LENTEN HYMNS

JESUS, MY GOD

Jesus, my God, behold at length the time
When I resolve to turn away from crime.

CHORUS:

Oh, pardon me, Jesus, Thy mercy I implore,
I will never more offend Thee (repeat),
No, nevermore.

Since my poor soul Thy Precious Blood hath cost,
Suffer me not forever to be lost.

Kneeling in tears, behold me at Thy feet,
Like Magdalen forgiveness I entreat.

LORD OF MERCY

Lord of mercy and compassion,
Look with pity down on me,
Father, let me call Thee Father,
'Tis Thy child returned to Thee.

CHORUS:

Jesus, Lord I ask for mercy,
Let me not implore in vain,
For pardon of my sins, and grace
Never more to sin again.

See! our Savior bleeding, dying
On the Cross of Calvary,
To that Cross my sins have nailed Him
And He bleeds and dies for me.

WHAT A SEA OF TEARS AND SORROWS

What a sea of tears and sorrows did the soul of Mary toss,
To and fro upon its' billows, while she wept her bitter loss;
In her arms her Jesus holding, torn so newly from the Cross.

Oh that mournful Virgin Mother, see her tears how fast they flow
Down upon His mangled Body, wounded Side and thorny Brow,
While His Hands and Feet she kisses, picture of immortal woe.

O SACRED HEAD

O Sacred Head, surrounded by crown of piercing thorn!
O Bleeding Head so wounded, reviled and put to scorn!
Death's pallid hue comes o'er Thee, the glow of life decays;
Yet angel hosts adore Thee,
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I see Thy strength and vigor all fading in the strife,
And death with cruel rigor bereaving Thee of life.
O agony and dying! O Love to sinners free!
Jesus, all grace supplying,
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O COME AND MOURN WITH ME

O come and mourn with me awhile;
See Mary calls us to her side;
Oh, come and let us mourn with her,
Jesus, our Love, is crucified.

Have we no tears to shed for Him,
While soldiers scoff and Jews deride?
Ah! look how patiently He hangs,
Jesus, our Love, is crucified.

Come, take thy stand beneath the Cross,
And let the Blood from out that Side
Fall gently on thee drop by drop;
Jesus, our Love, is crucified.

BY THE BLOOD THAT FLOWED

By the Blood that flowed from Thee,
In Thy bitter Agony,
By the scourge so meekly borne;
By Thy purple robe of scorn.

CHORUS:Jesus, Savior, hear our cry;
Thou wert suffering once as we;
Hear the loving litany, we Thy children sing to Thee.

By the thorns that crowned Thy Head;
By Thy sceptre of a reed;
By Thy Footsteps faint and slow,
Weighed beneath Thy Cross of woe.

By the nails and pointed spear;
By Thy people's cruel jeer;
By Thy dying prayer which rose
Begging mercy for Thy foes.

FAITHFUL CROSS

Faithful Cross, O tree all beauteous,
Tree all peerless and Divine!
Not a grove on earth can show us
Such a flow'r and leaf as thine.
Sweet the nails and sweet the wood,
Laden with so sweet a Load.

Lofty Tree, bend down thy branches
To embrace thy sacred Load;
Oh! relax the native tension
Of that all too rigid wood.
Gently, gently bear the Members
Of thy dying King and God.

OUR MOTHER OF SORROWS

Our Lady, who is full of grace,
Stood in anguish at her place;
Stood erect beneath the Cross,
Close to Him Who died for us.

What must we, the guilty feel,
As beside the Cross we kneel?
Ours the voices of the foe;
Ours the hands that struck the blow.

Help us, Mary, full of grace,
To look upon His suffering Face;
Then may we closer to thee move,
And learn to look upon His love.

I CAN SCARCELY SEE THEE, JESUS

I can scarcely see Thee, Jesus,
For the tears that fill my eyes,
When I know on Calv'ry hanging
My dear Savior for me dies.

Ah, why not the Victim changing;
Why not I, the sinner, bleed?
Mine the sin, my dearest Savior;
Mine, yes mine, the wicked deed.

Gazing on Thy Cross so lowly,
I see there Thy Hands and Feet,
Torn by cruel nails and bleeding;
Who could Jesus so mistreat?

Whence the thorns Thy Head encircling;
Whence the spear that pierced Thy Side?
All one bleeding wound the Body
Of my Jesus Crucified.

All my sins have made me guilty
Of the torments Thou didst bear;
Let my love and service henceforth
All my wicked life repair.

In Thy Death my hopes reposing,
On Thy love my soul relies;
Let me suffer with Thee, Jesus,
That with Thee I may arise.

STABAT MATER DOLOROSA

1. At the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last.

2. Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, all His bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword had passed.

3. Oh, how sad and sore distressed, was that Mother, highly blessed, of the sole begotten One!

4. Christ above in torment hangs: she beneath beholds the pangs of her dying glorious Son.

5. Is there one who would not weep, 'whelmed in miseries so deep, Christ's dear Mother to behold?

6. Can the human heart refrain, from partaking in her pain, in that Mother's pain untold?

7. Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled, she beheld her tender Child, all with bloody scourges rent.

8. For the sins of His own nation, saw Him hang in desolation, till His spirit forth He sent.

9. O thou Mother! fount of love, touch my spirit from above, make my heart with thine accord.

10. Make me feel as thou hast felt; make my soul to glow and melt with the love of Christ, my Lord.

11. Holy Mother, pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified.

12. Let me share with thee His pain, Who for all our sins was slain, Who for me in torments died.

13. Let me mingle tears with thee, mourning Him Who mourned for me, all the days that I may live.

14. By the Cross with thee to stay, there with thee to weep and pray, is all I ask of thee to give.

15. Virgin of all virgins blest! Listen to my fond request: let me share thy grief Divine.

16. Let me, to my latest breath, in my body bear the Death of that dying Son of thine.

17. Wounded with His every wound, steep my soul till it hath swooned in His very Blood away.

18. Be to me, O Virgin, nigh, lest in flames I burn and die, in this awful judgment day.

19. Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence, be Thy Mother my defense, be Thy Cross my victory.

20. While my body here decays, may my soul Thy goodness praise, safe in Paradise with Thee.

 Amen