1
O Jesus, Jesus, dearest Lord!
Forgive me if I say,
For very love, Thy sacred name
A thousand times a day.
Forgive me if I say,
For very love, Thy sacred name
A thousand times a day.
O Jesus, Lord, with me abide;
I rest in Thee, whate’er betide;
Thy gracious smile is my reward;
I love, I love Thee, Lord!
I rest in Thee, whate’er betide;
Thy gracious smile is my reward;
I love, I love Thee, Lord!
2
I love Thee so I know not how
My transports to control;
Thy love is like a burning fire
Within my very soul.
My transports to control;
Thy love is like a burning fire
Within my very soul.
3
For Thou to me art all in all;
My honor and my wealth;
My heart’s desire, my body’s strength,
My soul’s eternal health.
My honor and my wealth;
My heart’s desire, my body’s strength,
My soul’s eternal health.
4
Burn, burn, O love, within my heart,
Burn fiercely night and day,
Till all the dross of earthly loves
Is burned, and burned away.
Burn fiercely night and day,
Till all the dross of earthly loves
Is burned, and burned away.
5
O light in darkness, joy in grief,
O heaven’s life on earth;
Jesus, my love, my treasure, who
Can tell what Thou art worth?
O heaven’s life on earth;
Jesus, my love, my treasure, who
Can tell what Thou art worth?
6
What limit is there to this love?
Thy flight, where wilt Thou stay?
On, on! our Lord is sweeter far
Today than yesterday.
Thy flight, where wilt Thou stay?
On, on! our Lord is sweeter far
Today than yesterday.
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Santa Cruz, California, United States
Thy gracious smile is my reward;
I love, I love Thee, Lord!
Mansfield, Ohio, United States
This song truly is a treasure. This brother who wrote this shares about an intimate relationship of love with God. He keeps saying Lord abide in me. The more we know Christ the more we say abide with me. We must abide so He can abide. His abiding brings us more into His love. We then say “Oh Lord with me abide! ”. I like verse one where it says He is my reward. His very self is my reward!
Fort Pierce, FL, United States
Oh LORD JESUS!!!
Manchester, United Kingdom
Very good song
Monterey Park, California, United States
Oh Lord Jesus we love you!
United States
Lord Jesus graciously smile on us. Amen. Lord Jesus, abide with us. Amen. May we rest in You no matter what, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Storrs, Connecticut, United States
The author of this text, Frederick William Faber, born June 28, 1814, in Carverley, Yorkshire, England, was raised as a strict Calvinist by his Father who was an English clergyman. After Frederick graduated from Oxford University in 1843, he became a minister of the Anglican Church at a small parish in Elten England.
In his younger years Faber strongly opposed the teachings and practices of the Roman Church. However, this was the time when a movement known as the Tractarian or Oxford Movement was strongly influencing the Anglican Church. Whereas the Wesleys and their evangelical followers preached a message of being saved by faith in Christ, a message easily understood by the common masses, leaders of the more sophisticated Tractarian Movement believed that a meaningful religious experience could only be gained through church ceremony and liturgy.
From 1833-1850 the Oxford Movement directed religious England, and at that time Anglicans either joined the Catholic Church or developed a high church party known as the Anglo-Catholics.
Early in his ministry Faber became influenced by the Oxford Movement. After serving just three years as an Anglican minister, he left the Anglican Church and joined the Catholic Church. He became known as Father Wilfrid. Shortly after his secession to the Roman Church Faber noticed the lack of congregational hymnody in this group.
He believed congregational singing was important and influential as he was used to having in the Anglican Church. He made it his life’s mission to write hymns that promoted the history and teachings of the Catholic Church. In all Frederick Faber wrote 150 such hymns before his early death at the age of forty-nine. He was honored by the Pope with a Doctorate of Divinity Degree.
“Faith of Our Fathers” was written by Faber to remind Catholics of their leaders who were martyred during the reign of Henry VIII when England transitioned from Catholic to Anglican. The text first appeared in 1849 in Fabers collection, “Jesus and Mary” or “Catholic Hymns for Singing and Reading. ” He hoped one day England would return to Catholicism.
The tune for this hymn, a melody known as “St. Catherine’s Tune, ” was composed by a Roman Catholic, Henry Hemy, born at New Castle-Upon-Tyne, England, in November 12, 1818. He was an organist and composer at the Church of Tynemouth and in 1854 compiled a Catholic hymnal “ Crown of Jesus. ” It was originally written in honor of Catherine of Alexander, a fourth century martyr. The final eight measures or refrain-“Faith of our fathers, holy faith, we will be true to Thee till death” were added by James G. Walton, when he made a new arrangement and used it for his collection, “Plain Song Music for the Holy Communion Office” published in 1874.
Sacramento, California, United States
I love Thee so I know not how
My transport to control
Thy love is like a burning fire
Within my very soul
Detroit, Michigan, United States
We sang this hymn at church yesterday. There were 2 testimonies that I would like to share with everyone:
stanza 5 "O light in darkness, joy in grief,
O heaven's life on earth."
This gives an excellent description of what heaven's life on earth is: it is light in darkness and joy in grief.
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Stanza 6 gives another side of the chorus.
In the chorus we rest in Jesus whatever happens.
In the last stanza, we do not stay where we are at.
We keep going on in His love so that or Lord is sweeter today than yesterday.
Rochester, MN, United States
O lighr in darkness, joy in grief
O heavens life on earth
JESUS OUR LOVE OUR TEASURE
Who can tell what thou art worth!
I was once darkness but now light in the Lord.
Who can tell what He is worth?!