Te lucis ante terminum

Latin, c. 5th to 9th century
Translated by John Mason Neale, 1818-66.

Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That with Thy wonted favor, Thou
Wouldst be our guard and keeper now.

From all ill dreams defend our eyes,
From nightly fears and fantasies;
Tread under foot our ghostly foe,
That no pollution we may know.

O Father, that we ask be done,
Through Jesus Christ, Thine only Son;
Who, with the Holy Ghost and Thee,
Doth live and reign eternally.

In an age of electric light and reasonable safety, we may find this old treasure of catholic hymnody strange. I still remember one of my professors at seminary (!) decrying the antiquate character of Luther's morning prayer, in which we thank God for keeping us "this night from all harm and danger."

I guess that gentleman had learned the secular ways of taking for granted the gracious preservation that the Creator of all things extends to us out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness on our part. For yes, even amid the social unrest that haunts our society, we have come a long way from the ancient times, in which the hours of darkness lay unprotected by police, alarms, etc.

In those days people had no defence from evildoers. And so the church would pray for the One who never slumbers or sleeps to guard her from all evil of body and soul. Compline, the service at the close of the day, would frame this hymn with prayers like the following:

Thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us,
and we are called by Thy Name;
leave us not, O Lord our God. (Jeremiah. 14:9.)

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping;
That awake we may watch with Christ
And asleep we may rest in peace.

I will lay me down in peace, and sleep:
For Thou, LORD, only, makest me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)

Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit,
For Thou hast redeemed us, O LORD, Thou God of truth. (Psalm 31:5)

Praise be to God for His faithful protection, and let us not forget all His benefits to us, but with humble hearts evermore raise our songs and prayers to His throne, where the Spirit makes them perfect and the Son makes them acceptable in the sight of the Father.

Let us pray:
Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this habitation,
and drive far from it all snares of the enemy:
let thy holy angels dwell herein, to preserve us in peace;
and let thy blessing be always upon us.
Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
ever one God, world without end. Amen.


P.S.: My deep gratitude to Rev. Benjamin Mayes and Rev. Michael Frese, without whose work in putting together "The Brotherhood Prayerbook" I might never discover such treasures of the church.

How lovely shines the Morning Star (TLH 343/LSB 395)

Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608

How lovely shines the Morning Star!
The nations see and hail afar
The light in Judah shining.
Thou David's Son of Jacob's race,
My Bridegroom and my King of Grace,
For Thee my heart is pining.
Lowly,
Holy,
Great and glorious,
Thou victorious
Prince of graces,
Filling all the heavenly places.

O highest joy by mortals won,
True Son of God and Mary's Son,
Thou high-born King of ages!
Thou art my heart's most beauteous Flower,
And Thy blest Gospel's saving power
My raptured soul engages.
Thou mine,
I Thine;
Sing hosanna!
Heavenly manna
Tasting, eating,
Whilst Thy love in songs repeating.

Now richly to my waiting heart,
O Thou, my God, deign to impart
The grace of love undying.
In Thy blest body let me be,
E'en as the branch is in the tree,
Thy life my life supplying.
Sighing,
Crying.
For the savor
Of Thy favor;
Resting never,
Till I rest in Thee forever.

A pledge of peace from God I see
When Thy pure eyes are turned to me
To show me Thy good pleasure.
Jesus, Thy Spirit and Thy Word,
Thy body and Thy blood, afford
My soul its dearest treasure.
Keep me
Kindly
In Thy favor,
O my Savior!
Thou wilt cheer me;
Thy Word calls me to draw near Thee.

Thou, mighty Father, in Thy Son
Didst love me ere Thou hadst begun
This ancient world's foundation.
Thy Son hath made a friend of me,
And when in spirit Him I see,
I joy in tribulation.
What bliss
Is this!
He that liveth
To me giveth
Life forever;
Nothing me from Him can sever.

Lift up the voice and strike the string.
Let all glad sounds of music ring
In God's high praises blended.
Christ will be with me all the way,
Today, tomorrow, every day,
Till traveling days be ended.
Sing out,
Ring out
Triumph glorious,
O victorious,
Chosen nation;
Praise the God of your salvation.

Oh, joy to know that Thou, my Friend,
Art Lord, Beginning without end,
The First and Last, Eternal!
And Thou at length – O glorious grace! –
Wilt take me to that holy place,
The home of joys supernal.
Amen,
Amen!
Come and meet me!
Quickly greet me!
With deep yearning
Lord, I look for Thy returning.

Each morning we wake up to a new light-flooded day and, guided by the sunlight, we go about our work. In this hymn by Lutheran pastor Phillip Nikolai, that light is not taken for granted. The appearance in the sky of the morning star gives the clue for the author’s singing of Christ, the light of the world and the bright star that guides the church in this world of darkness. With Christ, our morning star fair and bright, we begin the task of our day rejoicing.

This is a hymn that transcends any brief reflection. The marvellous tune, “Wie schön leuchtet,” also known as “the queen of chorales,” is matched to a text of deep evangelical piety, a true teacher of the most genuine Lutheran faith. The true Son of God becomes Mary’s son; He comes to earth to give His life for us that we may live for Him and say: “Thou mine, I Thine; Sing hosanna!”

That union, in which the Son of God binds us to Himself with cords of sacrificial love, finds its most profound expression in the Sacrament of the Altar. There He gives us His body to eat, His blood to drink, that we become branches of the life-giving vine and members of His body, the church.

In this life-giving supper God reveals the love He had for us before the world’s foundation, revealed now in the appearance of His Son in the flesh to make of us, who where enemies, friends of God. This assurance that the Living Christ is our source of life helps us sing even in tribulation, for nothing can separate us from God since the body and blood of Christ have united us to Him.

This is the Christian faith. We live under the cross, yet we rejoice, for Christ bore our sins on His cross to crown us with His glory. "Christ will be with me all the way, Today, tomorrow, every day;" and so we go into our earthly vocations – our jobs or roles in which as a holy priesthood we praise God in serving our neighbour. We rise each new morning, begin each new year, with the prayer that the Lord will soon come and take us into the eternal rest in His kingdom:

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel
to testify to you about these things for the churches.
I am the root and the descendant of David,
the bright morning star.”
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”
And let the one who hears say, “Come.”
And let the one who is thirsty come;
let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
He who testifies to these things says,
“Surely I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Revelation 22:16.17.20

Tired, Now I Go to Sleep (see LSB 887)

Luise Hensel, 1817 (Müde bin ich, geh zur Ruh)
English translation ©2007 Rev. Gerson Flor

Tired, now I go to sleep;
Close my eyes in slumber deep.
Father, may Thine eyes tonight,
Keep my bed safe in Thy sight.

All the wrong I did today,
Dearest God, forgive, I pray;
Jesus’ cross and blood, I trust,
Make me clean, upright and just.

My dear family be blest,
Lord, within Thy hand to rest;
Care for people great and small,
May Thy grace embrace us all.

Comfort every weary soul,
Holy Spirit, and console;
Grow our faith until our eyes
See Thy face in paradise.

Night after night, as a child, I would sing this prayer with my parents, brothers, and sister. Until my confirmation day. After that, I was old enough that I no longer needed to pray like a child.

Twenty years later, I now sing the same old familiar words with my wife and children as we tuck them in bed. One night I realized the great joy that I have in making these words my very own, and also how much I lost during all those years I spent thinking myself taller than these simple words. For yes, I remain a little child before God, always in need of His kind protection, forgiveness, blessing, comfort, and promise.

It is true, we can grow tired of God’s grace; but we can never grow over it. When we think it is not ourselves, but our children who need to learn about God, we are drifting into danger. For we are no better equipped than they are to fight against our flesh, the world, and the devil. Against these, with might of ours can naught be done; but for us fights the Valiant One – Jesus Christ, true God and true man.

It is His help that we invoke in this simple prayer. It is His protection that guides us waking and guards us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace. Grant this, Lord, unto us all! Amen.

[Jesus] said,
"Truly, I say to you,
unless you turn and become like children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
St. Matthew 18:3

P.S.: The very last two lines read:

Laß den Mond am Himmel stehn und die stille Welt besehn
(Let the moon remain in the sky and watch over the quiet world)

The translation above departs from the original German to follow the Portuguese version of the text:

Fortalece a fé, ó Deus, faze-nos entrar nos céus.
(Strengthen the faith, O God, make us enter into heaven).

It is my conviction that translations can improve on the original text, and where that has happened we should have no regrets in following the best vernacular option.

My Inmost Heart Now Raises (TLH 548)

Georg Nigidius, 1525-1588
1st Published in: Neu Catechismus-Gesangbuechlein, Hamburg, 1598
Translation based on Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878

1. My inmost heart now raises
In this fair morning hour
A song of thankful praises
To Thine almighty pow'r,
O God, upon Thy throne.
To honor and adore Thee,
I bring my praise before Thee
Thro' Christ, Thine only Son.

2. For Thou from me hast warded
All perils of the night;
From ev'ry harm hast guarded
My soul till morning light.
To Thee I humbly cry,
O Savior, have compassion
And pardon my transgression;
Have mercy, Lord most high!

3. And shield me from all evil,
O gracious God, this day,
From sin, and from the devil,
From shame and from dismay,
From fire's consuming breath,
From water's devastation,
From need and consternation,
From evil sudden death.

4. Let not Thine angel leave me
While here on earth I stay
Lest Satan's arts deceive me
And lead my soul astray.
Then keep Thine angel near
At night and each new morrow
Lest soul and body sorrow
And falt'ring cost me dear.

5. God shall do my advising,
Whose might with wisdom blends;
May He bless rest and rising,
My efforts, means, and ends!
To God, forever blest,
Will I with mine confide me,
And willing let Him guide me
As seemeth to Him best.

6. Amen I say, not fearing
That God rejects my prayer;
I doubt not He is hearing
And granting me His care.
Thus I go on my way
And do not look behind me,
But ply the task assigned me;
God's help shall be my stay.

Here is a beautiful morning hymn based on Martin Luther's morning prayer. As a good catechetical hymn, it not only sings with the voice of faith, but explains the faith taught in the catechism, helps us reflect on God's grace renewed every night and day, and teaches us to love the simple words that we learned from childhood and make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Notice the beautiful concentric structure formed by the balance of stanzas 1-6, 2-5, 3-4: We raise our morning prayer before God's throne in the assurance that He will not reject what we humbly ask through Christ, the only Son. As we recall God's protection during the night, so we confide ourselves to Him who guides us with wisdom and mercy divine during the day. For while Satan plans our destruction, God's holy angel encamps around us, shielding and delivering us from every evil.

Oh, that each child of God would begin the day with such a prayer! How thankful would we be, how joyful would then our praises echo through each and every word or deed from morn till eve! Blessed are those who have a copy of TLH to prevent these words from being erased from the Church's hymnody!

Luther himself professed to remain a lifetime student of his catechism. And indeed, here again, in this little booklet composed to be a guide to every household, we can make our own the words of our Lord:

I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
Matthew 11:25 ESV

Let us pray:

I thank You, my heavenly Father,

through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son,

that You have kept me this night

from all harm and danger;

and I pray that You would keep me

this day also from sin and every evil,

that all my doings and life may please You.

For into Your hands I commend myself,

my body and soul, and all things.

Let Your holy angel be with me,

that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Evening and Morning (LSB 726)

Paul Gerhardt, 1666
Translated by Richard Massie, 1800-87.

Evening and Morning,
Sunset and dawning,
Wealth, peace, and gladness,
Comfort in sadness:
These are Thy works;
All the glory be Thine!
Times without number,
Awake or in slumber,
Thine eye observes us,
From danger preserves us,
Causing Thy mercy upon us to shine.

St. Paul admonished the Church to let the word of God dwell richly among us with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And by God's grace, the church has used God's gift of music to spread the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

Generations of poets have left a great treasure to the church. They sang; and as they sang, they confessed Christ, they proclaimed His grace, they comforted His people. The hymnody of the church has never served the purpose of entertaining bored audiences, exciting restless bodies, or prosucing mystical encounters. On the contrary, the beauty of musical expression was seen as a fitting instrument to lead the faithful to meditate, appreciate and desire the true means of God's grace: His holy word, revealed through prophets, apostles, and ultimately in His Son, who instituted the holy sacraments by which His grace would be imparted on those who believe.

This blog is no way written by an expert; however, those who drink from the wells of Christian hymnody and discover its revigorating freshness cannot but speak of the songs they have heard and learned. As a grateful pupil of those who helped the church sing her praises to her Lord, I intend to share with anyone who deigns to read these rumblings a bit of the richness of Christian hymnody, scriptural, catholic, and Lutheran.

Paul Gerhardt's words not only provide the first sample, but also announce the main goal of this blog: to provide hymnic reflections for the daily prayer of God's people - especially for evening and morning prayer. Hopefully it will help and encourage not only the reader, but also the blogger to grow in the blessed habit of calling upon the name that is above all names, even Jesus Christ, our Lord, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Father, O hear me,
Pardon and spare me;
Calm all my terrors,
Blot all my errors,
That by Thine eyes
They may no more be scanned.
Order my goings,
Direct all my doings;
As it may please Thee,
Retain or release me;
All I commit to Thy fatherly hand.

P.S.: How could TLH miss such a wonderful hymn is a mystery beyond my limited imagination.