Easter Hymn

This is from Lauds for Paschaltide. It is not a literal translation of the original Latin, but I think it is wonderful nonetheless:

Light's glittering morn bedecks the sky,
Heaven thunders forth its victor cry,
The glad earth shouts its triumph high,
And groaning hell makes wild reply;

While He, the King of glorious might,
Treads down death's strength in death's despite,
And trampling hell by victor's right,
Brings forth His sleeping Saints to light.

Fast barred beneath the stone of late
In watch and ward where soldiers wait,
Now shining in triumphant state,
He rises Victor from death's gate.

Hell's pains are loosed and tears are fled,
Captivity is captive led;
The Angel crowned with light hath said,
"The Lord is risen from the dead!"

We pray Thee, King with glory decked
In this our Paschal joy protect
From all that death would fain effect
Thy ransomed flock, Thine own elet.

To Thee Who, dead, again dost live,
All glory, Lord, Thy people give;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father, and to Paraclete.
Amen.

In resurretione tua, Christe, alleluia.
Caeli et terra laetentur, alleluia.

St. Patrick's Breastplate

This is one of my favorite prayers. It makes a wonderful morning consecration. There are many versions out there, but I prefer this one:

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of sun,
Brilliance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak to me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to secure me,

Against snares of devils,
Against temptations of vices,
Against inclinations of nature
Against every one who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in a crowd.

Christ to protect me today
Against poisoning, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I sit,
Christ when I lie,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Toward the Creator.

Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of Christ.
May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

A Guilty World

I know a plaintive round with lyrics brief and simple, yet profoundly stirring: "When Jesus wept, the falling tear in mercy fell beyond all bounds; when Jesus groaned, a trembling fear seized all the guilty world around." During Lent, we remember our guilt, our need for a Savior. However, if you really strive for holiness, it is easy to "rest on your laurels," forgetting the monstrous evil of sin. Contrition is an act of the will and not primarily a matter of sentiment, but feelings of contrition certainly help inspire a more prompt and perfect will. To that end...I bring you more poetry. While Chesterton emphasizes the joy of the Cross, John Donne evokes the tragedy.

CRUCIFYING.
By miracles exceeding power of man,
He faith in some, envy in some begat,
For, what weak spirits admire, ambitious hate :
In both affections many to Him ran.
But O ! the worst are most, they will and can,
Alas ! and do, unto th' Immaculate,
Whose creature Fate is, now prescribe a fate,
Measuring self-life's infinity to span,
Nay to an inch. Lo ! where condemned He
Bears His own cross, with pain, yet by and by
When it bears him, He must bear more and die.
Now Thou art lifted up, draw me to Thee,
And at Thy death giving such liberal dole,
Moist with one drop of Thy blood my dry soul.

HOLY SONNETS.
XI.
Spit in my face, you Jews, and pierce my side,
Buffet, and scoff, scourge, and crucify me,
For I have sinn'd, and sinne', and only He,
Who could do no iniquity, hath died.
But by my death can not be satisfied
My sins, which pass the Jews' impiety.
They kill'd once an inglorious man, but I
Crucify him daily, being now glorified.
O let me then His strange love still admire ;
Kings pardon, but He bore our punishment ;
And Jacob came clothed in vile harsh attire,
But to supplant, and with gainful intent ;
God clothed Himself in vile man's flesh, that so
He might be weak enough to suffer woe.

In Good Hands

I pity all those who reject the doctrine of Divine Providence. There is great comfort in being part of something bigger(and better) than yourself.
"Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum." (Luke 23:46)

A Prayer in Darkness
Chesterton

This much, O heaven—if I should brood or rave,
Pity me not; but let the world be fed,
Yea, in my madness if I strike me dead,
Heed you the grass that grows upon my grave.

If I dare snarl between this sun and sod,
Whimper and clamour, give me grace to own,
In sun and rain and fruit in season shown,
The shining silence of the scorn of God.

Thank God the stars are set beyond my power,
If I must travail in a night of wrath,
Thank God my tears will never vex a moth,
Nor any curse of mine cut down a flower.

Men say the sun was darkened: yet I had
Thought it beat brightly, even on—Calvary:
And He that hung upon the Torturing Tree
Heard all the crickets singing, and was glad.