Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

When angry passions fill my soul,
Subdue them to thy meek control;
Through good and ill, oh, ever be
A guide, a guard, a friend to me.

And when death's hand shall seal mine eyes,
Oh, bear my spirit to the skies,

And teach me there my voice to raise
In hymns of never-ending praise.

22.

Saint Teresa.

(October 15th.)

SWEET Saint, in thy young childhood's day
The thought was in thy infant head,
That it were sweet to die for Christ,
And for the faith thy blood to shed.

But God decreed thee not to fall

By sword of Paynim, Turk, or Moor; A living death of martyrdom

His love reserv'd thee to endure.

Thy youthful follies oft deplor'd

To us have made thee still more dear;
Since we in them have come to know
Thy candour and thy truth sincere.
For when thy Lord, with sweet reproof,
Had made to thee thine errors known,
At once thy frank and loving heart
Was wholly kept for him alone.

Oh, what a strange instructive scene
Thy life thenceforth began to be!
Now suffering dread unheard-of pain,
Now lost in wondrous ecstacy.

Now contemplating things divine,
Beyond the power of man to tell;
Now in appalling vision plung'd,
Amid the hopeless cries of hell.

O sweet Teresa, now at last,

Thy labours o'er and heaven won,
Thou lovest God without restraint,
And shinest brighter than the sun.

Ah, then, from thy fair throne above
Obtain for us thy children here,
To imitate thy childhood's love,
In after life to persevere.

23. Feast of the Immaculate

Conception of the B. V. Mary. (December 8th.) HAIL, Mary, only sinless child

Of guilty Adam's fallen race;
Conceiv'd all pure and undefil'd,
Through thy dear Lord's preventing grace.

He would not have the blight of sin
A moment rest thy soul upon;
For pure without, and pure within,
Must be the Mother of his Son.

No haughty fiend might boast that he
One moment held thee in his snare,
Who of the dread Divinity

Wert destin'd for the Temple fair.

So thou wert sinless in thy birth,
And sinless after as before;
The only creature of this earth

Whom sin ne'er cast its shadow o'er.
O sweetest lily! all untorn,

Though nurs'd the thorns of earth among, To thee we sigh, to thee we mourn, To thee we lift our suppliant song. From Satan's snare preserve us free, And keep us safe from earthly stain, That in this world we pure may be,

And in the next may see thee reign.

[graphic][merged small]

Miscellaneous Hymns.

24. An Evening Hymn to the
Blessed Virgin.

As the dewy shades of even
Gather o'er the balmy air,
Listen, gentle Queen of Heav'n,
Listen to my vesper prayer.
Holy Mother, near me hover,

Free my thoughts from aught defil'd;
With thy wings of mercy cover,
Safe from harm, thy helpless child.

Thine own sinless heart was broken,
Sorrow's sword had pierc'd it through;
Give, oh, give me some sweet token
Of thy tender love so true.

Queen of sorrows, guard and guide me,
Let me to thine arms repair,
In thy tender bosom hide me,
Mary, take me to thy care.

« ÎnapoiContinuă »