39. The Immaculate Conception

O purest of creatures! sweet INIother! sweet Maid
The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid!
Dark night hath come down on us. Mother! and we
Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken
world,
And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurled:
And the tempest-tost Church — all her eyes are on
thee,
They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

The Church doth what God had first taught her to
do;
He looked o'er the world to find hearts that were
true;
Through the ages He looked, and He fi^und none
but thee,
And He loved thy clear shining, sweet Star of the
Sea!

He gazed on thy soul; it was spotless and fair;
For the empire 5f sin — it had never been there;
None had e'er owned thee, dear Mother, but He,
And He blessed thy clear shining, sweet Star of the
Sea!

Earth gave Him one lodging; 'twas deep in thy
breast.
And God found a home where the sinner finds rest;
His home and his hiding-place, both were in thee;
He was won by thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Oh blissful and calm was the wonderful rest
That thou gavest thy G»d in thy virginal breast.
For the heaven He left He found heaven in thee.
And He shone in thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

To sinners what comfort, to ano^ols what mirth,
that God found one creature un fallen on earth,
One spot where His Spirit untroubled could be.
The depths of thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea I

So age after age in the Church has gone round,
And the saints new inventions of homage have
found,
New titles of honor, new honors for thee,
New love for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

And now from the Church of all lands thy dear
name
Comes borne on the breath of one mighty acclaim;
Men call on their Father, that He should decree
A new gem to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

O shine on us brighter than ever, then, shine!
For the primest of honors, dear Mother! is thine;
" Conceived without sin," thy new title shall be,
Clear light from thy birth-spring, sweet Star of the
Sea!

So worship we God in these rude latter days;
So worship we Jesus our Love, when we praise
His wonderful grace in the gifts He gave thee,
The gift of clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Deep night hath come down on us, Mother, deep
night,
And we need more than ever the guide of thy
light;
For the darker the night is, the brighter should be
Thy beautiful shining, sweet Star of the Sea!