AT THIS OUR SOLEMN FEAST – HYMN

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AT THIS OUR SOLEMN FEAST

HYMN

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I

At this our solemn feast,

Let holy joys abound,

And from the inmost breast

Let songs of praise resound;

Let ancient rites depart,

And all be new around,

In ev’ry act, and voice, and heart.

II

Remember we that eve,

When, the Last Supper spread,

Christ, as we all believe,

The Lamb, with leavenless bread,

Among his brethren shared,

And thus the Law obeyed,

Of old unto their sires declared.

III

The typic lamb consumed,

The legal Feast complete,

The Lord unto the Twelve

His Body gave to eat;

The whole to all, no less

The whole to each, did mete

With his own hands, as we confess.

IV

He gave them, weak and frail,

His Flesh, their food to be;

On them, downcast and sad,

His Blood bestowed he:

And thus to them he spake,

“Receive this Cup from me,

And all of you of this partake.”

V

So he this Sacrifice

To institute did will,

And charged his priests alone

That office to fulfill:

In them he did confide:

To whom pertaineth still

To take, and to the rest divide.

VI

Thus Angels’ Bread is made

The Bread of man today:

The Living Bread from heaven

With figures doth away:

O wondrous gift indeed!

VII

The poor and lowly may

Upon their Lord and Master feed.

VIII

Thee therefore we implore,

O Godhead, One in Three,

So mayst thou visit us

As we now worship thee;

And lead us on thy way,

That we at last may see

The light wherein thou dwellest aye.

Amen.

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( ROMAN BREVIARY)

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