 | Eonchs of ruby. A Gift of Love |  |
142
CATHOLIC HYMN TO THE VIRGIN.
I.
Santa Maria! hear! oh! hear!And turn to me thy gracious ear;
For thou art to the sorrowing near,
And, to the Catholic ever dear!
II.
Like some clear fountain, deep as strong,My soul doth pour out, all night long,
Deep gushes of ecstatic song,
Begging thee to forgive my wrong!
III.
Thy Son, dear Mary! though on high,Is to the needy ever nigh—
Ready to help them when they sigh—
He will not suffer me to die!
IV.
Speak not, dear Mary! for he hearsMy bitter cries—beholds my tears!
Soon he will banish all my fears,
And give me strength for future years.
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V.
Reach down thy lily hand so white,And lift me up from this dark night,
To where thy Son, in glory bright,
Sits now arrayed in robes of light.
VI.
For how my soul doth long to goOut of this world of suffering so—
Suffering as he did here below—
Thy Son alone in Heaven dost know!
VII.
For those that were most dear to meAre gone now to eternity—
Living in Angel-purity,
Star-crowned, around God's throne with thee!
VIII.
A respite from this trying painMy soul now seeks in song again—
Wasting away my heart to gain
Thy blissful love—but not in vain.
IX.
I think I hear thy soft repliesDawning upon me from the skies—
Wiping the heart-dew from mine eyes,
Till all my grief within me dies.
X.
My soul, now purified by thought,Into thy blissful arms is caught,
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Comes when we most expect it not.
XI.
Such rapture now my heart doth swellAs nothing earthly can excel—
Lifting me up from this dark Hell
To Heaven above with thee to dwell.
XII.
The bloody sweat oozed from the browOf thy dear Son on earth below!
And how my soul doth love him now,
That Son alone in Heaven dost know.
| Eonchs of ruby. A Gift of Love | |