Sunday, August 16, 2015

130. Sunday After New Year Hymn

There isn't a Sunday between New Year and Epiphany every year - only, in fact, when Christmas Day lands on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Known in some lectionaries as the Second Sunday after Christmas, it has the same Introit as the First. The Gradual is a catena of Psalm 106:47, the second half of Isaiah 63:16, and Psalm 145:21. The Epistle is 1 Peter 4:12-19 and the Gospel is Matthew 2:13-23.
Lord Jesus, when You test us
With fire and fierce ordeal,
Remind us by what anguish
You set on us Your seal!
From infancy You raised Your heel
Against the wily serpent;
Your wounds all ours will heal.

How Bethlehem's environs
With infant blood flowed red,
While Joseph with Your mother
And You to Egypt fled!
Recall the tears their mothers shed,
O Lord, when Your disciples
Through fiery trials are led!

From folk and country driven
At such a tender age,
In foreign parts You sojourned
Till past was Herod's rage.
As we with evil pow'rs engage
Bide with us, Lord, and in us
Our lonely battle wage!

Whatso by faith we suffer
Is fellowship with You.
Wherever we may wander,
You are our Homeland true.
With gifts of grace refresh, renew
Your cross-bought people, Savior,
Till we Your glory view.
The tune I have in mind for this hymn is WOHL DENEN, DIE DA WANDELN by Heinrich Schütz, 1628.

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