Come Thou Fount
  • PolskaPiano
    Posts: 255
    It seems to me the text of the third line is quite similar to "Amazing Grace," which some argue is not congruent with the Catholic faith. Is there any reason one would find these words incongruent and therefor doubtful to use in liturgy?

    Like to Hymnary site with lyrics: https://hymnary.org/text/come_thou_fount_of_every_blessing#Author
  • PhilipPowell
    Posts: 116
    "[S]treams of mercy, never ceasing"?
  • PolskaPiano
    Posts: 255
    No. That actually gives me an image of Divine Mercy!

    "Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be." "Bought me with his previous blood." I assume the author thought salvation while we think redemption.

    Otherwise, I could be overthinking this. I still play Amazing Grace. I was wondering if there were any glaring reasons this should not be used that I might have overlooked. It seems OK to me.
  • Schönbergian
    Posts: 1,063
    Just let these poets be poets. Something doesn't need to literally outline the Catholic position verbatim from the Catechism to be appropriate.
    Thanked by 13MarkB a_f_hawkins CHGiffen Liam cmb PaxMelodious M. Jackson Osborn Chrism ScottKChicago adjpanderson13 ServiamScores SteveOttomanyi cesarfranck
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    "Otherwise, I could be overthinking this."

    Yes.
    Thanked by 4ScottKChicago CHGiffen tomjaw SteveOttomanyi
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,509
    Hymns should be absolutely consonant with Catholic doctrine if they're used in Catholic liturgy.

    I think this one is fine. Reminds me of the Preface for the Sacred Heart.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen a_f_hawkins SteveOttomanyi
  • John_F_ChurchJohn_F_Church
    Posts: 54
    I know this is a late reply… I hope it went well for you!

    I also recently thought of using this same song for an opening. I had similar scruples. My concern was twofold: not only are the lyrics doctrinally orthodox/“Catholic” enough, but is it aesthetically appropriate for Liturgy.

    I landed in the same place you all did. I think it’s a beautiful lyric and plus it is one people tend to know (I was able to use it as an entrance hymn and here most people sing along without it actually being in our hymnals.) My other concern was making sure I gave it the “high church” sound and not put too much of a lilt on the rhythmic approach (as I have heard done before.)
    Thanked by 1cesarfranck
Add a Comment