Pope Francis' Sacred Heart Encyclical
  • oldhymnsoldhymns
    Posts: 232
    You may have recently read that Pope Francis has issued a new encyclical, Dilexit nos (He loved us), to encourage the much-needed, but long-abandoned in most places, devotion to the Sacred Heart. As I read about this superb development, I wondered whether any of our major Catholic music publishers (OCP, GIA, et al) would choose to include even one hymn to the Sacred Heart in their publication(s). At the present time, none of the Catholic hymnals used in the United States, with one exception, include even one hymn honoring the Heart of Jesus. That one exception is A CATHOLIC BOOK OF HYMNS (Sacred Music Library, Noel Jones) which includes 7 excellent hymns to the Sacred Heart.

    We all know how desperately our world needs Christ’s infinite love, as revealed in his Sacred Heart. Certainly by increasing and encouraging devotion to the Sacred Heart, which is absolutely possible by raising our voices in song to honor Him, we can encounter the love of Jesus move fully.
    Thanked by 6CHGiffen OMagnumMysterium Don9of11 hilluminar ServiamScores RC_Liturgy_Music
  • Birdsong
    Posts: 5
    Wow, this is wonderful news! I look forward to reading the encyclical. I agree with you that there should be more hymns in honor of the Sacred Heart in hymnals. I think that would be a great way to enkindle devotion.
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • AdteBeateJoseph3
    Posts: 26
    I hope that poets too would write great hymns and other poetry about the Sacred Heart. Some hymns can be too saccharine and unfortunately contributes to some critique of devotion to the Sacred Heart that it is too much feeling and not “real” devotion. But truly, Oh the breadth and length and height and depth to know Christ’s love! He will inspire us with those words and melodies and harmonies
  • GerardH
    Posts: 481
    Australian poet/composer duo James McAuley and Richard Connolly wrote an excellent hymn to the Sacred Heart, Jesus, in your heart we find. It's still very popular down under.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Chrism veromary
  • RC_Liturgy_Music
    Posts: 4
    It looks like the Journeysongs 3rd Ed. Hymnal includes 1 hymn and 2 songs about the Sacred Heart:

    #455 - Jesus, The Very Thought of You (ST. AGNES)
    #456 - Heart of Jesus (Bob Hurd)
    #457 - Sacred Heart of Jesus (Percival M. Cacanindin)

    Not sure about other hymnals, I'd have to research. Perhaps Worship. As for these three, I am only familiar with the first one mentioned, not the others...let's hope for more!
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 716
    Perhaps one of the most beloved Catholic hymns to the Sacred Heart was "O Sacred Heart, O Love Divine" it was written and composed by Father Theodore Metcalf.

    A few years ago I started a list of hymns to the Sacred Heart which I have in an excel file. I have searched through 125 hymn books thus far from the 1840s through the 1960s with over a thousand entries. It is easy to search the list and see which hymns became popular and which tunes stood the test of time.
    Thanked by 4CHGiffen oldhymns OMagnumMysterium RC_Liturgy_Music
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,789
    The Parish Hymn Book, Cary, 1968 has the following,

    117, All ye who seek a comfort sure, Caswall, melody St Bernard
    118, Jesu, grant me this, I pray, Baker, melody Song 13
    119, Sweet heart of Jesus, Traditional, melody Fount of Love
    120, O Sacred Heart, O home lies deep in Thee, Stanfield, melody Laurence
    121, To Christ, the Prince of Peace, Caswall, melody Narenza
    122, To Jesus Heart all burning, Christe, melody Cor Jesu
    122, To Jesus Heart all burning, Christe, melody St Theodulph
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen oldhymns veromary
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 248
    I've got this:
    https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/discussion/20835/a-crown-of-thorns-the-world-has-plaited-a-hymn-on-the-sacred-heart
    Thanked by 4oldhymns M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen Don9of11
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,424
    Beautiful text and tune.
    The tune has a Welsh air about it.
    Thanked by 2Anna_Bendiksen CHGiffen
  • Anna_BendiksenAnna_Bendiksen
    Posts: 248
    MJO, thank you so much. (I have some Welsh blood in me and could not be more thrilled with your comment)
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 417
    There are a number of Latin chant hymns for the Sacred Heart. It would be a matter of translating them into a metered poetic translation and then marrying it to a traditional hymn tune. I think Hyfrydol could use some more hymns set to it.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    I hope that last sentence was sarcasm!
    Thanked by 4CHGiffen rvisser cesarfranck LauraKaz
  • GerardH
    Posts: 481
    There are a number of Latin chant hymns for the Sacred Heart. It would be a matter of translating them into a metered poetic translation and then marrying it to a traditional hymn tune.


    Which reminds me that All ye that seek for comfort sure which @tomjaw mentions above is a translation of an office hymn by Caswall. There are a few others in Matthew Britt's The hymns of the breviary and missal.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen tomjaw
  • RoborgelmeisterRoborgelmeister
    Posts: 177
    I'll add a few:
    O Dearest Lord, Your Sacred Heart. stanza 2 is directed to the hands, stanza three to the feet, and the the fourth stanza to The Sacred Heart: ...your Sacred Heart With spear was pierced for me; O pour your blessing on my heart...
    This may be worth consideration (the source is Anglican):

    O Sacred Heart, for ever burning

    O Sacred Heart, for ever burning
    with fire of love for humankind;
    in thee our hearts their home discerning
    love’s refuge seek, love’s guerdon find.

    O wounded Heart, for our salvation
    distraught with agonies and fears;
    accept thy children’s supplication
    and melt our frozen hearts to tears.

    O patient Heart, in silence pleading
    through lowliest veils of bread and wine;
    our hearts in shame and sorrow bleeding
    restore, and fill with grace divine.

    O royal Heart, enthroned for ever
    o’er rebel souls won back, forgiven;
    our hearts from earth’s allegiance sever,
    and make us citizens of heaven.

    O Heart of God: the One, the Living,
    O human Heart of Mary’s Son,
    through thee creation’s great thanksgiving
    goes up to God the Three in One.

    Text: English Catholic Hymn Book (sl. alt.), author unkown
    Tune: St. Clement

    This is worth consideration
    Earth’s fragile beauties we possess
    https://hymnsocietygbi.org.uk/2021/07/earths-fragile-beauties-we-possess-matthew-rushton/
    Robert Andrew Willis (1947 - 2024 ) © Very Rev’d Robert Willis, with kind permission Tune: KINGSFOLD, English folk song arr. Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) Tune, Public Domain

    The Pius X hymnal (Th. Marier, on the editorial board), as a worthy selection of hymns.
    The Christ the King Hymnal has some hymns worth of consideration (the harmonies are unfortunate). https://www.ccwatershed.org/2015/10/21/pdf-download-christ-king-hymnal-1954/
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen oldhymns
  • SponsaChristi
    Posts: 417
    I hope that last sentence was sarcasm!

    Nope!

    I’m annoyed OCP set Come Thou Long Expected Jesus to a hymn tune other than Hyfrydol. Our organist/MD doesn’t play it Anglican style (like a slow, long drawn out dirge), but rather plays it with a bit of lilt and a good cheerfully delightful tempo. I’m fairly certain that’s probably how it was originally meant to be played. I’m often disappointed with how its played elsewhere (usually very pedestrian).

    Getting back to hymns about the Sacred Heart today at Mass when we finally sang all of the verses of Lift Up Your Heads, if you leave out the first verse, the rest of the hymn is basically referencing the traditional devotion to the Sacred Heard, particularly the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    I definitely prefer Come Thou Long Expected Jesus to STUTTGART, which is the only tune I ever heard it to until the 1980s. IMO, while HYFRYDOL is a good melody, the way people, including many parish musicians, hock their vowels on the texts it is often paired with makes it less decent than it might otherwise be.
    Thanked by 4CHGiffen trentonjconn Roborgelmeister cmb
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,199
    STUTTGART in my world.
    Thanked by 5Liam trentonjconn francis Roborgelmeister cmb
  • trentonjconn
    Posts: 633
    Jumping on the STUTTGART bandwagon here. Much prefer it to HYFRYDOL in the context of "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus".
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Roborgelmeister cmb
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