MOTHER OF CHRIST
7/29/2007
MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF CHRIST
WHAT SHALL I ASK OF THEE?
I DO NOT SIGH FOR THE WEALTH OF EARTH
FOR THE JOYS THAT FADE AND FLEE, BUT...
MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF CHRIST
THIS DO I LONG TO SEE
THE BLISS UNTOLD WHICH YOUR ARMS ENFOLD
THE TREASURE UPON YOUR KNEE
MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF CHRIST
I TOSS ON A STORMY SEA
OH LIFT YOUR CHILD AS A BEACON LIGHT
TO THE PORT WHERE I FAIN WOULD BE, AND...
MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF CHRIST
THIS DO I ASK OF THEE
WHEN THE VOYAGE IS O'ER
OH STAND ON THE SHORE
AND SHOW HIM AT LAST TO ME
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9 comments:
Thank you so much for the words of this hymn. I loved it as a child and now as a senior citizen it brings such wonderful memories flooding back. God Bless, Marie
Hi Marie, where are you writing from.My name is Tom and I live in Wagga, Australia.Your comments brought their own memories back to me,although they are are continuing and ever present for me.
In my youth,I was, along with my twin brother, an altar boy for the most devout man who had a profound influence on both of us.Along with my Mum and Dad he imbedded my faith so strongly that I will be ever grateful for their part in my life.
He was later to become Cardinal of the diocese of Sydney but the time I knew him he was a Monsignor and later Bishop of a suburban area of the City.
Not long after taking control of our parish, he introduced the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help and this is when first heard the beautiful, Mother of Christ.
Cardinal Freeman would give a homily for only 3 or 4 minutes each Saturday Night,but what gems of the true love of Blessed Virgin those few minutes would reveal. As a boy of 10 years old on until he left our Parish for a bigger posting when I was a young adult, I would sit on the altar steps and be taken on a journey of devotion to Our Lady, something I have never lost thankfully. Finally at the 27th minute of each week he would say...and he never had to really,,,say "our final hymn this evening is,, "Mother of Christ". He would then lead on with his craggy yet gentle voice in a further tribute to Our Holy Mother. How the people of our parish embraced the Bishop, his homily and this beautiful hymn.How much all of those present during those years so long ago, owe him for planting our faith so deeply.
I am now 66 years of age and as I said the memory of those moments have never left me, Some time back as I did my Adoration Hour, for some reason I cannot explain, I began to seek help from the Blessed Virgin that I may again have the Novena back in my life. The Novena has many places of strength throughout the world, however, not in the City where I now live.
I was asked one night by our present parish Priest, quite unexpectantly, to assist others in
a renewal of faith talks to be commenced.Others had been given specific tasks and then I was asked to assist to lead the prayer group. I was a little taken back as I was not prepared for the request, however, quite involuntarily I said " Yes on one condition. When asked what that was by Father..I replied to my own surprise.."Yes on the condition that I can choose the prayer we would embrace as our offering for the success of the renewal program. Father agreed and indicated that it may be hard to have any support to my choice, however, he also agreed to my request to speak at each of the masses the following Sunday.Now public speaking does not come easily to this bloke and the nerves and emotion I experienced at the first Mass was overpowering.Somehow though,after a few sentences a strange calm cane over me as I told the story of the Cardinal and my experiences as a young man and the effect the Novena had on my life.
What happened after the Masses was wonderful, people came to me and related their own young life,s story and all indicated the vacuum that the demise of the Novena had on them.
Whilst my appeal for a full church each Wednesday Night never eventuated we had a regular attendance of 80 to 11O people over the 9 weeks and the expressed disappointment that cold weather here in our City meant closure until Spring.
I now have two aims, the first to encourage many more young people to attend and secondly to have the whole of our diocese, not just our parish embrace the Novena.Mother of Christ has been revived in my life and hopefully all those attending will bring the beautiful message of hope through Our Lady to an even greater awareness for others.
You are I am sure a person of great faith and I wonder if you have time for an extra prayer from time to time to help with this endeavour that seems to burn so strongly inside of me.
May Our Lady of Perpetual Help Bless you always,Aussietomt.
Hey all,
That really was a beautiful choice, the Mother of Christ. I found this blog through Google as I am looking for the sheet music (or even vocal line) of “Mother of Christ”. My great Aunt, who is thankfully still with us, learned it as a child and it is the only hymn that she has asked to be sung at her funeral when she passes, but I simply cannot lay my hands on it. I have been on to organists in England, Wales and Ireland (I’m Irish) and no one seems to be able to help me. I would be so grateful if someone would be able to help me and I know it really would mean the world to my Great Aunt.
Kind Regards,
Richie Hayes
Hey all,
That really was a beautiful choice, the Mother of Christ. I found this blog through Google as I am looking for the sheet music (or even vocal line) of “Mother of Christ”. My great Aunt, who is thankfully still with us, learned it as a child and it is the only hymn that she has asked to be sung at her funeral when she passes, but I simply cannot lay my hands on it. I have been on to organists in England, Wales and Ireland (I’m Irish) and no one seems to be able to help me. I would be so grateful if someone would be able to help me and I know it would mean the world to my Great Aunt.
Kind Regards,
Richie Hayes
Thank you for the lyrics of Mother of Christ..You have made me so happy. I've looked and looked for the lyrics and a novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help but in vain...I am sure I would have found one in Manila but I have not been successful where I am at the moment..until now! In my hour of despair and loneliness and sickness and surrender, This hymn would play in my head and I'd just cry and surrender everything to Him through Our Mother...
There is a missing verse in Lionel's version. He posted only verses #1 and #3. Here is the 2nd verse:
MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF CHRIST,
HE WAS ALL-IN-ALL TO THEE,
IN BETHLEHEM'S CAVE, IN NAZARETH'S HOME,
IN THE HAMLETS OF GALILEE,
SO, MOTHER OF CHRIST, MOTHER OF CHRIST,
HE WILL NOT SAY 'NAY' TO THEE...
WHEN HE LIFTS HIS FACE TO THINE SWEET EMBRACE,
SPEAK TO HIM, MOTHER, OF ME.
Does anyone knows who is the original composer of this song?
Does anyone knows who is the original composer of this song?
Does anyone knows who is the original composer of this song?
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