Liturgically, Sundays are “little Easters” and do not count in the forty-day celebration of Lent. In my book Lean Into Lent, I have chosen four hymns to use on those Lord’s Day. Today’s is “O Sacred Head Now Wounded.”
WEEK THREE DURING LENT
Author (attributed to): Arnulf, Abbot of Villers-la-Ville; Author (attributed to): St. Bernard of Clairvaux; Author (German version): Paul Gerhardt (1656); Translator: James W. Alexander (1829)
Tune: PASSION CHORALE (Hassler)
PUBLIC DOMAIN. Hymnary.or
1 O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, Thine only crown.
O sacred Head, what glory,
what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine
2 What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered
was all for sinners’ gain;
mine, mine was the transgression,
but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
‘Tis I deserve Thy place;
look on me with Thy favor,
vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
3 What language shall I borrow
to thank Thee, dearest Friend,
for this, Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever!
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love for Thee.
4 Be near when I am dying,
O show Thy cross to me!
And, for my succor flying,
come, Lord, to set me free:
these eyes, new faith receiving,
from Thee shall never move;
for he who dies believing
dies safely in Thy love.
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