A Note From Fr. Jeremy
UNITY OF THE CHURCH YEAR
Brothers and Sisters,
It can be very difficult to keep track of all our different years: calendar year, school year, fiscal years, and the Church (or “Liturgical”) year. For the Church, we are now arriving at the end of the year with a new year set to begin on the First Sunday of Advent. The Church shifts us from the end of one year to the beginning of a new year in a very smooth way; the end of every liturgical / Church year is about the second coming of Christ and the beginning of Advent is also about the second coming of Christ.
To that end, I would like to share with you the text of my all-time favorite hymn. The hymn is titled “Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending.” The title certainly sounds like an ancient or olde-timey song from centuries ago; please believe me that it is both a strong and beautiful hymn that is so relevant to the Solemnity of Christ the King as well as to the First Sunday of Advent.
The hymn is inspired by Sacred Scripture, specifically Revelation 1:7, which reads: “behold, He is coming amid the clouds and every eye will see Him – even those who pierced Him; all the peoples of the earth will lament Him – yea, amen.” The hymn speaks to Christ as sovereign of both Heaven and Earth and that all of us must live and act with the sure knowledge that He will be our final judge.
God be near,
Father Jeremy, pastor
LO, HE COMES WITH CLOUDS DESCENDING
Lo, He comes with clouds descending,
Once for our salvation slain.
Thousand, thousand saints attending,
Swell the triumph of His train.
Alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ, the Lord, returns to reign.
Every eye shall now behold Him,
Robed in dreadful majesty.
Those who set a naught and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall, the True Messiah, see.
Those dear tokens of His Passion,
Still His dazzling Body bears,
Cause of endless exultation,
To His ransomed worshippers.
With what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture,
Gaze we on those glorious scars.
Yea, amen, let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal Throne.
Savior: take the power and glory,
Claim Thy kingdom for Thine own.
Alleluia, alleluia. Alleluia!
