Scripture Verse

The love of Christ constraineth us. 2 Corinthians 5:14

Introduction

portrait
Bonaventura (1221–1274)

Words: At­trib­ut­ed to Bo­na­ven­tu­ra (1221–1274). Ap­peared in his Op­era (Mainz, Ger­ma­ny: 1609) (In pas­si­one Do­mi­ni, qua da­tur sa­lus ho­mi­ni). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by Fred­er­ick Oake­ley, in the Cooke and Den­ton Hym­nal, 1853.

Music: St. Pris­ca Ri­chard Red­head, 1853 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

In the Lord’s aton­ing grief
Be our rest and sweet re­lief;
Store we deep in heart’s re­cess
All the shame and bit­ter­ness.

Thorns, and cross, and nails, and lance,
Wounds, our trea­sure that en­hance,
Vinegar, and gall, and reed,
And the pang His soul that freed.

May these all our spir­its sate,
And with love ine­bri­ate;
In our souls plant vir­tue’s root,
And ma­ture its glo­ri­ous fruit.

Crucified! we Thee adore,
Thee with all our hearts im­plore;
Us with saint­ly hands unite
In the realms of hea­ven­ly light.

Christ, by cow­ard hands be­trayed,
Christ, for us a cap­tive made,
Christ, up­on the bit­ter tree
Slain for man, be praise to Thee.

illustration
Lamentation over Christ
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528)