As long as I’ve been a Catholic I’ve been critical of the fact that we have so few decent hymns to be used at Marian Feasts.

Either it is a soloist trying their best with Gounod’s Ave Maria —which too often sounds like a strained warble and a reach for the high notes–or it is everybody thundering out Hail Holy Queen or Immaculate Mary.  There is the lovely Sing of Mary Pure and Lowly but I think it is not well known.

Earlier in the year the folks at the Benedict XVI Institute in San Francisco commissioned me to write the words for a new Advent carol which was to be on a Marian theme and have connections to St Francis…San Francisco–geddit? I drew my inspiration from St Francis’ Salutation to the Virgin Mary.

I find I can best write words for hymns if I write to an existing tune. So I wrote this to the tune old Polish W ŻŁOBIE LEŻY which we use for the carol Infant Holy, Infant Lowly.

So here it is. Feel Free to use it for Advent, and I think it is suitable for any Marian Feast. Immaculate Conception and Mother of God are coming up soon. If your congregation uses it or. your choir sings it I’d love to know how it went down. Send comments to me at dlongenecker1@gmail.com

 

Virgin Lowly Virgin Holy

Palace of the Prince of Peace

Angel voices are rejoicing

At  th’eternal’s dwelling place

Tabernacle of the Savior

Royal robe of the Redeemer

Hail Mary, full of Grace

Hail Mary, full of Grace

 

Holy Fire, God’s Desire

Coming Down from Heav’n above

Sudden surging in the Virgin

Nature’s power, nature’s love.

Holy handmaid of the Father

Of the Spirit Virgin Church

Spouse of the Heavenly Dove

Spouse of the Heavenly Dove.

 

Lowly Stable, Holy Table

Dwelling of th’eternal Word

Bread of Heaven without Leaven

On the altar of the Lord

Consecrated by the Father

Consecrated by the Son

All grace through you is poured

All grace through you is poured.

 

Mother offering all her suffering

For her children here below

Nearly breaking she is taking

Every spear thrust every blow

With her Son the world’s redeemer

Bearing Eden’s dreadful loss,

How her tears forever flow

How her tears forever flow.

 

Full of Beauty Full of Duty

Heaven’s Gateway, Heaven’s Door

Higher than the Highest Angels

Always faithful always sure

Elevated to the Presence

Of the Father and the Son

Queen of heaven ever pure

Queen of heaven ever pure.