Holy God, Holy Strong One, Holy & Merciful Savior

 

For many years I have enjoyed 2 cd's of Gregorian Chant. After I recently loaded the chant to iTunes and subsequently to my iPad, I had difficulty finding my favorite one. It seems iTunes rearranges the titles. I did not even know which chant it was, but I have over the years found it rolling through my spirit, even in unlikely places such as the grocery store. Today I was determined to FIND it on my iPad. That led me to You Tube and thus this blog! I even discovered a different screen on iTunes that lists the songs as they were arranged on the cd.

The Scriptures that follow have taken on new meaning and given me encouragement as I see myself suddenly aging rapidly and trying to prepare for the next decade or so. 

 

2 COR 4:16-18  Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,  while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

ESV Zephaniah 3:16-17 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

I know that the disciple of Christ is called to die to self and to let His Spirit live within and through the Disciple. That means placing His will higher than mine in priority and trusting His ways in all things. He is renewing, working for us and in us and I gather the Lord will sing over me with loud singing. Well, He has! I went on-line to finally get the translation of this chant, which I have enjoyed for years. WHAT AN EYE OPENER!

In the midst of life, we are in death:
Whom shall we seek as a help,
If not Thee, O Lord,
Who dost rightly grow wrathful for our sins?

Holy God,
Holy Strong One,
Holy and Merciful Saviour,
Do not hand us over to a bitter death.

 

In all the recent losses of my brain, my teeth and my hands, I mostly do not want to grow biter. I do not want a bitter death in my spirit even as I walk the earth. Oh Lord, You have been helping me to sing this even when I did not know the meaning of the words. Now work in me to make this death to self sweet as I yield to Your plans and Your ways. Watch the You Tube video to hear it sung by the Benedictine Monks!

 

The Latin lyrics are: 

Media vita in morte sumus:
quem quærimus adiutorem,
nisi te Domine,
Qui pro peccatis nostris iuste irasceris?

Sancte Deus,
Sancte fortis,
Sancte misericors Salvator,
amaræ morti ne tradas nos.