Praise, O Sion, thy Salvation,
Praise with hymns of exultation,
Christ, the King and Shepherd true.
2. Bring Him all the praise thou knowest,
He is more than thou bestowest,
Never canst thou reach His due.
3. Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick’ning and the living
Bread today before thee set.
4. From His hands of old partaken,
As we know, by faith unshaken,
Where the twelve at supper met.
5. Full and clear ring out thy chanting,
Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,
From thy heart let praises burst.
6. For today the feast is holden,
When the institution olden
Of that supper was rehearsed.
7. Here the new law’s new oblation,
By the new King’s revelation,
Ends the form of ancient rite.
8. Now the new the old effaceth,
Truth away the shadow chaseth,
Light dispels the gloom of night.
9. What he did at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated
His memorial ne’er to cease.
1 0. And his rule for guidance taking,
Bread and wine we hallow, making
Thus our sacrifice of peace.
1 1 . This the truth each Christian learnedth,
Bread into his flesh he turneth,
To His precious blood the wine.
1 2. Sight hath fail’d, nor thought conceiveth,
But a dauntless faith believeth,
Resting on a pow’r divine.
1 3. Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things are all we see.
1 4. Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
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Christ entire we know to be.
1 5. Whose of this food partaketh,
Rendeth not the Lord nor breaketh
Christ is whole to all that taste.
1 6. Thousands are, as one, receivers,
One as thousands of believers,
Eat of Him who cannot waste.
1 7. Bad and good the feast are sharing,
Of what diverse dooms preparing,
Endless death, or endless life.
1 8. Life to these, to those damnation,
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.
1 9. When the sacrament is broken,
Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,
That each sever’d outward token.
20. Doth the very whole contain.
Nought the precious gift divideth,
Breaking but the sign betideth
Jesus still the same abideth,
Still unbroken doth remain.
21 . Lo! The angels’ food is given
To the pilgrim who had striven;
See the children‘s bread from heaven,
Which on dogs may not be spent.
22. Truth the ancient types fulfilling,
Isaac bound, a victim willing,
Paschal lamb, its life blood spilling,
Manna to the fathers sent.
23. Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,
Jesu, of thy love befriend us
Thou refresh us, thou defend us,
Thine eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.
24. Thou who all things canst and knowest,
Who on earth such food bestowest,
Grant us with thy saints, though lowest,
Where the heav’nly feast thou showest,
Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. Alleluia.