Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
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Holy God, we praise Thy Name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee!
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in Heaven above adore Thee;
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.
Hark! the loud celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising,
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising;
Fill the heavens with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord.
Lo! the apostolic train
Join the sacred Name to hallow;
Prophets swell the loud refrain,
And the white robed martyrs follow;
And from morn to set of sun,
Through the Church the song goes on.
Holy Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee;
While in essence only One,
Undivided God we claim Thee;
And adoring bend the knee,
While we own the mystery.
This is a beautiful classic Catholic hymn, used by the Church for a couple of centuries. The words are attributed to Ignaz Franz, in Maria Theresa’s Katholisches Gesangbuch (Vienna: circa 1774) translated from German to English by Clarence A. Walworth, 1858.
It is still sung today in many conservative or traditional Catholic circles, usually as a Benediction (adoration) hymn.
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