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As we are on the border here, perhaps we can be forgiven for observing both today!
The above photo is of the Statue of the Virgin just outside the village of St Sulpice en Pareds in the Vendee - with the harvest moon in the background.
A Hymn to the Virgin
Of on that is so fayr and bright
Velut maris stella,
Brighter than the day is light,
Parens et puella:
Ic crie to the, thou see to me,
Levedy, preye thi Sone for me,
Tam pia,
That ic mote come to thee
Maria.
Al this world was for-lore
Eva peccatrice,
Tyl our Lord was y-bore
De te genetrice.
With ave it went away
Thuster nyth and comz the day
Salutis;
The welle springeth ut of the,
Virtutis.
Levedy, flour of alle thing,
Rose sine spina,
Thu bere Jhesu, hevene king,
Gratia divina:
Of alle thu ber'st the pris,
Levedy, quene of paradys
Electa:
Mayde milde, moder es
Effecta.
Hymn for the Saints of Wales
Bishop Timothy Rees C.R. (1874 – 1939) Bishop of Llandaff (1931- 1939)
Lord, who in thy perfect wisdom
Times and seasons dost arrange
Working out thy changeless purpose
In a world of ceaseless change:
Thou didst form our ancient nation
In remote barbaric days,
To unfold in it a purpose
To thy glory and thy praise.
To our shores, remote, benighted
Washed by distant western waves,
Tidings in thy love thou sentest
Tidings of the Cross that saves.
Men of courage strove and suffered
Here thy holy Church to plant;
Glorious in the roll of heroes
Shines the name of Dewi Sant.
Lord, we hold in veneration
All the saints our land has known.
Bishops, priests, confessors, martyrs,
Standing now around thy throne.
Dewi, Dyfrig, Deiniol, Teilo,
All the gallant saintly band.
Who, of old, by prayer and labour
Hallowed all our fatherland.
Still thine ancient purpose standeth
Every change and chance above:
Still thine ancient Church remaineth
Witness to thy changeless love.
Vision grant us, Lord, and courage
To fulfil thy work begun
In the Church and in the nation
Lord of Lords, thy will be done.
As a boy I was born "C of E" and was happy to connect myself to the Englishness of Our Faith.
ReplyDeleteAs I saw the fractitious and divisive behaviour of Militant Homosexual clergy driving the Anglican Community into schism I felt drawn back to The Mother Church founded by Christ and it's first leader St.Peter.I drifted for some years yet always returned to the Truth: Christ died to save Us.It was as a man in my twenties that I entered into the Catholic Church and married my Love ,Philomena.
Still married after 26 years I know God has protected me from my own foolishness and errors.For this I am grateful and although still a sinner(hence practising Catholic)I pray and seek forgiveness and that most important part of the journey;a compass.
This is planted within us alland I pray that our country will look to Christians for their lead.