United pray­ers as­cend to Thee,
Eternal par­ent of man­kind;
Smile on this wait­ing fa­mi­ly,
Thy face they seek, and let them find.

The fa­ther of the house­hold bless,
The priest, the pa­tri­arch, let him move,
That all his fa­mi­ly may trace
In him Thy law, in lines of love.

Regard the mo­ther’s anx­ious tears,
Her heart’s de­sire, her ear­nest pray­ers,
And while her in­fant charge she rears,
Crown with suc­cess her pi­ous cares.

Let the dear pledg­es of their love,
Like ten­der plants around them grow,
Thy pre­sent grace, and joys above,
Upon their lit­tle ones be­stow.

Receive at their be­liev­ing hand,
The babe whom they de­vote as Thine,
Obedient to their Lord’s com­mand—
And seal with pow­er the rite di­vine.

To ev­ery mem­ber of their house,
Thy grace im­part, Thy love ex­tend;
Grant ev­ery good that time al­lows,
With hea­ven­ly joys that ne­ver end.