O Merciful Redeemer

The hymn tune is Thaxted. Holst used it in the Jupiter section of his Planets Suite and is generaly credited for the tune itself, at least the transcribed version.
Lyrics are varied, "I vow to thee my country", which many know from Princess Diana's wedding and funeral, a modern set of lyrics titled "O God beyond all praising" and a few others.

I prefer the most obscure version of the lyrics and find them most sublime and perfect for the music itself. Frances Havergal wrote spiritual poetry in England in the mid 1800s. O Merciful Redeemer is the title and I'll record the lyrics here at the end.

I have a mental vision of the Divine Mercy devotion any time I play this tune. Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska was a most humble nun in Poland in the mid 1920s. Jesus appeared to her on Feb 22 1931 and commanded her to bring His message of mercy to the world. She kept a diary, one that details the journey of her soul. Intended only for her confessor, the writing is profoundly spiritual and allows us to understand how God uses us for His purposes. We learn how Jesus enters into the deepest union with a soul still existing in it's earthly journey. After turmoil with faulty translations, a pronouncement of heresy, and subsequent study of the actual translation of her diary she was found to be of great sanctity and eventually proclaimed a saint. The message of Divine Mercy is a great Catholic devotion.
You need not believe that she spoke with Jesus or in the devotion, but if you read the diary you will soon realize that this was not the ramblings of an illiterate nun or spiritual hallucinations. Instead you will find profound insight into God's love for us, to the extent he abandoned His Son to suffer for our sins

O merciful Redeemer
Whom yet unseen we love
O name of might and favor
All other names above
O bringer of salvation
Who woundrously has wrought
Thy self the revelation
Of love beyond all thought
We worship Thee and bless Thee
To Thee alone we sing
We praise Thee and confess Thee
Our gracious Lord and King

In Thee all fullness dwelleth
All grace and pow'r divine
The glory that excelleth
O Son of God is Thine
O grant the consumation
Of this our song above
In endless adoration
And everlasting love
Then shall we praise and bless Thee
Where perfect praise ring
And ever more confess Thee
Our Saviour and our King

Category:

Music

Tags:

• merciful
• redeemer
• thaxted
• violin
• catholic
• hymn
• holst
• divine
• mercy
• saint
• faustina
• god
• beyond
• all
• praising

[outtaker]

the portrait you end with is my FAVORITE of Christ. Is that a version of the Sacred Heart? The music is also wonderful :-)

[guarneriviolinaddict]

It is the image of Divine Mercy, Adolf Hyla version. Jesus appeared to St Faustina and instructed her to have this image painted with the signature "Jesus I Trust in You" He said the image should be solemnly blessed the Sunday after Easter and this day become the Feast of Divine Mercy, which we now have in the Roman Church. The pale ray is Water, the red Blood. They represent the endless mercy that poured forth when the lance pierced Jesus heart. His mercy is an infinite shelter for our souls

[mkl62]

I am an ELCA Lutheran from South Carolina. I play the piano and organ. Today (August 22), I played We Praise Thee, O God for Sunday School assembly. The author is unknown, but the lyrics were translated by Julia Cory. It is set to the tune, KREMSER, a 17th Century Netherland folk song, arranged by Edward Kremser.

[mercychaplet]

Pro dolorosa Eius passione,

miserere nobis et totius mundi.

[dramamajor1985]

Agree.

[organman52]

Terrible organist.