It's World Mission Sunday. This special day in the Catholic liturgical calendar was created by Pope Pius XI in the mid-1920s as a day of prayer for missions.
Holy Bible book and cross, close-up view Photo: 123rf
SONG: LORD OF ALL HOPEFULNESS
Artist: Choir of Wells Cathedral, Malcolm Archer (dir), Rupert Gough (organ)
Words/Music: Jan Struther/Trad
Recording: Hyperion 112105
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike,
no cares could destroy,
Be there at our waking,
and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord,
At the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled
at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labours
and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord,
At the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome,
Your arms to embrace.
Be there at our homing,
and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord,
At the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment,
whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping,
and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord,
At the end of the day.
SONG: WHO’LL BE A WITNESS FOR MY LORD?
Artist: Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square
Words/Music: Traditional
Recording: Bonneville 510097
[Lyrics unavailable]
SONG: WE HAVE A GOSPEL TO PROCLAIM
Artist: Huddersfield Choral Society
Words/Music: Edward Burns/Anon arr William Gardiner
Recording: Signum 2006
We have a gospel to proclaim,
Good news for all throughout the earth;
The gospel of a Saviour’s name:
We sing his glory, tell his worth.
Tell of his birth at Bethlehem,
Not in a royal house or hall,
But in a stable dark and dim,
The Word made flesh, a light for all.
Tell of his death at Calvary,
Hated by those he came to save;
In lonely suff’ring on the cross:
For all he loved, his life he gave.
Tell of that glorious Easter morn,
Empty the tomb, for he was free;
He broke the pow’r of death and hell
That we might share his victory.
Now we rejoice to name him King:
Jesus is Lord of all the earth.
This gospel-message we proclaim:
We sing his glory, tell his worth.
SONG: WE COME AS GUESTS INVITED
Artist: Choir of All Souls, Langham Place
Words/Music: Timothy Dudley-Smith/Hans Leo Hassler
Recording: Alliance Music 190892
We come as guests invited
when Jesus bids us dine,
his friends on earth united
to share the bread and wine;
the bread of life is broken;
the wine is freely poured
for us, in solemn token
of Christ our dying Lord.
We eat and drink, receiving
from Christ the grace we need,
and in our hearts believing
on him by faith we feed;
with wonder and thanksgiving
for love that knows no end,
we find in Jesus living
our ever-present friend.
One bread is ours for sharing,
one single fruitful vine,
our fellowship declaring
renewed in bread and wine:
renewed, sustained, and given
by token, sign, and word,
the pledge and seal of heaven,
the love of Christ our Lord.
SONG: KING OF GLORY, KING OF PEACE
Artist: Choir of All Saints Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills
Words/Music: George Herbert/David Walker
Recording: Gothic 349074
King of glory, King of peace,
I will love thee;
and that love may never cease,
I will move thee.
Thou hast granted my request,
thou hast heard me;
thou didst note my working breast,
thou hast spared me.
Wherefore with my utmost art
I will sing thee,
and the cream of all my heart
I will bring thee.
Though my sins against me cried,
thou didst clear me;
and alone, when they replied,
thou didst hear me.
Seven whole days, not one in seven,
I will praise thee;
in my heart, though not in heaven,
I can raise thee.
Small it is, in this poor sort
to enroll thee;
e'en eternity's too short
to extol thee.
SONG: IN FAITH AND HOPE AND LOVE
Artist: Cantus Choro
Words/Music: James McAuley/Richard Connolly
Recording: Move 743142
In faith and hope and love
with joyful trust we move
towards our Father's home above.
Christ, our star, our map, our road
To the Father's high abode.
In faith and hope and love
with joyful trust we move
towards our Father's home above.
Christ, our bread along the way;
Christ, our rescue when we stray.
In faith and hope and love
with joyful trust we move
towards our Father's home above.
Christ, our shelter, Christ our friend,
Our beginning and our end.
In faith and hope and love
with joyful trust we move
towards our Father's home above.
Christ, our hope and our reward;
Our redeemer and our Lord.
SONG: MAY THE MIND OF CHRIST MY SAVIOUR
Artist: Choir of the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, Michael Stewart (dir), Richard Apperley (organ)
Words/Music: Kate Wilkinson/Cyril Barham-Gould
Recording: RNZ 2020
May the mind of Christ, my Saviour,
live in me from day to day,
by His love and pow'r controlling
all I do and say.
May the Word of God dwell richly
in my heart from hour to hour,
so that all may see I triumph
only through His pow'r.
May the peace of God, my Father,
rule my life in ev'rything,
that I may be calm to comfort
sick and sorrowing.
May the love of Jesus fill me
as the waters fill the sea.
Him exalting, self abasing:
this is victory.
May I run the race before me,
strong and brave to face the foe,
looking only unto Jesus
as I onward go.
SONG: CHRIST IS MADE THE SURE FOUNDATION
Artist: Choir of All Saints Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills, Thomas Foster (dir), Craig Phillips (organ)
Words/Music: Anon trans John Mason Neale/Henry Purcell
Recording: Gothic 349074
Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the Head and Corner-stone,
Chosen of the Lord, and precious,
Binding all the Church in one,
Holy Sion's help for ever,
And her confidence alone.
All that dedicated city,
Dearly loved of God on high,
In exultant jubilation
Pours perpetual melody;
God the One in Three adoring
In glad hymns eternally.
Here vouchsafe to all Thy servants
What they ask of Thee to gain,
What they gain from Thee, for ever
With the blessèd to retain,
And hereafter in Thy glory
Evermore with Thee to reign.
SONG: THE PEACE OF GOD
Artist: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia, John Rutter (conductor)
Words/Music: Book of Common Prayer/John Rutter
Recording: Collegium CSCD 522
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord:
and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
be amongst you and remain with you always.
Amen.
