The St. Cecilia girls choir will be singing at the 10am high mass for the feast of St. Joseph, this Saturday, March 19th.
They will be singing some music with the women’s schola, and have been working on two beautiful hymns: “O Gloriosa Virginum” and “Te Joseph Celebrent”. For your prayerful edification, the translations have been provided below.
We will also introduce this year, a closing hymn that honors St. Joseph.
We would like you all to learn the hymn with us, so here is a recording, and the lyrics:
- Hail, holy Joseph, hail! Chaste spouse of Mary, hail!
Pure as the lily flower In Eden’s peaceful vale!
Hail, holy Joseph, hail! You were God’s chosen one:
To you the Word made flesh Was subject as a Son. - Hail, holy Joseph, hail! O friend of angels, hail!
Assist the hearts that faint And guide the steps that fail.
Hail, holy Joseph, hail! Prince of the house of God,
May His best graces be By your dear hands bestowed. - Hail, holy Joseph, hail! Teach us our flesh to tame.
And, Mary, keep the hearts That honor Joseph’s name;
He loved you with a love Of holy purity:
We pray that we may be As pure in love as he.
Translations of “O Gloriosa Virginum” & “Te Joseph Celebrent”:
O Gloriosa Virginum
O Queen of all the Virgin choir, Enthroned above the starry sky;
Who with pure milk from thy own breast, Thy own Creator didst supply.
What man hath lost in hapless Eve, Thy sacred womb to man restores;
Thou to the sorrowing here beneath, Hast open’d Heaven’s eternal doors.
Hail, O refulgent Hall of light! Hail, Gate sublime of Heaven’s high King!
Through thee redeem’d to endless life, Thy praise let all the nations sing.
O Jesu! born of Virgin bright, Immortal glory be to Thee;
Praise to the Father infinite, And Holy Ghost eternally.
Te Joseph Celebrent
1. Let the hosts of heaven celebrate you, Joseph,
Let all the choirs of Christendom resound you
who, famous for your merits,
was joined to the glorious Virgin in chaste wedlock.
2. When your betrothed became great with precious seed,
amazement and doubt made you anxious.
It is by the breath of the divine Spirit,
an Angel tells you, that the son has been conceived.
3. You did embrace the new-born Lord,
and to the furthest Egypt coasts you followed Him in exile,
Lost in Jerusalem, you sought and found Him,
mixing joy with tears.
4. After death most are blest by a loving destiny
and, when they have won the palm, they are welcomed into glory.
But you, while you lived, like the saints above, were with God,
blest more than others by this wondrous lot.
5. Spare us, highest Trinity, as we pray,
Grant that through Joseph’s merits we may rise to heaven,
So that at last we may offer perpetually
our grateful songs.