The Chalice

Man of sor­rows

wrapped in grief

Bow Thine ear to our re­lief:

Thou for us the path hast trod

Of the dread­ful wrath of God:

Thou the cup of fire hast drained

Till its light alone re­mained:

Lamb of Love! We look to Thee

Hear our mourn­ful li­ta­ny!

By the gar­den

fraught with woe

Whither Thou full oft wouldst go:

By Thine ag­ony of pray­er

In the de­so­la­tion there!

By the chains of sleep

which bound

Watchers in their trance pro­found;

Lord! Behold our bend­ed knee

Listen to our li­ta­ny!

By the con­flict foul and fell

With the loos­ened fiends of hell:

By the dark­ness of the hour

Shadowed with the tempt­er’s pow­er:

By the dire and deep dis­tress

Of that mys­te­ry fa­thom­less;

Lord! our tears in mer­cy see

Mingling with our li­ta­ny!

By the vi­sion then

which stole

Looming o’er Thy spot­less soul

Of the pride and guilt of man

Since his fall from grace began

Seas of sin

with bil­lowy waves

Yawning in­to count­less graves;

Lord! our­selves from ship­wreck free

Hear our so­lemn li­ta­ny!

By the cha­lice

when it came

Pregnant with a hell of flame:

By those lips

which fain would pray

That it might but pass away:

By the Heart

which drank it dry

Lest a re­bel race should die;

Let Thy pi­ty be our plea

Hear our so­lemn li­ta­ny!

Man of sor­rows! Let Thy grief

Purchase for us our re­lief:

Lord of mer­cy

bow Thine ear

Slow to an­ger

swift to hear:

Let the gar­den Thou hast trod

Draw us to the throne of God;

So Geth­se­ma­ne shall be

Sweet in ev­ery li­ta­ny!