University of Virginia Library

THE HUMAN LITANY

Christians.—
Hear us, Father! since within the garden
Christ wept tears of blood, be kind and pardon
Numberless misdeeds:

Men and Women.—
Hear us, Mother! by the pangs of nations,
By unknown unmeasured tribulations,
By each soul that bleeds!

Chr.—
Hear us, Father! since thy Son sank slowly
Into awful death-embrace, the Holy
And the spotless King!

M. and W.—
Hear us, Mother! hear us by the crying
Of the waste sad world in darkness lying;
Help the hands that cling!

Chr.—
By Christ's bloody sweat and cross and passion,
Father, we beseech thee mould and fashion
Man to work thy will!

M. and W.—
Mother! though their Christ were god and prophet,
Yet our modern world, he knew not of it;
Knew not doubts that kill!

Chr.—
Father! by thy dear Son's awful anguish,
Help the weary sheep that faint and languish
Left on the earth alone!

M. and W.—
Mother! by the awful speechless burden
Many souls bear, grant for rest and guerdon
Lands where no hearts groan!

Chr.—
By the patience that he showed in dying,
We beseech thee, pardon sinners lying
Under thy just ban!

M. and W.—
Holy Mother-God! Christ's pains were single:
In the human cup all sorrows mingle:
On the cross of Man!

Chr.—
By the cross of Jesus, Father hear us!
Help us, guard us, sanctify and cheer us,—
By the nails that slew!

M. and W.—
By the cross of Man, O Mother save us!
In Man's own deep red blood-ocean lave us,
Till our souls are new!

Chr.—
Father! by the spears and mocking speeches,
Lift our heart, we pray,—till heaven it reaches,
Following in Christ's tread!

M. and W.—
By the cross of Woman, Mother, aid us:
When the eyes of soulless saints betrayed us,
Woman's gleamed instead!

Chr.—
By his slow heart-beats now nearly stopping
And the pale head on the shoulder dropping,
Hear us, O our Lord!

M. and W.—
By the strange weird glimmer of Her whiteness
Mingled on the Cross with that blood-brightness,—
Save from sorrow's sword!

Chr.—
By Christ's pain all human pains exceeding;
By his sacred body bruised and bleeding,
We beseech thee, hear!

M. and W.—
By the Cross where Woman through the ages
Hangs and dies, while round the rough crowd rages,
Soothe away our fear!

Chr.—
By Christ's goodness greater than of mortal,
We beseech thee, ope thou heaven's high portal;
Let us enter in!

M. and W.—
By the endless gentle heart of Woman
Christ-surpassing, and all valour human,
Wash away our sin!

Chr.—
By Christ's glory all things else excelling
And his love compassionate and compelling.
Make the far fields bright!

M. and W.—
Hear us, Mother-God! by Woman's glory,
We beseech thee; through the ages' story
See! she shines so white!

Chr.—
White is Christ: than man or woman whiter:
And his eyes than mortal eyes are brighter:
Hear us for his sake!

M. and W.—
Deeper eyes than Christ's we have among us:
Shafts of fiercer pain than his have stung us;
Do not our hearts break?

Chr.—
By the deep sweet eyes and by the splendour
Of Christ's heart and all his bounty tender,
Father, be our stay!

M. and W.—
By the heart of Man the Saviour riven,
And by Woman's heart which hath forgiven,
Help us on our way!

Chr.—
By the soul of Christ and all the treasure
Of his love-deep heart that knows no measure,
We beseech thee, save!

M. and W.—
By the grief that hallows all things human,
By the double cross of Man and Woman,—
Lift us from the grave!