St. Francis Xavier

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER

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Hymn by Francis Xavier:

O Deus, ego amo te,
Nec amo te, ut salves me,
Aut, quia non amantes te
Aeterno punis igne.


Tu, tu, mi Jesu, totum me
Amplexus es in cruce;
Tuliste clavos, lanceam,
Multamque ignominiam,


Innumeros dolores,
Sudores, et angores,
Et mortem, et haec propter me,
Ac pro me peccatore.


Cur igitur non amem te,
O Jesu amantissime,
Non, ut in coelo salves me,
Aut ne aeternum damnes me,


Nec praemii ullius spe;
Sed sicut tu amasti me?
Sic amo et amabo te,
Solum quia Rex meus es,
Et solum, quia Deus es.

Englished by Edward Caswall:

My God, I love Thee, not because
I hope for heaven thereby;
Nor yet since they who love Thee not
Must burn eternally.


Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me
Upon the Cross embrace;
For me didst bear the nails and spear,
And manifold disgrace;


And griefs and torments numberless,
And sweat of agony;
Eíen death itself; and all for one
Who was Thine enemy.


Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ,
Should I not love Thee well,
Not for the sake of winning heaven,
Or of escaping hell;


Not with the hope of gaining aught,
Not seeking a reward;
But as Thyself hast loved me,

O ever-loving Lord?


E'en so I love Thee, and will love,
And in Thy praise will sing,
Solely because Thou art my God,
And my eternal King.

The LION & the CARDINAL