 | Devotional Poems |  |
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IN SPLENDORIBUS SANCTORUM
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ST. GABRIEL THE ARCHANGEL
Many an angel stands around Mary Queen in glory crowned;
Mary Queen loves them well; but most she loveth Gabriel.
Of all angels round the Throne, Gabriel is Mary's own.
Evermore with sweetest breath Hail Mary! Gabriel saith.
When Lucifer down fell from Love's heaven to Pride's hell,
Gabriel fair, strong, tried, stood with Michael on God's side,
When he smote the serried host warring with the Holy Ghost.
Gabriel's heart a message heard of the Everlasting Word.
Gabriel's face new splendour took from the splendour of God's look.
Gabriel's swift love-shod feet to the rhythm of travel beat;
Gabriel's luminous wings spread wide—dropt when God said Abide.
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Gabriel's feet went many roads in the will at one with God's.
Gabriel saw chaos stirred by the voice of God's word.
Gabriel saw the void fill with the beauty of His will.
And Gabriel saw the birth of time from heaven for earth:
Saw too God's purpose fair in man and woman there.
His voice in joy's chorus rang when the stars of morning sang.
Gabriel who saw man made saw man's Maker disobeyed;
Saw the shut, guarded gate; heard the word bidding Wait.
Gabriel's day went on and on, seeing many an errand done.
To the captive in strange land Gabriel's voice said Understand.
And his tongue set wide ope God's golden gate of hope.
Time goes, time flies; ever see Gabriel's eyes
Even as God bids them see who possess eternity.
Gabriel's feet tread again where Lucifer wrought pain.
Gabriel's message falls free on the ear of Zachary.
Gabriel waits a little space in the light of God's face.
Then God bids him know His dear will sayeth Go.
Go with greatest message e'er great angelhood might bear.
Swifter than light can run down to earth from her sun,
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Looks on Mary Virgin's face; kneels, hails her Full of Grace.
God's sweetest name of all from his lips first doth fall.
Of all angels round the Throne Gabriel is Mary's own.
Evermore with sweetest breath Hail Mary! Gabriel saith.
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JOSEPH, FILI DAVID, NOLI
TIMERE
O just one, thou didst hear
God bid thee not to fear.
God bid thee not to fear.
Fear not to take to thee
Thy wife, Mary.
Thy wife, Mary.
Fear not the closed inn;
Fear not to win
Fear not to win
Shelter for thy sweet care
Where oxen fare.
Where oxen fare.
Fear not the midnight, bright
With Light of Light.
With Light of Light.
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Fear not to have thy King
In fostering.
In fostering.
Fear not the exile road,
Bearing thy God.
Bearing thy God.
Fear not the quiet breath
Of Nazareth.
Of Nazareth.
Fear not for Him who plies
Work 'neath thine eyes.
Work 'neath thine eyes.
Fear not for her whose fame
Splendours thy name.
Splendours thy name.
Fear not, O comforter
Of Him and her!
Of Him and her!
Fear not at last to die,
With these Two by.
With these Two by.
Fear not to take thy crown,
Thy blest renown.
Thy blest renown.
And grant us aye and e'er
Thy fostering care,
Thy fostering care,
That so we too may hear
God bid us not to fear.
God bid us not to fear.
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ST. STEPHEN, FIRST MARTYR
Thine eyes, O Stephen, saw thy Lord and God
Standing to greet His martyr, from whose tongue
The accents of His living truth had rung:
First of the band who follow where He trod,
Like His, thy blood gave blessing to the sod;
Like His thy pardoning prayer for those that flung
Death over thee. To him in grace it clung,
Who was to wear love's ring, love-robed and shod.
Standing to greet His martyr, from whose tongue
The accents of His living truth had rung:
First of the band who follow where He trod,
Like His, thy blood gave blessing to the sod;
Like His thy pardoning prayer for those that flung
Death over thee. To him in grace it clung,
Who was to wear love's ring, love-robed and shod.
To many a one thy “Welcome Home” was given;
But welcome's joy in supreme radiance glowed
When, chief among thy pardoned foes, full-shriven,
That soul in triumph entered God's abode,
(The Vision lent erewhile, for aye bestowed),
And Paul unshamed beheld the face of Stephen.
But welcome's joy in supreme radiance glowed
When, chief among thy pardoned foes, full-shriven,
That soul in triumph entered God's abode,
(The Vision lent erewhile, for aye bestowed),
And Paul unshamed beheld the face of Stephen.
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ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST
Thou darling of the Master's heart, what gift for thee were best,
Who liest at the Paschal board upon that Master's breast?
Who liest at the Paschal board upon that Master's breast?
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A wondrous gift shall come to thee, thou highly favoured one,
A gift of worth untold, beneath to-morrow's darkened sun.
A gift of worth untold, beneath to-morrow's darkened sun.
Oh, in thy depth of love and woe, to-morrow thou shalt be
With her, the Mother of thy Lord, by His Redemption Tree.
With her, the Mother of thy Lord, by His Redemption Tree.
Thy mother, John, had craved for thee by Him a royal seat:
This mother sees thee standing now below His bleeding feet.
This mother sees thee standing now below His bleeding feet.
And He, whose plenitude of love knows neither stint nor thrift,
Shall give to thee, His well-beloved, His Mother for a gift.
Shall give to thee, His well-beloved, His Mother for a gift.
Behold thy Mother! Thus, in thee, to all His ransomed ones,
Mother, behold thy son! Behold thine own unnumbered sons!
Mother, behold thy son! Behold thine own unnumbered sons!
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28
SAINTS ROUND THE ALTAR
Oh, they throng, the countless Hallows, round the altar where He lies,
Whom we see by Faith's high vision, Whom they see with open eyes.
Whom we see by Faith's high vision, Whom they see with open eyes.
These, the glorious Saints of Jesus, women and men who held on high
Fast the standard of the Lamb through all their sharpest agony.
Fast the standard of the Lamb through all their sharpest agony.
These, the lovely Saints of Jesus, women and men whose lives confest
Through the good of God's bestowing the perfection of His best.
Through the good of God's bestowing the perfection of His best.
These, the darling baby Hallows, crowned with golden crowns that press
No whit heavier than the daisy wreaths of childly happiness.
No whit heavier than the daisy wreaths of childly happiness.
Oh, the whiteness of their raiment, raiment washed in priceless Blood!
Oh, the brightness of their faces, blest in Love's beatitude!
Oh, the brightness of their faces, blest in Love's beatitude!
Saints of Jesus, Saints of Jesus, who your blest reward have won,
At His altar we are kneeling, in your sweet communion.
At His altar we are kneeling, in your sweet communion.
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We the erring, we the feeble, we by storm-winds tossed and driven,
We the conquered in the battles where so faintly we had striven.
We the conquered in the battles where so faintly we had striven.
We with sordid spirit meanly who look down and thus deny
To our eyes the unuttered grandeur of God's generosity.
To our eyes the unuttered grandeur of God's generosity.
We who grovel, seeking, searching—we, the children of the King—
Soiled possessions, worthless havings, with a muckrake gathering.
Soiled possessions, worthless havings, with a muckrake gathering.
Pray for us, O happy Hallows, ye who bring to this high place
Honour folded in His honour, grace reflexion of His grace.
Honour folded in His honour, grace reflexion of His grace.
Pray for us all weak and needing, yet who say in faith serene,
This your Monarch is our Brother, and our Mother is your Queen!
This your Monarch is our Brother, and our Mother is your Queen!
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29
TE CANDIDATUS LAUDET EXERCITUS
Lord and God, with hearts uplifted do we render thanks to Thee,
And confess Thee in the splendours of Thy saints eternally!
And confess Thee in the splendours of Thy saints eternally!
In the splendours of Thy martyrs we confess Thee, Lord and God,
In the glorious white-robed army who through blood and fire have trod.
In the glorious white-robed army who through blood and fire have trod.
Multitudes of men and women, by Thy love allured, sufficed,
Laying down the life He gave them at the feet of Jesus Christ.
Laying down the life He gave them at the feet of Jesus Christ.
Oh, the call of Jesus rang through every fibre of their frame,
And they rose and followed Jesus to His hill of death and shame.
And they rose and followed Jesus to His hill of death and shame.
Oh, the call of Jesus sounded, My beloved, come up higher!
And they passed into His glory through the heart of blood and fire.
And they passed into His glory through the heart of blood and fire.
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Great the army as it marches past the bounds of time and space,
In the glory of the vision of the Lord's unveiled face.
In the glory of the vision of the Lord's unveiled face.
Band of baby Hallows, fearless of the smiters' sword, who made
Crowns and palms their childly playthings in the sacrificial shade.
Crowns and palms their childly playthings in the sacrificial shade.
Glorious Prophets and Apostles; Keepers of the mighty Keys;
Folk unnoticed and forgotten, numbered now with such as these.
Folk unnoticed and forgotten, numbered now with such as these.
Boys and girls yet keeping dew of youth upon their locks undried;
Aged ones whose faith undaunted force of sword and fire defied.
Aged ones whose faith undaunted force of sword and fire defied.
Prime of manhood, soldiers, rulers, kings of science and of song;
Women wearing Mary's mantle, and in Mary's spirit strong.
Women wearing Mary's mantle, and in Mary's spirit strong.
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And while time with us abideth, and the King of Love hath foes,
Still the white-robed martyr army in its strength and number grows.
Still the white-robed martyr army in its strength and number grows.
Trinity of love transcendent, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
We confess Thee, we adore Thee, in Thy white-robed martyr host!
We confess Thee, we adore Thee, in Thy white-robed martyr host!
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