By the Thorny Way of Sorrow

By the thor­ny way of sor­row

Counting earth­ly gain but loss;

Wins the Church her glad to­mor­row

In re­demp­tion by the cross.

Lenten clouds away have drift­ed

Comes at length her great re­wards

And her eyes are now up­lift­ed

To the glo­ry of her Lord.

Alleluia! King eter­nal!

Lord of life! the strife is o’er;

Thou hast quelled the pow’rs in­fer­nal;

Throwing wide high Heav­en’s door;

Alleluia! He has ris­en!

And His own

in Him shall rise;

Broken are the bars of pri­son;

Won the rest of para­dise.

Forth His Church shall go to meet Him

In the break­ing of the dawn!

At her al­tars kneel to greet Him!

On this glo­ri­ous East­er morn:

Whom His cha­lice veils en­fold­ing

Very bread! and ve­ry wine!

We adore by faith be­hold­ing:

In this Eu­cha­rist di­vine.

In His man­hood

Christ vic­tor­ious

Won for man o’er death the strife;

In His God­head ev­er glo­ri­ous:

Grants the gift of end­less life;

Hail! all hail! the King im­mor­tal!

Who shall with His Church abide

Till we pass through death’s dark por­tal

To th’eter­nal East­er­tide.