Ubi Caritas

Where there is caring and love, there will God be. 

The love of Christ has gathered us into one.

Let us rejoice and be glad.

Let us be in awe, and let us love the living God.

And with a sincere heart let us love one another.

 

As we are gathered into one body,

Beware, lest we be divided in mind.

Let evil impulses stop, let controversy cease.

And in the midst of us be Christ our God.

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Where there is caring and love, there will God be. 

And may we, with the holy ones,

See thy face in glory, O Christ our God:

The joy that is immense and good,

World without end. Amen.

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Tundra

Wide, worn and weathered,

Sacred expanse

Of green and white and granite grey;

Snowy patches strewn,

Anchored to the craggy earth,

Unmoving;

While clouds dance

Across the vast, eternal sky.

 

The Rose

The lily has a smooth stalk,

  Will never hurt your hand;

But the rose upon her brier

  Is lady of the land.

 

There's sweetness in an apple tree,

  And profit in the corn;

But lady of all beauty

  Is a rose upon a thorn.

 

When with moss and honey

  She tips her bending brier,

And half unfolds her glowing heart,

  She sets the world on fire.

 

Three Carols  by Stephen Mager  

All my heart this night rejoices (Paul Gerhardt, trans. Catherine Winkworth)

All my heart this night rejoices,
As I hear, far and near, sweetest angel voices;
“Christ is born,” their choirs are singing,
Till the air, everywhere, now with joy is ringing.

 

Hark! a voice from yonder manger,
Soft and sweet, doth entreat, “Flee from woe and danger;
Brethren, come; from all that grieves you
You are freed; all you need I will surely give you.”

 

Come, then, let us hasten yonder;
Here let all, great and small, kneel in awe and wonder,
Love the child whose love is yearning;
Hail the star that from far bright with hope is burning.

 

It soon will be evening            

It soon will be evening; the darkness is nigh.

We come now before thee, our Lord from on high,

And sing to thee softly a sweet lullaby,

For yet art thou stirring, and gentle thy cry: Heiah. 

Sleep soft, holy child.

 

O Christ child, how beauteous and radiant thy face!

Draw us ever nearer, and show us thy grace. 

May angels attend thee, O dear savior blest,

And sweet be thy dreaming and peaceful thy rest. Heiah.

Sleep soft, holy child.

 

Dear child, ‘ere thine eyelids close softly in sleep,

Pray give to thy children thy blessing to keep, 

And grant that our sleeping be peaceful as thine,

And lead us to heaven, to joys most sublime. Heiah.

Sleep soft, holy child.

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Noël de la Vièrge

O tell us, blessed Mary, of the angel Gabriel;

Make known to us the message that the angel came to tell,

What news of joy and wonder did he bring to Galilee?

What tidings of salvation did he speak unto thee?

 

Mary: “Before me stood the nagel, saying, ‘Hail, full of grace!’

Such radiance fell about him and shone upon his face.

His startling salutation moved my trembling heart to fear,

Though prayerfully I waited as the angel drew near.”

 

Gabriel: “O highly favored daughter nad ever-blessed one,

’Tis thou the Lord hath chosen as the mother of his son - 

Whose kingdom everlasting shall endure while ages run, 

For by the Holy Spirit shall this marvel be done.”

 

Mary: “Behold in me the handmaid of our king and heavenly lord.

Now may this come to pass then in accordance to they word.

And ever shall my soul proclaim the greatness of the lord.

My spirit shall rejoice in God my savior adored.

 

The angel then departed unto endless light,

The maiden thus conceiving by the holy spirit’s might,

The word became incarnate here on earth with us to dwell,

As Christ, the son of Mary, our Emmanuel. Ave Maria.

 

Magnificat

1 Magnificat anima mea 

My soul proclaims your greatness, O God.

And my spirit rejoices in you, my Savior. 

For you have looked with favor upon your lowly servant, 

and from this day forward all generations will call me blessed. 

 

2 Of a Rose, a Lovely Rose 15th century English

Of a Rose, a lovely Rose

Of a Rose is all my song

Hearken to me both old and young

How this Rose began to spring;

A fairer rose to mine liking

In all this world ne know I none

Five branches of that rose there been

The which be both fair and sheen;

The rose is called Mary, heaven’s queen

Out of her bosom a blossom sprang

 

The first branch was of great honour:

That blest Marie should bear the flow’r;

There came an angel from heaven’s tower

To break the devil’s bond

 

The second branch was great of might

That sprang upon Christmas night;

The star shone over Bethlehem bright

That man should see it both day and night

 

The third branch did spring and spread;

Three kinges then the branch gan led

Unto Our Lady in her child-bed;

Into Bethlem that branch sprang right

 

The fourth branch it sprang to hell

The devil’s power for to fell:

That no soul therein should dwell

The branch so blessedfully sprang

 

The fifth branch it was so sweet

It sprang to heav’n, both crop and root

Therein to dwell and be our bote:

So blessedly it sprang

Pray we to her with great honour

She that bare the blessed flow’r

To be our help and our succour

And shield us from the fiendès bond

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3 Quia Fecit mihi magna

For you, the almighty,  have done great things for me; and holy is your Name. 

Holy, holy holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; Heaven and earth are full of your glory, Hosanna in the highest.

 

4 Et misericordia

And your mercy reaches from age to age for those who hold you in awe. 

 

5 Fecit potentiam

You have shown strength with your arm; 

you have scattered the proud in their conceit; 

you have deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. 

 

6 Esurientes

You have filled the hungry with good things, while you have sent the rich away empty. 

You have come to the aid of your people, mindful of your mercy - the promise you made to our ancestors - to Sarah and Abraham and their descendants for ever. 

 

7 Gloria Patri

Glory to the Creator, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Holy Mary, comfort those in need, help the faint-hearted, console the tearful: pray for the laity, assist the clergy, intercede for all devoted women: may all feel the power of your help, whoever prays for your holy aid, Alleluia. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end, Amen. 

 

(Luke I: 46 - 55 - The Inclusive Bible - The First Egalitarian Translation, Roman and Littlefield Publishers)