English translation of
Te Saeculorum Principem
1. Thou, Prince of all ages, Thou, O Christ, the King of the nations,
we acknowledge Thee the one Judge of all hearts and minds.
2. The wicked mob screams out. "We don't want Christ as king,"
While we, with shouts of joy, hail Thee as the world's supreme King.
3. O Christ, peace-bringing Prince, subjugate the rebellious minds:
And in Thy love, bring together in one flock those going astray.
4. For this, with arms outstretched, Thou hung, bleeding, on the Cross,
and the cruel spear that pierced Thee, showed man a Heart burning with love.
5. For this, Thou art hidden on our altars under the form of bread and wine,
and pour out on Thy children from Thy pierced side the grace of salvation.
6. May the rulers of the world publicly honour and extol Thee; May teachers and judges reverence Thee;
May the laws express Thine order and the arts reflect Thy beauty.
7. May kings find renown in their submission and dedication to Thee.
Bring under Thy gentle rule our country and our homes.
8. Glory be to Thee, O Jesus, supreme over all secular authorities;
And glory be to the Father and the loving Spirit through endless ages.
V. His empire shall be multiplied.
R. And there shall be no end of peace.
Click here for the Latin lyrics.
This is a very moving hymn, expressing love and desire for Jesus Christ and His reign over the hearts and minds of men, but also over society at large. This is a doctrine that has always been taught by the Catholic Church: namely, that Jesus Christ should reign even in the public sphere. His laws should be helped and fostered by the civil laws, which in turn should never contradict the Divine Law.
Many people today, without putting it into words, think along these lines: "Jesus is nice, He is sweet and He makes me feel good, but He has no place in public life. Real problems need REAL, practical solutions, not silly grandma stuff like prayer and total submission to God's will. That stuff is fine for nuns, but we're grown men, enlightened citizens of the 21st century! We don't want to regress and devolve into Theocracy like all those backward states. Man has evolved far since the dark, ignorant days of the middle ages, when the Church had great influence over society and public life -- but now, Man has evolved so highly, he scarce has any need of God. In fact, he is now very close to God Himself!"
Of course few would utter such blasphemy, but its spirit finds a home inside many of us. How many believe that Democracy is the only legitimate form of government, that all others are unjust and below man's dignity? How many believe that man is ONE IOTA more advanced (as a being, not considering external technology) than he was in 2,000 B.C.? If you think so, that is evolution and modernism speaking. Do you think the Church has a right to tell us what is wrong (such as what books and movies we should read/watch)? If you think we should be able to do whatever we want, that is Liberalism talking. So between Liberalism, Rationalism, Evolution, and Modernism -- Christ has been overthrown, and Man has been put in His place.
Let us all pray for a return to a society where Christ reigns supreme over the individual, the family, and society.
This is found on the following CD(s) in Latin:
Chant Compendium 1.
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