Scripture Verse

He ordained twelve…that He might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. Mark 3:14–15

Introduction

Words: 11th Cen­tu­ry ma­nu­script in the Brit­ish Mu­se­um (Exul­tet coe­lum lau­di­bus). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by Ri­chard Mant, An­cient Hymns from the Ro­man Bre­vi­ary, 1837, alt.

Music: Rex Glo­ri­o­se Mar­tyr­um Ca­tho­lische geist­liche Ge­sänge (An­der­nach, Ger­ma­ny: 1608) (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Richard Mant (1776–1848)

Lyrics

Let all on earth their voic­es raise,
Re-echoing Heav’n’s tri­um­phant praise
To Him, who gave th’apost­les grace
To run on earth their glo­ri­ous race.

Thou, at whose word they bore the light
Of Gos­pel truth o’er hea­then night,
To us that heav’n­ly light im­part,
To glad our eyes and cheer our heart.

Thou, at whose will to them was giv’n
To bind and loose in earth and Heav’n,
Our chains un­bind, our sins un­do,
And in our hearts Thy grace re­new.

Thou, in whose might they spake the word
Which cured dis­ease and health re­stored,
To us its heal­ing pow­er pro­long,
Support the weak, con­firm the strong.

And when the thrones are set on high
And judg­ment’s awful hour draws nigh,
Then, Lord, with them pro­nounce us blest,
And take us to Thine end­less rest.