Latinised Hymns

Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided

Lord, for the years your love has kept and guided,
urged and inspired us, cheered us in our way,
sought us and saved us, pardoned and provided:
Lord of the years, we bring our thanks today.

Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes us and inspires us:
Lord of the word, receive your people's praise.

Lord, for our land in this our generation,
spirits oppressed by pleasure, wealth and care:
for young and old, for commonwealth and nation,
Lord of our land, be pleased to hear our prayer.

Lord, of our world where men disown and doubt you,
loveless in strength, and comfortless in pain,
hungry and helpless, lost indeed without you;
Lord of the world, we pray that Christ may reign.

Lord, of ourselves, in living power remake us
self on the cross and Christ upon the throne,
past put behind us, for the future take us;
Lord of our lives, to live for Christ alone.

T.Dudley-Smith

Amans per annos et tegens duxisti,
propulsor et levamen tu viae,
quaerens salvasti, veniam dedisti:
grates, o Rex annorum, accipe.

Pro verbo, quod vitale nos incendit
mentesque implet calore cordaque
docensque nos impellit aut reprendit,
plebs tua te laudamus, Domine.

Pro civitate et civibus, gravatis
cura seu voluptate vel lucro,
cunctis et cuiuscumque sint aetatis,
sit nostra accepta supplicatio.

Mundum, tuum sed male te fatentem
(nil eius vim luctumve temperat),
debilem, certe sine te cadentem,
tandem precamur Christus ut regat.

Tu vividus potensque recrea nos
(in cruce nos, sit Christus in throno),
quique erimus, non fuimus, voca nos,
Christoque tum vivamus unico.

MM 26.11–14.12.99