St. Luke's Day

Almighty God, who didst inspire thy servant Saint Luke the Physician, to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of thy Son; Manifest in thy Church the like power and love, to the healing of our bodies and our souls; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SEQUENCE HYMN FOR EVANGELISTS

Laus devota mente

(Lifted from Occidentalis)

PRAISE, the true heart's offer,
Let our voices proffer,
And our thanks to Christ resound,
For the faith's four preachers
And unshaken teachers,
Whom his grace hath made renown'd.

He by these would render
Brilliance out of splendour,
As his wont, to earth around:
While by their election
Uttermost rejection
Heresy and schism found.

These four holy fountains
Bathe the vales and mountains
With the stream whose waters save:
These, from Eden flowing,
Through the wide world going,
Pour their undivided wave.

These make good the features
Of the Living Creatures,
Whom prophetic visions trace:
Varied forms possessing,
But alike progressing,
One and all, in equal pace.

These with pinions gifted,
These from earth uplifted,
With the living chariot go:
Full of eyes each pinion,
In serene dominion,
Herald they God's Word below.

Here those four rings golden
Well may be beholden,
Which the Ark of God upbore:
Christ the good seed sowing,
And the fruit bestowing,
In the doctrine of the Four.

That old type declaring
Of the chariot, bearing
Saba's Queen to Salem's hall,
Is this car elected,
By the Lamb directed –
By the Lamb that died for all.

Christ is Head and Ending
Of their aim and tending,
He whose presence all things fills:
By the blest inditing
Of their holy writing
Stands the Church secure from ills.

At their supplication
Grant us, Lord, salvation
From eternal death and woe:
By their holy teaching,
Safe and happy reaching,
Of celestial joys below.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, with their voices they shall sing together; for they shall see eye to eye when the LORD brings back Zion.

Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

(Isaiah 52:7-10)