Praise, O Zion

Sequence from the Mass [translated by St. Robert Southwell, sj (1561–1595)]

Praise, O Zion! Praise thy Savior, praise thy captain and thy pastor, with hymns and solemn harmony.

• What power affords perform indeed;
  his worths all praises far exceed,
  no praise can reach his dignity.
• A special theme of praise is read,
  a living and life-giving bread,
  is on this day exhibited;
• Which in the supper of our Lord,
  to twelve disciples at his board
  none doubts was delivered.
• Let our praise be loud and free,
  full of joy and decent glee,
  with minds’ and voices’ melody;
• For now solemnize we that day,
  which doth with joy to us display
  the prince of this mystery.
• At this board of our new ruler,
  of new law, new paschal order
  the ancient rite abolisheth;
• Old decrees be new annulled,
  shadows are in truths fulfilled,
  day former darkness finisheth.
• That at supper Christ performed,
  to be done he straitly charged
  for his eternal memory.
• Guided by his sacred orders,
  bread and wine upon our altars
  to saving host we sanctify.
• Christians are by faith assured
  that to flesh the bread is changed,
  the wine to blood most precious:
• That no wit nor sense conceiveth,
  firm and grounded faith believeth,
  in strange effects not curious.
• Under kinds two in appearance,
  two in show but one in substance,
  lie things beyond comparison;
• Flesh is meat, blood drink most heavenly,
  yet is Christ in each kind wholly,
  most free from all division.
• None that consumeth doth rend him,
  none that takes him doth divide him,
  received he whole persevereth.
• Be there one or thousands hosted,
  one as much as all received
  he by no eating perisheth.
• Both the good and bad receive him,
  but effects are diverse in them,
  true life or true destruction.
• Life to the good, death to the wicked,
  mark how both alike received
  with far unlike conclusion.
• When the priest the host divideth,
  know that in each part abideth
  all that the whole host covered.
• Form of bread, not Christ is broken,
  not of Christ, but of his token,
  is state or stature altered.
• Angels’ Bread made pilgrims’ feeding
  truly bread for children’s eating,
  to dogs not to be offered.
• Signed by Isaac on the altar,
  by the lamb and paschal supper,
  and in the manna figured.
• Jesu, food and feeder of us,
  here with mercy feed and friend us,
  then grant in heaven felicity!
• Lord of all, whom here thou feedest,
  fellows, heirs, guests with thy dearest,
  make us in heavenly company! Amen.