Scripture Verse

Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Psalm 86:15

Introduction

Words: Ed­mund Vaugh­an, in Hymns for the Con­fra­ter­ni­ty of the Ho­ly Fa­mi­ly (Burns & Lam­bert, 1854). Act of Con­tri­tion.

Music: Tar­ry­town B.M.J., in the Am­eri­can Ca­tho­lic Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by the Mar­ist Bro­thers (New York: P. J. Ke­ne­dy & Sons, 1913), num­ber 203 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know the com­pos­er, or where to get a good pho­to of him or Vaugh­an (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

God of mer­cy and com­pas­sion,
Look with pi­ty up­on me.
Father, let me call Thee Fa­ther,
’Tis Thy child re­turns to Thee.

Refrain

Jesus, Lord, I ask for mer­cy;
Let me not im­plore in vain;
All my sins—I now de­test them,
Never will I sin again.

By my sins I have de­serv­èd
Death and end­less mi­se­ry;
Hell, with all its pains and tor­ments,
And for all eter­ni­ty.

Refrain

By my sins I have aban­doned
Right and claim to Heav’n above,
Where the saints re­joice for­ev­er,
In a bound­less sea of love.

Refrain

See our Sav­ior, bleed­ing, dy­ing,
On the cross of Cal­va­ry;
To that cross my sins have nailed Him,
Yet He bleeds and dies for me.

Refrain