Petrine Hymn?
  • DrJS
    Posts: 28
    Hi all,
    With the upcoming Gospel reading from Matthew 16, I'm looking for a good hymn on Peter, the rock on whom Christ builds his church. All the hymns I'm finding are on the subject of Jesus the rock and cornerstone of the Church (e.g. Christ is Made the Sure Foundation). While that is true and good, when I take a group of these hymns as a whole, it almost seems that I'm saying "Peter is NOT the rock."
    Any good ideas?


  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 3,760
    That’s because those are for the dedication of a church, where Christ is the stone rejected by the builders that became the cornerstone. It has really nothing to do with the Petrine office one way or the other.

    Here is a list to start.
    Thanked by 1DrJS
  • DrJS
    Posts: 28
    Thank you for the list. I checked four Catholic hymnals and found nothing on the Petrine office (not ecumenical enough?).
  • lmassery
    Posts: 451
    Upon the rock of Peter by hagan is cool

  • Sung to DARWALL


    "Thou art the Christ! O Lord,
    the Son of God Most High,
    for ever be adored that Name in earth and sky:
    In which blest Name, though strength should fail,
    the saints of God at last prevail

    ‘Twas Peter surely blest
    with blessedness unpriced,
    who, taught of God, confessed the Godhead in the Christ!
    Our faith shall rest in Christ alone
    Upon this saint’s foundation stone.

    Thrice fallen, thrice restored!
    The bitter lesson learned,
    that heart for thee, O Lord, with triple ardor burned.
    The cross he took he laid not down
    until he grasp'd the martyr's crown.

    O bright triumphant faith!
    O courage void of fears!
    O love, most strong in death! O penitential tears!
    By these, Lord, keep us lest we fall,
    and make us go where thou shalt call.
    "
  • GerardH
    Posts: 698
    Ronald Knox's "O King of kings, in splendour" is in the 1939 Westminster Hymnal if you can find a (digital) copy of that
  • Upon the rock of Peter by hagan is cool

    Yeah, unfortunately despite being published by OCP, OCP doesn’t include it in any of its hymnals/missals. Must be too Catholic.

    I found the official OCP choral video. It’s a great hymn. I can hear a full brass quintet version with organ and timpani in my head. It needs the rolled R’s, though.

    https://youtu.be/g_tgDZJ_778?si=PpgKlQ6jZ3IDqpnA

    The congregation copy is posted on their website, and being set to the same hymn tune as The Church’s One Foundation, I got excited at the prospect of possibly singing it this Sunday since our congregation knows it. Unfortunately, I will be disappointed this Sunday since it’s not in our hymnals.
  • DrJS
    Posts: 28
    Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going with "Give Glory to Saint Peter" from the Saint Andrew hymnal. We'll sing it to "Aurelia." The Saint Andrew hymnal gives a nice tune by S. Wesley, and maybe we'll try to learn it at some point down the road.
  • oldhymnsoldhymns
    Posts: 281
    In A DAILY HYMN BOOK (first edition, Burns Oates & Washbourne, 1931) there are two hymns that you may find useful. Both hymns contain both the Latin and English words:
    St. Peter's Chair at Rome (January 18)
    St. Peter's Chains (August 1)
  • PLTT
    Posts: 192
    "Jesus true God and Rock of our Salvation" by James Quinn SJ is not a bad text, which keeps both emphase. Here is the first verse:

    1. Jesus, true God and Rock of our salvation!
    Yours is the title that you gave to Simon,
    naming him Peter as the Church's bedrock,
    first of apostles!