Inspirational hymns

[syrinx2112]

Sometimes a hymn will pop up during mass that will really move me…sometimes almost to tears. Example: there is one, probably sung at Good Friday Mass, that says “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” Does anyone know of any other hymns that are especially powerful or inspiring?

 

[CatholicZ09]

I’m going to recommend some traditional and non-traditional hymns that really move me:

You Are Mine by David Haas
Hosea by Weston Priory
Eye Has Not Seen by Marty Haugen
There Is A Balm In Gilead (BALM IN GILEAD) tune
You Are Near by Dan Schutte
How Can I Keep From Singing (ENDLESS SONG) tune
Blest Are They by David Haas
We Remember by Marty Haugen
Only A Shadow by Carey Landry
We Will Rise Again by David Haas
Be Not Afraid by Bob Dufford, S.J.
All I Ask Of You by Weston Priory
Open My Eyes by Jesse Manibusan
The Summons (KELVINGROVE) tune
Here I Am, Lord by Dan Schutte
The Servant Song by Richard Gillard
I Am The Bread Of Life by Susan Toolan, RSM
The Supper of the Lord by Laurence Rosania
In The Breaking Of The Bread by Bob Hurd
Behold The Lamb by Martin Willett
Taste And See by James E. Moore, JR.
As Grains Of Wheat by Laurence Rosania
O Sacrament Most Holy (FULDA) tune
Gather Us Together by Owen Alstott
May God Bless You by George Van Grieken, FSC

 

[surritter]

“I Received the Living God” and “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven”

 

[benedictgal]

Actually, for me, the older hymns are much more inspiring because they possess a depth of beauty and quality that I do not find in any of the OCP drek (including the St. Louis Jesuits, Schutte and Haugen and Haas).

Here are my favorites:

I Received the Living God
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O Sacred Head Surrounded (the ideal Good Friday hymn)
What Wondrous Love Is This
O Sun of Justice
Creator of the Stars of Night
Sing My Tongue the Song of Triumph
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Parce Domine
The Glory of These 40 Days
Again, We Keep This Solemn Fast
The King Shall Come When Mourning Dawns (Mourning Song tune)
At the Name of Jesus (version found in Worship III-older)
Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether
Alleluia, Sing to Jesus
At that First Eucharist
Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today
All Glory, Laud and Honor
Lift Up Your Heads, O Mighty Gates
To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King
Pange Lingua

I have yet to see any recent compositions that match the quality of these venerable hymns. The closest one is Fr. John Schiavone’s Amen. The problem is that a lot of the modern songs sound more like something out of a bad 70s-80s pop factory than genuinely sacred. Some of them, sadly, are also theologically incorrect. You can’t find inspiration in a song when the theology is bad.

 

[albertziggy]

I am greatly moved by ‘Veni Sancte Spiritus’ (Come Holy Spirit). It is actually a chant, and I am not quite sure if it is sung at some churches nowadays. I have yet to hear a (modern) hymn to the Holy Spirit that has the same depth.

Here is a portion of it (in English)…

‘Wash that which is unclean, water that which is dry, heal that which is wounded. Bend that which is inflexible, warm that which is chilled, make right that which is wrong.’

Awesome.

In Christ,
albertziggy

 

[albertziggy]

Actually, for me, the older hymns are much more inspiring because they possess a depth of beauty and quality that I do not find in any of the OCP drek (including the St. Louis Jesuits, Schutte and Haugen and Haas).

The problem is that a lot of the modern songs sound more like something out of a **bad 70s-80s pop factory than genuinely sacred. ** Some of them, sadly, are also theologically incorrect. You can’t find inspiration in a song when the theology is bad.

We share the same observation

I found out somewhere that there is a ‘hymn’ whose melody was based on a piece of music from a late '60s/early 70’s family TV sitcom (that later had a movie spinoff)…and it’s still an active material at Mass! How original can you get!

 

[bpbasilphx]

Sometimes a hymn will pop up during mass that will really move me…sometimes almost to tears. Example: there is one, probably sung at Good Friday Mass, that says “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” Does anyone know of any other hymns that are especially powerful or inspiring?

There is no such thing as a Good Friday Mass, as in the Western Tradition, the Eucharistic Sacrifice is NEVER celebrated on that day.

This is not to say that it’s not an appropriate hymn for Good Friday services.

 

[Crumpy]

I used to listen to non-Catholic Family Radio, Oakland CA, which has a lot of stations across the country. I listened in the Chicago area on WJCH.

They had a lot of American protestant tunes, which are very nice. Of course, they are very “correct” according to their theological bent. But, they are very good, nonetheless. I often could not find fault with them, the tunes, or the sentiment.

There is a short song called something like “our Lord is leading us home” and the second verse is a version of the Lord’s prayer.

does anybody have any more details on this hymn?

 

[surritter]

We share the same observation

I found out somewhere that there is a ‘hymn’ whose melody was based on a piece of music from a late '60s/early 70’s family TV sitcom (that later had a movie spinoff)…and it’s still an active material at Mass! How original can you get!

Oh come on – you can’t say that and then not tell us what show it was!

In another thread, somebody thought that “Here I Am, Lord” sounded like the Brady Bunch (I have heard you…calling in the night"). That’s probably it?

But on the other hand I have heard very traditional hymns that remind me of secular stuff too, and not because they were commandeered by the secularists. With zillions of songs and a 12-note chromatic scale, some things are bound to sound similar.

 

[Sarabande]

Hymns that have moved and inspired me:

• The King of Love My Shepherd Is
• O God Beyond All Praising
• O Sacred Head Surrounded
• Lord of All Hopefulness
• Panis Angelicus (Lambilotte)
• He Comes to Us As One Unknown
• O Filii et Filiae (O Sons and Daughters)
• Once in Royal David’s City
• Veni Creator Spiritus (chant)
• Adoro Te Devote
• Ave Maria (Faure)
• Salve Regina
• I Received the LIving God
• I Heard the Voice of Jesus
• Lo! How a Rose E’re Blooming
• Silent Night, Holy Night

 

[SimiSpeaks]

Way to many to post here. My catholic library is over 12 hours of pure music.

 

[idrum677]

We have a great setting of the Reproaches “O My People” that we use on Good Friday that is very moving. The composer’publisher info escapes me right now.