Scripture Verse

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. John 1:14

Introduction

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Edward Caswall (1814–1878)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: From the Clu­ni­ac Bre­vi­ary (Pa­ris, 1686) (Quae dix­it, eg­it, per­tul­it). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by Ed­ward Cas­wall, Ly­ra Ca­tho­li­ca, 1849.

Music: Whit­well John Hop­kins, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1875 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Hop­kins (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

The life, which God’s Incarnate Word
Lived here below with men,
Three blest evangelists record
With Heav’n inspirèd pen.

John soars on high, beyond the three,
To God the Fa­ther’s throne;
And shows in what deep mystery
The Word with God is One.

Upon the Sav­ior’s loving breast
Invited to recline,
’Twas thence he drew, in moments blest,
Rich stores of truth divine.

And thence did that angelic love
His inmost spirit fill,
Which, once enkindled from above,
Breathes in his pag­es still.

Jesu, the virgin’s holy Son,
We praise Thee and adore,
Who art with God the Fa­ther One
And Spi­rit ev­er­more.