Some Hymns Written by St Alphonsus Liguori
St Alphonsus, an "artist of the Gospel," used music to reach the hearts of the people, and wrote beautiful, and popular hymns for his Missions. These hymns show the very heart of Alphonsus: filled with the love of God and with the desire to praise Him by giving one's whole self to this Good God, this "God of loveliness:" The traditional tune for this hymn plays on this page and....
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O God of Loveliness
O God of loveliness,
0 Lord of heaven above,
How worthy to possess my heart's
devoted love.
So sweet thy countenance, so gracious to behold
That one, one only glance to me were bliss untold.
Thou art blest Three in
One, yet undivided still,
Thou art the One alone, whose love my heart can
fill.
The heavens and earth below were fashioned by thy Word,
How amiable art Thou, my ever dearest Lord.
To think Thou art my
God,--O thought forever blest!
My heart has overflowed with joy within my breast.
My soul so full of bliss, is plunged as in a sea,
Deep in the sweet abyss of holy charity.
O loveliness supreme, and
Beauty infinite,
0 ever flowing Stream and Ocean of delight,
0 Life by which I live, My truest Life above,
To Thee alone I give my undivided love.
Raise
your Voices, Vales and Mountains
(The Blessed Virgin Mary)
In this hymn, St Alphonsus calls upon all of nature, in all of its beauty and glory, to join in praising God for the greatest beauty and glory of all creation: the Madonna, the all-pure Mother of God:
Raise your
voices, vales and mountains,
Flowr'y meadows, streams and fountains,
Praise, O praise the loveliest Maiden
The Creator ever made.
Murm'ring
brooks your tribute bringing,
Little birds with joyful singing,
Come with mirthful praises laden
To your Queen be homage paid.
Like
a sun with splendor glowing
Gleams thy heart with
love o'erflowing,
Like the moon in starry heaven
Shines thy peerless purity.
Like the
rose and lily blooming,
Sweetly heaven and earth perfuming,
Stainless, spotless thou appearest:
Queenly beauty graces thee.
Jesus, Lord, be Thou mine own
In this hymn, St Alphonsus once again (as he does over and over in his beloved Stations of the Cross) asks the Lord that He may do with us as He will......and gives the key to sanctity: conformity to the Will of God:
Jesus,
Lord, be Thou my own;
Thee I long for, Thee alone;
All myself I give to Thee;
Do whate'er Thou wilt with me.
Life without Thy Love would
be
Death, O Sov'reign Good, to me;
Bound and held by Thy dear chains
Captive now my heart remains.
Thou, O God, my heart
inflame,
Give that love which Thou dost claim;
Payment I will ask for none;
Love demands but love alone.
God of beauty, Lord of
light,
Thy good will is my delight;
Now henceforth Thy will divine
Ever shall in all be mine.
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