know

appears 45 times in 31 song(s)

know

appears 45 times in 31 song(s)
1

Penitential Litany (shorter version)

You who gave sight to the blind man
who cried out to you,
have mercy on us, for we are sinners,
Lord, have mercy!
You who entered Zaccheus’ house,
bringing salvation
have mercy on us…
You who called out Lazarus from death,
have mercy on us…
You who forgave the adulterous woman,
have mercy on us…
You who never refused to eat
with prostitutes and sinners,
have mercy on us…
You who from the cross forgave
a robber and a murderer,
have mercy on us…
You who are the only one
who knows our sins,
have mercy on us…
You who loved Judas
to the end,
have mercy on us…
You who are the only one who loves the enemy,
have mercy on us…
You who died and rose
for our justification,
have mercy on us…
12

Exsultet (Paschal Praeconium)

Exult, choirs of angels,
Exult, heavenly assembly!
May a hymn of glory
greet the triumph of our risen Lord!
Rejoice, all the earth,
flooded with the new light!
The splendour of the King has conquered darkness,
the darkness of the world!
The splendour of the King has conquered darkness,
the darkness of the world!
Rejoice, O Mother Church, made resplendent
with the glory of your risen Lord.
Let this holy building resound,
echoing the song of a people in feast.
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right and just.
It is truly right and just
to express, by singing, the great joy of the spirit
and to praise the all powerful Father
and his Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
He paid for us to the eternal Father Adam’s debt,
and with his blood, shed out of love,
he wiped away the condemnation of the ancient fault.
This is the Passover
in which is slain the one true Lamb.
This is the night
in which you freed our fathers from the slavery of Egypt.
This is the night
that with a pillar of fire banished the darkness of evil.
This is the night in which you have conquered the darkness of sin.
This is the night
in which Christ has destroyed death
and from the dead arises victorious.
How wonderful is the mercy
of your grace,
how boundless the tenderness of your love;
to ransom a slave you sacrificed your Son!
Without the sin of Adam,
Christ would not have redeemed us!
O happy fault,
which deserved so great a Saviour,
O happy fault!
O Night, truly blessed,
which knew the hour in which Christ arose!
O Night, truly blessed,
which despoiled the Egyptians to make Israel wealthy!
O Night, which conquers evil and washes guilt away!
O Night, truly glorious,
which reconciles man | to his God!
This is the night
in which Christ has destroyed death
and from the dead arises victorious.
In this night, receive, heavenly Father,
the sacrifice of praise
that the Church is offering you by the hand of her ministers
in the solemn liturgy of the candle,
sign of the new light.
We pray you, O Lord:
let this candle,
offered in honour of your name,
shine with light;
let it ascend to you like fragrant perfume,
let it mingle with the stars of heaven;
may the morning star find this flame still burning,
the morning star which never sets:
Christ, your Son, risen from the dead,
who shines resplendent with his peaceful light!
Amen, Amen, Amen!
19

Hymn for Lauds of Advent after 17 December

The voices of the prophets
announce the coming of the Lord
who brings to all men
the gift of his peace.
Behold a new light
rises in the morning,
a voice resounds:
the king of glory comes.
At his first coming
Christ came to save us,
to heal our wounds
of body and spirit.
At the end of time
he will return as judge;
he will give the promised kingdom
to his faithful servants.
Today, on our path
his light shines for us;
Jesus, the sun of grace,
calls us to new life.
It is you, O Christ, we seek;
it is you we want to know,
to praise you forever
in your eternal kingdom.
To you be praise, O Lord,
born of the Virgin Mary,
to the Father and the Holy Spirit
for ever and ever. Amen.
26

Gospel Acclamation (Lent - a)

Praise to you O Christ, King of eternal glory, King of eternal glory!
”I am the Good Shepherd,” says the Lord!
”I know my sheep and they follow me!”
”I know my sheep and they follow me! ”
Praise to you O Christ, King of eternal glory, King of eternal glory!
26

Gospel Acclamation (Lent - b)

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ, King of eternal glory, praise to you!
”I am the Good Shepherd, ” says the Lord!
”I know my sheep and they follow me!”
”I know my sheep and they follow me!”
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ, King of eternal glory, praise to you!
62

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
My offences truly I know them;
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.
That you may be justified when you give sentence
and be without reproach when you judge.
O see, in guilt I was born,
a sinner was I conceived.
Indeed you love truth in the heart;
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
that the bones you have crushed may revive.
From my sins turn away your face
and blot out all my guilt.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
Give me again the joy of your help,
with a spirit of fervour sustain me
that I may teach transgressors your ways
and sinners may return to you.
Rescue me, O God, my helper,
and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse;
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit
a humbled contrite heart you will not spurn.
In your goodness show favour to Zion:
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice,
holocausts offered on your altar.
63

Have mercy on me, have mercy on me

Have mercy on me, have mercy on me.
Have mercy on me, have mercy on me.
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
Have mercy on me, have mercy on me.
My offences truly I know them;
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done. *
That you may be justified when you give sentence
and be without reproach when you judge.
O see, in guilt I was born,
a sinner was I conceived.
Indeed you love truth in the heart;
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
that the bones you have crushed may revive.
From my sins turn away your face
and blot out all my guilt.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
Give me again the joy of your help,
with a spirit of fervour sustain me
that I may teach transgressors your ways
and sinners may return to you.
Rescue me, O God, my helper,
and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
For in sacrifice you take no delight,
burnt offering from me you would refuse;
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit,
a humbled contrite heart you will not spurn.
In your goodness show favour to Zion:
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice,
holocausts offered on your altar.
Have mercy on me…
68

If today you listen to his voice

If today you listen to his voice,
do not harden your hearts.
Come, ring out our joy to the Lord,
acclaiming the rock who saves us.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving,
acclaiming him with psalms and songs.
If today…
A mighty God is the Lord,
a great king above all gods.
In his hands are the depths of the earth,
the sea belongs to him, so does the land.
If today…
Come let us bow low before him,
and kneel before the Lord
who made us.
For he is our God and we are his people;
the people that he pastures,
the flock that he guides.
If today…
If only, if only
you would listen to his voice today and not harden your hearts
as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the desert,
when your fathers tested me,
when they tried me
though they had seen my deeds.
For forty years I was wearied of that generation
and I said: "They are a people with a crooked heart,
they don't know my ways,
they shall not enter my rest."
If today…
81

Acclaim the Lord

Acclaim the Lord,
all peoples of the earth;
serve the Lord with gladness!
Come before him
with songs of joy.
Acclaim the Lord…
Know that he, the Lord, is God.
He made us, we belong to him;
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Acclaim the Lord…
Go within his gates, giving thanks;
enter his courts with songs of praise,
give thanks to him and bless his name.
Acclaim the Lord…
Indeed, how good is the Lord,
eternal his merciful love;
he is faithful from age to age.
Acclaim the Lord…
82

When I awake

When I awake, I’ll be satisfied with your face, O Lord,
When I awake, I’ll be satisfied with your face, O Lord.
Listen, Lord, to my prayer,
be attentive, Lord to my cry,
listen to my plea:
my lips do not betray you, O Lord,
let judgement come from you,
let your eyes see,
let your eyes see righteousness.
When I awake...
Search, Lord, my heart,
search me at night, O Lord.
test me in the crucible, test me in the crucible,
because you know there is no malice in me,
my mouth does not speak as men do;
because I have kept your Word,
I have avoided the way of the violent one;
I’ve kept my feet firmly on your path,
and I will not stumble, I will not stumble.
When I awake...
I cry to you, Lord, answer me,
listen, Lord, to my voice,
show me the wonders of your love,
for you save whoever entrusts himself to you,
for you help whoever relies on your right hand;
guard me as the apple of your eye,
in the shadow of your wings, hide me.
Look! They want to kill me!
When I awake...
Look at them, they are closed in their pride,
their mouths speak with arrogance,
they advance against me, they advance against me!
Help me, O Lord!
Rescue me from the men of this world,
from men who believe only in this life;
fill them with good things, O Lord,
let their children have all they desire,
let them be satisfied with your riches.
because when I awake, when I awake,
I’ll be satisfied with your face, O Lord!
90

Before the angels

Before the angels to you I want to sing,
before the angels I want to sing psalms;
I give thanks to your Name,
for your faithfulness and your love.
I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart,
because your promise has surpassed your fame.
On the day I cried to you, you answered me,
you gave strength and vigour to my soul.
Before the angels…
All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
when they hear the words of your mouth.
And singing on the way of the Lord,
they will say: "How great is your love."
Before the angels…
The Lord is sublime and looks upon the humble.
He knows the proud man and looks on him from afar.
When I walk in affliction,
you stretch out your hand, your right hand saves me.
Before the angels…
The Lord will complete in me what he has started,
for his love is great and everlasting.
He does not abandon the work of his hands:
"O Lord, do not abandon us!"
Before the angels...
92

There is a time for everything

There is a time for everything,
every action has its moment under heaven.
A time for being born, a time for dying,
a time for sowing, a time for reaping;
a time for killing, a time for healing,
a time for destruction, a time for rebuilding.
A time to throw stones away, a time to gather them,
a time to embrace, a time to refuse.
A time for searching, a time for losing,
a time for keeping, a time for giving:
a time for tearing, a time for mending,
a time for speaking, a time for silence.
A time for loving, a time for hating,
a time for war, a time for peace.
What does a man gain from all his efforts?
What does he profit from all his labour?
What God has done to the son of man
is truly beautiful and comes at the right time.
He has placed in man's heart the sense of eternity,
but man cannot see the whole of God’s plan.
I know there is no happiness for man,
but to enjoy the fruits of his labour;
what he eats and drinks in his life,
is nothing but a gift from the Lord.
Nothing can be added, nothing taken away,
from what the Father had already ordained
at the beginning of time.
101

If in the Lord I have taken my refuge

If in the Lord I have taken my refuge,
how can you say to me, how can you say to me:
flee like a bird to the mountain,
flee like a bird to the mountain?
I know that the wicked bend the bow,
and fit their arrows on the string,
to shoot in darkness the upright of heart,
but when the foundations quake,
what can the just man do?,
what can the just man do?
The Lord, the Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord has his throne in heaven,
his eyes look upon the world,
his gaze searches every man.
The Lord tests the just,
but the Lord tests the wicked as well,
the Lord does not love violence,
the Lord does not love violence.
If in the Lord I have taken my refuge…
104

Daughters of Jerusalem

Daughters of Jerusalem,
do not weep, do not weep for me.
For if they do this with the green wood,
with the dry what will happen?
With the dry what will happen? Ay!
Daughters of Jerusalem…
Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do.
Forgive them, forgive them. Ay!
Daughters of Jerusalem…
I assure you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.
Daughters of Jerusalem…
Father, Father, into your hands
I commit my spirit.
Ay, ay, ay!
Daughters of Jerusalem…
114

Another four months (The harvest of the nations)

The disciples arrived and told him:
"Rabbi eat,
Rabbi eat!."
But he answered:
"I have food to eat which you don’t know about.
My food is to do the will of him who sent me,
and to complete his work."
But don’t you say:
"Another four months
and then you have the harvest?"
But don’t you say:
"Another four months
and then you have the harvest?"
So I say to you:
"Lift up your eyes, and look at the fields
already white, waiting for the harvest."
But don’t you say...
The reapers come together,
receive their wages and gather fruit
for eternal life,
for eternal life.
But don’t you say...
I have sent you to reap,
that for which you have not laboured,
others have laboured
and you have come into the fruits of their labours,
so that sower and reaper
may rejoice together.
But don’t you say:
"Another four months
and then you have the harvest?"
But don’t you say:
"Another four months
and then you have the harvest?"
122

To you, O Lord, with my voice I cry for help

To you, O Lord, with my voice I cry for help,
Lord in my pleading I entreat you;
to you, O Lord, I pour out my lamentation,
to you my anguish I unfold.
I feel that my spirit is fainting,
but you know my path.
Look, Lord, in my path,
look, they have laid a snare for me,
look, at my right hand there is no one,
no one who knows me;
every comfort escapes me
because there is no one who cares for my soul.
To you I cry, O Lord,
to you I say:
"You alone are my refuge,
you are my portion on this earth,
my only happiness."
Listen, Lord, I am crying,
because my spirit is broken.
Free me, Lord, from my enemies,
because they are stronger than me.
Take my soul from this prison
that I may give thanks to your name;
then, the saints will gather round me,
they will rejoice because of your love for me.
To you, O Lord, with my voice I cry for help,
Lord in my pleading I entreat you;
to you, O Lord, I pour out my lamentation,
to you my anguish I unfold.
To you I cry, O Lord,
to you I say:
"You alone are my refuge,
you are my portion on this earth,
my only happiness."
135

You will show me the path of life

You will show me the path of life,
you will show me the path of life:
the fullness of joy in your presence,
happiness forever at your right hand.
Protect me, O God, in you I take refuge.
I said to God: "You are my Lord,
without you there is nothing good for me."
You will show me the path of life…
The Lord is my inheritance and my cup:
my life is in your hands.
My lot has fallen in delightful places,
my heritage is wonderful.
I bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
even at night my heart instructs me,
I keep the Lord always before me,
he is at my right hand, I shall not falter.
You will show me the path of life…
Therefore my heart is glad,
my soul rejoices:
my body also rests secure,
for you will not abandon my life to the grave,
nor let your Holy One know corruption,
know corruption.
You will show me the path of life…
136

I know what is one (Song of numbers)

Who knows what is One?
Who knows what is One?
I know what is One,
I know what is One.
One is our God who’s in heaven and earth,
one is our God who’s in heaven and earth.
Who knows what is two?
Who knows what is two?
I know what is two,
I know what is two.
Two, two the tablets of the Covenant,
two, two the tablets of the Covenant.
One is our God who’s in heaven and earth,
one is our God who’s in heaven and earth.
Who knows what is three?
Who knows what is three?
I know what is three,
I know what is three.
Three, three are the Patriarchs,
three, three are the Patriarchs.
Two, two the tablets of the covenant.
One is our God who’s in heaven and earth.
One is our God who’s in heaven and earth.
One is our God who’s in heaven and earth.
Who knows what is four…
Four, four are the nights… Three, three…
Five, five the books of the Law… Four, four…
Six, six the wings of the seraphim… Five, five…
Seven, seven the enemy nations… Six, six…
Eight, eight the people in the ark… Seven, seven…
Nine, nine the months of gestation… Eight, eight…
Ten, ten are the commandments… Nine, nine…
138

Lord, listen to my prayer

Lord, listen to my prayer,
pay heed to my supplication.
You who are faithful,
you who are faithful, answer me;
in your justice, answer me.
Do not call your servant to judgement,
no one is just in your sight.
The enemy pursues me,
crushes my life to the ground.
You who are faithful…
To you I stretch out my hands,
like a parched land I stand before you.
Answer me soon, O Lord,
my spirit faints within me.
You who are faithful…
Let me know the way,
the path to walk.
Save me from my enemies,
I entrust myself to you, O Lord.
You who are faithful…
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
Let your good spirit guide me,
let your good spirit guide me on level ground.
You who are faithful,
you who are faithful, answer me;
in your justice, answer me.
139

He is not here

After the Sabbath,
at dawn on the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalen and the other Mary
went to the tomb;
and there was a great earthquake;
an angel of the Lord, descended from heaven,
rolled away the stone and said to the women:
do not be afraid,
I know you are looking for Jesus,
who was crucified.
He is not here, he has risen,
he is not here, he has risen,
he is not here, he has risen!
Go quickly and tell his disciples:
he has risen from the dead,
he has risen from the dead,
and now he is going before you to Galilee!
He is not here, he has risen…
Go quickly and tell his disciples:
he has risen from the dead,
and now he is going before you to Galilee;
there you will see him.
He is not here, he has risen…
202

Thus speaks the Amen

Thus speaks the Amen,
the faithful and trustworthy witness,
the beginning
of the creation of God.
“I know your behaviour:
you are neither hot nor cold.
I wish you were either hot or cold,
and not lukewarm,
because I am going to vomit you from my mouth. “
Thus speaks the Amen…
"You say: 'I am rich, I lack nothing'
and you do not realise that you are wretched,
you deserve compassion,
you are poor, blind and naked.
I advise you to buy from me
pure gold tested by the fire,
and white garments
and ointment for your eyes
that you may see."
Thus speaks the Amen…
"Those that I love, I correct;
then be zealous
and repent,
listen to my voice,
listen to my voice.
Behold: I stand at the door and knock,
if anyone hears my voice
and opens the door to me,
I will enter into his house
and I will eat with him
and he with me."
Thus speaks the Amen…
207

The Lord has given me (3rd song of the Suffering Servant)

The Lord has given me a disciple’s tongue
so that I may bring to the weary
a word of consolation.
Morning after morning
you open my ear
so that I may listen
as a disciple.
The Lord, the Lord, the Lord
has opened my ear.
So I offered no resistance,
I offered no resistance.
I gave my back to those who struck me.
So I offered no resistance,
I offered no resistance.
I offered my cheek
to those who tore my beard.
So I offered no resistance,
I offered no resistance.
I did not cover my face
against insult and spittle.
Because I already knew
that you would come to my help,
I have set my face as hard as a flint;
I was sure that you would come to my help.
If you are, if you are near,
if you save me, who will fight against me?
If you help, if you help me,
if you save me, who will dare to condemn me?
All of you who fear the Lord,
listen to the voice of his Servant;
if you find yourselves in darkness,
trust in the Lord,
trust in his holy Name.
If you are…
211

Like the impulse of rage

Like the impulse of rage against the enemy,
like the impulse of love towards the beloved,
so is my impulse towards you,
you, the Immortal One, fullness of the world!
You are the way! How marvellous it is!
You are the way! You are love!
You are the way! You are the path!
You are the way! You are the life!
You are the way! You are the truth!
You are the life!
You gave yourself to me without reservation,
and full of mildness, you diminished your greatness
that I might not tremble at your sight –
you, the Immortal One, fullness of the world!
You are the way…
You became like me, that I might learn to know you:
you took a form like mine, that I might receive you.
You became sin for me,
full of mercy,
that my sins
might not turn me away from you.
You are the way...
God, who created me when I was not,
knew everything that I would do;
So he took pity on me,
and in his mercy
he ordained that I beg him
for his nature.
You are the way…
213

Lord, you search me and you know me

Lord, you search me and you know me,
you know when I lie down and when I get up.
From afar, you know my thoughts,
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my lips,
you, O Lord,
already know it.
You press me from behind,
you attack me from the front
and at the same time
you keep your hand on me:
such knowledge is mysterious to me,
knowledge I cannot grasp,
knowledge too high for me to understand.
But where shall I go, far from your spirit?
where, from your face, shall I flee?
If I climb the heavens, you are there;
if I descend to death, there I find you.
You press me from behind,
you attack me from the front
and at the same time, you keep your hand on me:
such knowledge is mysterious to me,
knowledge I cannot grasp,
knowledge too high for me to understand.
Lord, you search me and you know me,
you put my heart to the test,
so that I may not walk in a way of duplicity,
so that I may never abandon your way.
214

Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthani

Elí, Elí, lamá sabachtháni?
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
How far I feel you from my lamentation;
I call on you by day and you do not answer,
I call by night and there is no rest for me.
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?…
Yet you are the Holy One,
you dwell in the praises of my people;
in you my fathers have hoped,
they hoped in you and you have freed them;
they cried to you and they were saved,
they hoped in you and did not remain disappointed.
Then me? Why don’t you help me?
Perhaps I am not a man? Look, I am a worm!
Disgraced among men! Rejection of my people!
All those who see me curl their lips,
they mock me, shake their heads and say:
"He trusted in the Lord,
let him rescue him if he loves him so much."
Yes, you love me, yes, you cherish me!
You drew me out of my mother’s womb,
at my birth you picked me up,
from my mother’s womb you have been my God,
when I was being born I entrusted myself to you.
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?…
Do not be far from me;
look! anguish is near and no one helps me.
Many bullocks surround me,
bulls of Bashan besiege me,
against me they open wide their mouths,
like a lion raging and roaring.
I am dirty water which is thrown away,
all my bones are racked;
my heart is like wax,
melting away within my bosom;
dry as a pot-shard is my palate,
my tongue is stuck to my throat,
you have thrown me in the dust of death.
Eli…
A pack of dogs surrounds me,
a gang of evildoers besieges me;
they have pierced my hands and my feet,
I can count all my bones.
They stare at me, they observe me,
they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothes they cast lots.
But you, Lord, do not stay far away! –
my strength, my strength, run to my help!
Save me from the sword,
from the claws of the dogs, save my life,
save me, save me from the mouth of the lion,
and from the horns of the bulls!
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?…
I will announce your name to my brothers,
I will praise you in the midst of the assembly:
I will say: Praise the Lord you who fear him,
sing to the Lord, descendants of Jacob!
let the race of Israel give him glory;
because he was not disgusted with this poor man,
the only one who was not scandalised at me.
He did not despise this wretched man,
he did not hide his face from him,
but at his cry for help he answered him,
at his cry he heard him.
Eli…
Now I know that the poor will be saved,
that everyone who looks for you will find you,
that their hearts, their hearts will live,
will live forever, will live eternally.
All the ends of the earth will return to the Lord,
all the families of nations shall bow down before him.
Because the kingdom, the kingdom is the Lord’s;
he is the ruler of all the nations,
all those who prosper on the earth will bow down before him,
to him will bow all those who go down to the dust.
And I, I will live, will live for him,
my descendants shall serve him.
The Lord will be spoken of to the coming generations,
they will announce to them what he has done for me;
to the people yet to be born they will say: "Behold the work of the Lord."
267

Let him kiss me

Let him kiss me
with the kisses of his mouth;
your love is sweeter than wine.
Your name is the fragrance of your perfume:
that’s why
the maidens love you.
Take me with you, let us go out:
draw me towards you, let us run!
We shall praise your love more than wine,
how wonderful it is to love you!
Tell me then, beloved of my heart,
where do you lead your flock to pasture,
so that I may not wander as a vagabond
behind other shepherds?
Tell me then, beloved of my heart,
where do you lead your flock to pasture,
so that I may not wander as a vagabond
behind other shepherds?
If you don’t know this,
O loveliest of women,
follow the tracks of my flock
and take your kids to graze
close by the shepherds’ tents.
Take me with you, let us go out…
271

Flee, my beloved

You who dwell in the gardens,
where my companions are listening,
let me hear your voice,
let me hear your voice.
Flee, my beloved,
like a gazelle,
like a young stag,
on the sweet scented mountains.
I am in his eyes
as one who has found peace,
my vineyard is here in front of me,
my vineyard is here in front of me,
Flee, my beloved,
like a gazelle,
like a young stag,
on the sweet scented mountains.
You who dwell in the gardens…
The Church through Baptism has been introduced into the gardens of the Kingdom "where the
companions are listening."
There, as she has been made mother and teacher of all nations because of the experience of
love she has received and because of the suffering, the joys, the failures, the recoveries and – we
could say – because of the history of salvation that the Song of Songs expresses, the Church is
invited by the Bridegroom to let her voice be heard in a final yearning.
The Church answers with an eschatological paschal cry: what she has come to know and
experienced of the Bridegroom makes her desire to flee with him in a final exodus "to the sweet
scented mountains," which is Heaven, forever free.
273

Before him we turn away our face (In him)

In him there is no beauty,
in him there is no majesty,
no looks to attract our eyes,
he seemed no longer human.
Despised, rejected by all men,
a man of sorrows,
he who knows every kind of suffering.
Before him we turn away our face,
before him we turn away our face,
before him we turn away our face,
before him we turn away our face.
A broken man, considered as nothing,
despised, rejected by all men,
a man of sorrows,
he who knows every kind of suffering.
Before Him…
But it was he who took upon himself all our sins.
But it was he who took upon himself all our pains.
We had all gone astray, each on his own way.
Ill treated, yet he submitted,
he didn't say a word,
like a lamb brought to the slaughter.
Before Him…
Ill treated! Ill treated! Ill treated!
286

Caritas Christi

Caritas Christi urget nos,
Caritas Christi urget nos.
The love of Christ impels us at the thought,
the love of Christ impels us at the thought
that if one has died for all, then all have died,
that if Christ has died for all, then all have died,
And he died for all so that those who live,
may live no longer for themselves,
but for him who died
and is risen for them.
Caritas Christi…
If someone is in Christ he is a new creation,
the old things have passed away, new ones are born.
The one who did not know sin, God has treated as sin
so that we may become the righteousness of God in him.
Caritas Christi…
Woe to me, if I do not announce the Gospel!
Woe to me, woe to me!
Caritas Christi…
290

The dark night of the soul

Upon a dark night,
ablaze with love, with urgent longings,
O happy chance! –
I left without being noticed,
my house at last completely quiet.
In darkness, and secure,
by the secret ladder, in disguise,
O happy chance! –
in darkness and concealed,
my house at last completely quiet.
On this blessed night,
in secret and not seen by anyone,
I beheld nothing
with any other light or guide
but for that which in my heart was burning.
And this was guiding me,
more surely than the light of noon,
to where he was awaiting me –
he whom I knew so well –
and no one, no one else was there.
O night that was my guide!
O night more lovely than the dawn's first light!
O night that united
the Lover with his beloved,
the beloved in her Lover transformed.
Upon a dark night…
O night that was my guide…
294

This is my commandment

This is my commandment:
Love one another
love one another,
as I have loved you,
as I have loved you,
as I have loved you.
No one has a greater love
Than to give his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
you are my friends.
You are my friends,
you are my friends.
You did not choose me,
but I have chosen you.
If the world hates you,
Know that first it hated me,
if the world hates you
know that first it hated me,
Father, as you are in me
and I am in you,
may they be one in us
so that the world may believe
that you have sent me.
This is my commandment:
love one another
as I have loved you
You are my friends….
You did not choose me…