Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (Germany)

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott

See also the English translation: A Mighty Fortress is Our God

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, ein gute Wehr und Waffen.
Er hilft uns frei aus aller Not, die uns jetzt hat betroffen.
Der altböse Feind, mit Ernst er’s jetzt meint;
groß Macht und viel List sein grausam Rüstung ist,
auf Erd ist nicht seinsgleichen.

Mit unsrer Macht ist nichts getan, wir sind gar bald verloren;
es streit’ für uns der rechte Mann, den Gott hat selbst erkoren.
Fragst du, wer der ist? Er heißt Jesus Christ,
der Herr Zebaoth, und ist kein andrer Gott,
das Feld muß er behalten.

Und wenn die Welt voll Teufel wär und wollt uns gar verschlingen,
so fürchten wir uns nicht so sehr, es soll uns doch gelingen.
Der Fürst dieser Welt, wie sau’r er sich stellt,
tut er uns doch nicht; das macht, er ist gericht’:
ein Wörtlein kann ihn fällen.

Das Wort sie sollen lassen stahn und kein’ Dank dazu haben;
er ist bei uns wohl auf dem Plan mit seinem Geist und Gaben.
Nehmen sie den Leib, Gut, Ehr, Kind und Weib:
laß fahren dahin, sie haben’s kein’ Gewinn,
das Reich muß uns doch bleiben.

Historical Background Information from Wikipedia:
(1) in English
(2) in German

Composer: Martin Luther (1529)

Nunc Dimittis (Anglican)

Nunc Dimittis (Canticle of Simeon)

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Words: Luke 2:29–32

Background historical information

Nunc Dimittis (Latin)

Nunc Dimittis (Canticle of Simeon)

Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace:
Quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum
Quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum:
Lumen ad revelationem gentium, et gloriam plebis tuae Israel.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto,
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Background historical information

Words: Luke 2:29–32

Simple Gifts

Simple Gifts (Shaker Folk Song)

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

Background historical information

Shaker Folk Song

Composer: Joseph Brackett (1848)

The Church's One Foundation

The Church's one foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is his new creation,
by water and the word:
from heaven he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.

Elect from every nation,
yet one o'er all the earth,
her charter of salvation,
one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy Name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with every grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder
men see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder,
by heresies distressed;
yet saints their watch are keeping,
their cry goes up, "How long?"
and soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.

Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war
she waits the consummation
of peace for evermore;
till with the vision glorious
her longing eyes are blessed,
and the great Church victorious
shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
with God, the Three in one,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee.

Historical background (Wikipedia)

Words: Samuel John Stone (1868)
Music: AURELIA 76 76 D (by Samuel Sebastian Wesley)

We Are Many Parts (Marty Haugen)

Refrain:

We are many parts, we are all one body.
And the gifts we have we are given to share.
May the Spirit of love, make us one indeed.
One, the love that we share; one, our hope in despair,
one, the cross that we bear.

God of all, we look to you,
we would be your servants true,
let us be your love to all the world. (Refrain)

So my pain is pain for you,
in your joy is my joy too,
all is brought together in the Lord! (Refrain)

All you seekers great and small,
seek the greatest gift of all
if you love then you will know the Lord! (Refrain)

Paraphrase of 1 Cor 12, 13

Composer: Marty Haugen (1980)

See my other blog postings in the Contemporary Catholic series.

Thuma Mina (Zulu/South Africa)

Thuma mina ("Send me, Lord")

(Thuma mina)
Thuma mina,
Thuma mina,
Thuma mina,
Somandla

Words: South African/Zulu