Paschale mundo gaudium.

139 Now daily shines the Sun more fair,
Recalling that blest time,

When CHRIST on His Apostles shone,
In radiant light sublime.

They in His Body see His Wounds
Like stars divinely glow;
Then forth, as His true Witnesses,
Throughout the world they go.

O CHRIST! THOU KING most merciful,
Our inmost heart possess;

So may we, with due songs of praise,
THY Name for ever bless.

Keep us, O JESU, from the death
Of sin; and deign to be
The everlasting Paschal joy

Of all new-born in THEE.

Praise to the FATHER, and the SON
WHO from the dead arose;

Praise to the blessed PARACLETE,

While age on ages flows.

Amen.

Rex sempiterne cœlitum.

140 O THOU, the Heaven's eternal KING,
LORD of the starry spheres!
WHO with the FATHER equal art
From everlasting years:

All praise to THY most holy Name,
WHO, when the world began,
Yoking the soul with clay, didst form
In THINE Own Image, Man.

And praise to THEE, WHO, when the Foe Had marr'd THY work sublime, Clothing THYSELF in flesh, didst mould Our race a second time:

When from the tomb new-born, as from
A Virgin born before,

THOU didst reverse our fallen state,
And life to man restore.

ETERNAL SHEPHERD, WHO THY flock
In THY pure Font dost lave,
Where souls are cleans'd, and all their guilt
Buried as in a grave;

JESU, WHO on the Cross wast nail'd
Our countless debt to pay;
JESU, WHO lavishly didst pour
THY Blood for us away:

Oh, from the wretched death of sin
Keep us; so shalt THOU be
The everlasting Paschal joy

Of all new-born in THEE.

TO GOD the FATHER, and the SON
WHO rose, be glory given;

With THEE, ALMIGHTY PARACLETE,
By all in earth and Heaven.

Amen.

ROGATION DAYS.

141 FATHER of mercies, GOD of love,
Whose gifts all creatures share!
The rolling seasons as they move,
Proclaim THY constant care.

When in the bosom of the earth
The sower hides the grain,
THY goodness marks its secret birth,
And sends the early rain.

The seasons, Gracious LORD, are THINE!
The Spring-tide knows THY call;
THOU mak'st the Summer sun to shine,
The Summer dews to fall.

O ne'er may our forgetful hearts
O'erlook THY bounteous care;
But what our FATHER'S Hand imparts,
Still own in praise and prayer.

So shall our suns more grateful shine,
Our showers more genial fall,

When all our hearts and lives are THINE,

And THOU adored in all.

Amen.

142 LORD, in THY Name THY servants plead, And THOU hast sworn to hear;

Thine is the harvest, THINE the seed,
The fresh and fading year.

Our hope, when Autumn winds blew wild,
We trusted, LORD, with THEE:

And still, now Spring has on us smiled,
We wait on THY decree.

The former and the latter rain,

The Summer sun and air,

The green ear, and and the golden grain,
All THINE, are ours by prayer.

THINE too by right, and ours by grace,
The wondrous growth unseen,

The hopes that soothe, the fears that brace,
The love that shines serene.

So grant the precious things brought forth
By sun and moon below,

That THEE in THY new heaven and earth
We never may forego.

TO FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST,
The GOD Whom we adore,

Be glory, as it was, is now,

And shall be evermore.

Amen.

143 TILL its holy hours are past,

Watch we in our three days' fast;
HE who came for man to die,
Is not yet gone up on high:
While HE still vouchsafes to stay,
Let us watch, and let us pray.

None but THOU, O LORD, canst know
All that to THY love we owe,
We who cast THY yoke aside,
Who reward THY love with pride,
And that love itself forget—
Oh, forgive us all that debt.

Many foes are round about,
Foes within, and foes without;
Our temptations thou didst share,
THOU didst once our weakness bear:
By those trials we would plead,
Into no temptation lead!

Pain and sorrow we would flee,
If THY Holy will it be;
But whate'er our lot below,
Save us from eternal woe:
All THY promises fulfil,

And deliver us from ill!

LORD, THOU canst, if so THOU wilt,
Heal our griefs, and cleanse our guilt;
For the power is THINE to save,
And to ransom from the grave:

And our trust is all in THEE,

Undivided Trinity!

Amen.

ASCENSION.

Jesu, nostra Redemptio.

144 O JESU, our Redemption,

Lov'd and desired with tears!

GOD, of all worlds Creator!

MAN, in the close of years!