, My Tongue, This Mystery) was one of several hymns written for the Office. Stanzas 5 and 6 (Tantum Ergo) are often sung at Benediction. In 2006, Catholic recording artist, Matt Maher recorded a contemporary version, Adoration that incorporates a praise chorus with the ancient text. The tune, Pange Lingua is sung in Mode III, Vatican Plainsong. In the Liturgy of the Hours, I Shall Praise the Savior's Glory is used during Holy Week.
PANGE, LINGUA, GLORIOSI by Thomas Aquinas, 1264 (Public Domain)
Pange, lingua, gloriosi
Corporis mysterium,
Sanguinisque pretiosi,
quem in mundi pretium
fructus ventris generosi
Rex effudit Gentium.
Nobis datus, nobis natus
ex intacta Virgine,
et in mundo conversatus,
sparso verbi semine,
sui moras incolatus
miro clausit ordine.
In supremae nocte coenae
recumbens cum fratribus
observata lege plene
cibis in legalibus,
cibum turbae duodenae
se dat suis manibus.
Verbum caro, panem verum
verbo carnem efficit:
fitque sanguis Christi merum,
et si sensus deficit,
ad firmandum cor sincerum
sola fides sufficit.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
veneremur cernui:
et antiquum documentum
novo cedat ritui:
praestet fides supplementum
sensuum defectui.
Genitori, Genitoque
laus et jubilatio,
salus, honor, virtus quoque
sit et benedictio:
Procedenti ab utroque
compar sit laudatio.
Have Mercy, O Lord by Fr. Lucien Deiss, C.S.Sp. (1921-2007) was first published in 1965 as part of the his collection: Biblical Hymns and Psalmns, Vol. 1. While he is best known for his musical works and his involvement with Vatican II liturgical reforms, this Spiritan Father was also a missionary: giving retreats and serving the poor in several nations of the world. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Have Mercy, O Lord is used during Holy Week.
John 15 (This I Ask) was written by Enrico Garzilli. It was first published in 1970 as part of the collection, For Those Who Love God. He is a Roman Catholic Priest, but rather than taking on pastoral work, his vocation within the Church has been as a composer, writer, and performer. As a young seminarian, he was assistant to cathedral organist and liturgical composer, Alexander Peloquin (1919 - 1997), who is noted for having composed the first Roman Catholic Mass sung in English. In the Liturgy of the Hours, This I Ask (John 15) is used with the Office of the Dead and during Holy Week.
Were You There is an African-American Spiritual that likely predates the Civil War. It was first published in 1899 as part of the collection: Old Plantation Hymns (p. 40) by Congregational minister, William E. Barton (1861-1930). It is of anonymous authorship, but may have been influenced by or adapted from an earlier white spiritual known to have been sung in Tennessee. Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? is sung to the folk tune traditionally associated with it. In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used during Holy Week.
WERE YOU THERE?
1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
2. Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
3. Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
O Sacred Head, Surrounded is a translation by Sir Henry W. Baker (1821-1877) of the final portion of the medieval Latin poem, Salve Mundi Salutare. This lengthy medieval poem is a meditation on the sufferings of Christ's body at the crucifixion. Historically it has been attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153), but recent research suggests it is more likely the work of the Cistercian Abbot, Arnulf of Leuven (c.1200-1250). An early translation into German was done by the Lutheran hymnist, Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676). That version was then translated into english by Presbyterian minister and theologian, James W. Alexander(1804-1859). His, O Sacred Head, Now Wounded is the source of the different versions of the hymn by that same name. It is believed that Baker's hymn is instead a translation from the original latin. The text included in the Liturgy of the Hours contains an additional verse written by Melvin Farrell, S.S., first published in 1961. It is set to the Passion Chorale by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612) which was originally published as the tune for a secular love song in 1601, and then eventually adapted to Gerhardt's hymn in 1656. Other famous composers who have used the same melody include: Johann Sebastian Bach (St Matthew's Passion), Franz Liszt (Way of the Cross), and Paul Simon (American Tune). In the Liturgy of the Hours, O Sacred Head, Surrounded is used on Palm Sunday and during Holy Week.
O SACRED HEAD SURROUNDED - Translated by Henry Baker (Public Domain)
1. O Sacred Head surrounded
By crown of piercing thorn!
O bleeding Head so wounded,
Reviled and put to scorn!
Death's pallid hue comes o'er Thee,
The glow of life decays,
Yet angel hosts adore Thee,
And tremble as they gaze.
2. I see Thy strength and vigor
All fading in the strife,
And death with cruel rigor,
Bereaving Thee of life:
O agony and dying!
O love to sinners free!
Jesus, all grace supplying,
O turn Thy face on me.
3. In this, Thy bitter passion,
Good shepherd, think of me,
With Thy most sweet compassion,
Unworthy though I be:
Beneath Thy cross abiding,
Forever would I rest;
In Thy dear love confiding,
And with Thy presence blest.
4. But death too is my ending;
In that dread hour of need,
My friendless cause befriending,
Lord, to my rescue speed:
Thyself, O Jesus, trace me,
Right passage to the grave,
And from Thy cross embrace me,
With arms outstretched to save.
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross is one of the most beloved hymns of Isaac Watts (1674-1748). First published in 1707 as part of his collection: Hymns and Spiritual Songs, it was written for a communion service and was originally called Crucifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ. Charles Wesley is said to have remarked: that he would give up all of his 6000 hymns to have written this one. It is set to the tune Rockingham (1790), attributed to composer and one time flautist in the orchestra of George Fredrick Handel, Edward Miller (1735-1807). In the Liturgy of the Hours, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross is used during Lent and Holy Week.
WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS by Isaac Watts, 1701 (Public Domain)
1. When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
3. See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4. His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
5. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
6. To Christ, who won for sinners grace
By bitter grief and anguish sore,
Be praise from all the ransomed race
Forever and forevermore.
Take Up Your Cross is an adaption by Anthony G. Petti (1932-1985) of the 1833 hymn by the American Episcopal Clergyman, Charles William Everest (1814-1877). It was written when he was just 19 years old and published in his first volume of poetry, Vision of Death. It is set to the tune, Breslau from the As Hymnodus Sacer (1625) with later harmonies added by Felix Mendelssohn (1807-1847). It is also the same tune used for We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died (see 1st video). An alternative tune that can also be used is Bourbon (see 2nd video). In the Liturgy of the Hours, Take Up Your Cross the Savior Said is used during Lent and Holy Week.
Tune: Breslau (We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died)
TAKE UP THY CROSS by Charles William Everest, 1833 (Public Domain)
1. “Take up thy cross,” the Savior said,
“If thou wouldst My disciple be;
Deny thyself, the world forsake,
And humbly follow after Me.”
2. Take up thy cross, let not its weight
Fill thy weak spirit with alarm;
His strength shall bear thy spirit up,
And brace thy heart and nerve thine arm.
3. Take up thy cross, nor heed the shame,
Nor let thy foolish pride rebel;
Thy Lord for thee the cross endured,
And saved thy soul from death and hell.
4. Take up thy cross then in His strength,
And calmly sin’s wild deluge brave,
’Twill guide thee to a better home,
It points to glory o’er the grave.
5. Take up thy cross and follow Christ,
Nor think til death to lay it down;
For only those who bear the cross
May hope to wear the glorious crown.
6. To Thee, great Lord, the One in Three,
All praise forevermore ascend:
O grant us in our home to see
The heavenly life that knows no end.
Lord, Your Glory in Christ We Have Seen is a 1971 translation by Anthony G. Petti (1932-1985) of the 1957 hymn: Dieu, Nous Avons Vu Ta Gloire, with words by Fr. Didier Rimaud (1922-2003) and music by Jean Langlais (1907-1991). It was written for a Vigil Service preceding the final High Mass of a conference on "The Bible and Liturgy". Dimaud was a Jesuit Priest who was very active in liturgical reforms of Vatican II in France. Langlais was a well known French composer and organist. He lost his eyesight early in life from Glaucoma. He was sent to the National Institute for Blind Children in Paris where he began his studies in music. He would eventually be appointed organist at the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde in Paris, a position he held from 1945 until his death in 1991. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Lord, Your Glory in Christ We Have Seen is used during Lent, on Palm Sunday, through Holy Week, and on the Feast of the Transfiguration.
