It’s World Day of the Poor today. This is a relatively recent initiative, begun by Pope Francis in 2017. You can hear some hymns with a social justice theme in the programme, to mark the day.
Koru unfurling Photo: CC0 1.0 / Bernard Spragg
SONG: CHRIST BE OUR LIGHT
Artist: Choirs of the Diocese of Leeds
Words/Music: Bernadette Farrell
Recording: Herald HAVPCD 397
Longing for light, we wait in darkness
Longing for truth, we turn to You.
Make us Your own, Your holy people
Light for the world to see.
Refrain:
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in Your church gathered today.
Longing for peace, our world is troubled
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has pow'r to save us.
Make us your living voice.
Refrain:
Longing for food, many are hungry
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us Your bread, broken for others
Shared until all are fed.
Refrain:
Many the gift, many the people
Many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another
Making Your kingdom come.
Refrain:
SONG: THE SERVANT SONG
Artist: OCP Session Choir
Words/Music: Richard Gillard
Recording: Journeysongs
Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too.
We are pilgrims on the journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ light for you
In the night time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the the peace you long to hear.
SONG: THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Artist: Taize Community Choir
Words/Music: Jacques Berthier
Recording: Taize 2002
The kingdom of God is justice and peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Come, Lord, and open in us the gates of your kingdom.
SONG: LOVE DIVINE, ALL LOVES EXCELLING
Artist: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury (dir)
Words/Music: C Wesley/Stainer
Recording: Argo 414609
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion;
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.
Come, Almighty, to deliver;
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.
SONG: O GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST
Artist: Choir and Congregation of the Royal Naval Chapel, Greenwich
Words/Music: C Wesley/Anon arr. Ravenscroft
Recording: Abbey 280826
Our God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home:
Under the shadow of thy throne
thy saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received its frame,
from everlasting thou art God,
to endless years the same.
A thousand ages in thy sight
are like an evening gone,
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever rolling stream,
bears all our years away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
Our God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
be thou our guard while life shall last,
and our eternal home.
SONG: LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT
Artist: Cantus Choro
Words/Music: John Henry Newman/John Dykes
Recording: Move 743142
Lead, kindly light, amid th’encircling gloom,
lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou
shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
lead thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!
So long thy power hath blest me, sure it still
will lead me on.
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent,
till the night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I
Have loved long since, and lost awhile!
SONG: FATHER OF EVERLASTING GRACE
Artist: St Michael’s Singers, Coventry
Words/Music: Wesley/Norton
Recording: Kingsway KMCD 583
Father of everlasting grace,
Thy goodness and Thy truth we praise,
Thy goodness and Thy truth we prove;
Thou hast, in honor of Thy Son,
The gift unspeakable sent down,
The Spirit of life, and power and love.
Send us the Spirit of Thy Son,
To make the depths of Godhead known,
To make us share the life divine;
Send Him the sprinkled blood to apply,
Send Him our souls to sanctify,
And show and seal us ever Thine.
So shall we pray, and never cease;
So shall we thankfully confess
Thy wisdom, truth, and power, and love;
With joy unspeakable adore,
And bless and praise Thee evermore,
And serve Thee as Thy hosts above:
Till, added to that heavenly choir,
We raise our songs of triumph higher,
And praise Thee in a nobler strain,
Out-soar the first-born seraph’s flight,
And sing, with all our friends in light,
Thy everlasting love to man.
SONG: THE DAY THOU GAVEST, LORD, IS ENDED
Artist: Choir of St John’s, Elora, Noel Edison (dir), Paul Halley (Karn-Warren organ)
Words/Music: Ellerton/Scholefield
Recording: Hyperion 112105
The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
The darkness falls at Thy behest;
To Thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall hallow now our rest.
We thank Thee that Thy Church unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.
The sun, that bids us rest, is waking
Our brethren 'neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.
So be it, Lord; Thy throne shall never,
Like earth's proud empires, pass away:
But stand, and rule, and grow for ever,
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.
SONG: GOD BE WITH YOU TILL WE MEET AGAIN
Artist: Choir of the Cathedral of St Paul, Wellington, Michael Stewart (dir), Richard Apperley (organ)
Words/Music: Rankin/Vaughan Williams
Label: RNZ 2020
God be with you till we meet again,
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you,
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again,
When life’s perils thick confound you,
Put His arms unfailing round you,
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again,
’Neath His wings protecting hide you,
Daily manna still divide you,
God be with you till we meet again.
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