Forty Hours Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in The Avalonian Catholic Church

Part of a Holy Week Chant: The Underworld King

Copyright 2000 The Most Rev. Jon Ryner

1) Holy God, our souls languish in darkness,
aching to see the Eye of the Sun's dawning;
but the world is dressed in solemn starkness,
and from the keeps of Hell the dead are clawing--
and our great King is dead.

3) Gone the spikenard scent of his annointing;
Gone now the courtier's loud Palm Sunday cheers;
He unarmed, met meekly his appointing
as sacrifice for all humans' sins and fears.
Now our great King lies dead.

4) He abandoned by his servants trusted:
Peter denied him thrice, fled inquisition.
The crowd's afar, which for his death lusted.
God most glorious, grant that we not leave him,
though our great King lies dead.

5) Great tears our sight of the wounded world dims.
Anguish stabs our hearts for his most blest Mother.
Sharp dust staunches our wishes to sing hymns.
Sapped our strength is--our peaceful Lord and brother,
Creation's King lies dead.

The Purpose

After Good Friday, the small remaining portion of the Blessed Sacrament is removed from the high altar and placed in a smaller container for continual veneration of the faithful. They can thus pray in a most intimate way before our Lord. Many lives have been changed by this devotion, which is why the ACC perpetuates it.

A PARADOX exists, for while we remember our Lord's Passion and entombment, a small part of our subconscious knows that he will rise again.

All written material in this site is copyrighted by the Most Rev. Jon Ryner, except where noted.

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The Avalonian Catholic Church
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