Lord Who at Your First Eucharist Did Pray

Blest Sacrament of Unity

Lord Who at Your First Eucharist Did Pray was written in 1881 by author Will­iam H. Tur­ton (1856-1938) for an anniversary service held at London's St. Ma­ry Mag­da­lene’s Anglican Church in Mun­ster Square. It is set to the tune Unde Et Memores, written in 1875 by organist and composer William H. Monk (1823-1889). In the Liturgy of the Hours, Lord Who at Your First Eucharist Did Pray is used on Feast of Corpus Christi.

Tune: Unde et Memores

THOU, WHO AT THY FIRST EUCHARIST DIDST PRAY by Will­iam H. Tur­ton, 1881 (Public Domain)

Thou, who at Thy first Eucharist didst pray
That all Thy Church might be forever one,
Grant us that ev’ry Eucharist to say
With longing heart and soul, Thy will be done.
O may we all one bread, one body be,
Through this blest 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,
Through this blest sacrament of unity.

We pray Thee too for wand’rers 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,
Through this blest 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 blessèd still, in peace and love to be
One with the Trinity in Unity.