God with Hidden Majesty / Adoro Te Devote

Sacrament of Living Bread

God with Hidden Majesty is a 1971 translation by Anthony G. Petti of the Latin hymn, Adoro te Devote (featured in 2nd video). St. Thomas Aquinas (c.1225-1274) wrote this hymn in 1264, along with 4 others at the request of Pope Urban IV (c.1195-1264) as part of his Mass and Office for the (then) newly promulgated Feast of Corpus Christi. It is set to the ancient Gregorian chant melody associated with . It was first published in the Paris Processional of 1697). In the Liturgy of the Office, God With Hidden Majesty is used on the Feast of Corpus Christi.


Tune: Adoro Te Devote

ADORO TE DEVOTE by Thomas Aquinas, 1264 (Public Domain)

1. Adoro te devote, latens Deitas,
Quæ sub his figuris vere latitas;
Tibi se cor meum totum subjicit,
Quia te contemplans totum deficit.

2. Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur,
Sed auditu solo tuto creditur.
Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius;
Nil hoc verbo veritátis verius.

3. In cruce latebat sola Deitas,
At hic latet simul et Humanitas,
Ambo tamen credens atque confitens,
Peto quod petivit latro pœnitens.

4. Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor:
Deum tamen meum te confiteor.
Fac me tibi semper magis credere,
In te spem habere, te diligere.

5. O memoriale mortis Domini!
Panis vivus, vitam præstans homini!
Præsta meæ menti de te vívere,
Et te illi semper dulce sapere.

6. Pie Pelicane, Jesu Domine,
Me immundum munda tuo sanguine:
Cujus una stilla salvum facere
Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

7. Jesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio,
Oro, fiat illud quod tam sitio:
Ut te revelata cernens facie,
Visu sim beátus tuæ gloriæ. Amen


Gregorian Chant