Now nineteen centuries have passed away
Since the events we chronicle to-day;
Since Jesus Christ gave proof of greatest love
On earth below, or in the heavens above;

Since God the Son, our Saviour, King of Kings,
Co-equal to the Father in all things,
Suffered a dreadful death, and wiped away
That debt of sin which man could never pay.

Let Love and Faith inspire me while I show
This awful tragedy of long ago –
The saddest chapter in the book of Time,
And yet the noblest and the most sublime.

The gentle God-man moves among the crowd,
That ever grows. Not arrogant and proud,
But kind and loving, he with thrilling voice
Commends the meek. He bids the sad rejoice.

With pleading tones He calls each erring soul.
He points the path; and promises the Goal.
He shows the grandeur and the beauty of
The greatest of all laws, the law of Love.

What miracles He works! He heals the sick.
He makes the blind to see, the dumb to speak,
The deaf to hear. He gives the weary rest.
He drives out devils from the souls possessed.

The storms obey Him. And from out the tomb
He calls the dead to life, and the dead come.
And still the crowds grow; and the heavens ring,
As multitudes hurrah for Christ the King.

Soon the scene changes. Enemies are now
So jealous of His glory that they vow
To speed His overthrow. They hover night.
Already in their hearts He’s doomed to die.

Birds have their nests: ever the beasts that roam
Wild through the woods, have in those woods a home;
But that same God Who raised to life the dead,
Hath nowhere now to rest His Sacred Head.

Sad is His mother, Mary, pure and mild;
While men, like wolves are howling for her Child –
Her Child, her King of earth and heaven above –
The Child she loves with more than mother love.

Sacred Heart of Jesus make me
Love Thee more and more
More than father, more than mother
More than sister, more than brother
And when life is o’er
Sacred Heart! do not forsake me
But in pity take me, take me
In through mercy’s door.

Thou hast shown me God like patience
Which should melt whin-stone,
Ne’er a murmur as they stipped Thee
Ne’er a murmur as they whipped Thee
Tearing flesh from bone.
Ne’er a moan, nor lamentation
What a price for man’s salvation;
See when sin has done.

Sacred Heart of Jesus! bind me
To Thy Holy Cross.
Sacred Heart of Jesus! bend me,
Strip me, whip me, card me, rend me,
Sift out sinful dross.
In the mill of duty grind me
With the band of true love bind me
To Thee and the Cross.

I would love to sing the praises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus;
Although I am not worthy so to do –
Although I’m too unholy and far too full of folly
Still I rely, O Sacred Heart! on You.

Of the goodness and the sweetness, in all Divine completeness,
Of the Sacred Heart of Jesus I would sing;
Till hearts as hard as granite melt down upon our planet
And lave with love the feet of Christ the King

I would love to hymn the story of His greatness and His glory;
Of all He was, is, and shall ever be;
Of the sacrifice He offered, and all He did and suffered
And all He’s doing still for you and me.

I long to sing the praises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Of His kindness, His compassion and His love;
From the world’s housetops I’d sing them around the earth I’d ring them
Until they’d blend with heaven’s hymns above.