Kathy Pluth the writer of a new booklet of hymns wrote to me to promote her little booklet of hymns. Judging by the following sample I am very impressed by her style and find this hymn for the Eucharist not only theologically deep, but beautiful as well.
How Light the Bread of Angels
Kathleen Pluth
1. How light the bread of angels upon the human tongue!
This precious weight of glory that binds the Church in one!
The flesh with all its passions could never match the bliss
Of mind and heart and memory caught up in heaven’s kiss.
2. How blessèd is this banquet, Christ’s sweet and costly meal.
The love within the Godhead mysteriously revealed:
When God the Son gives glory to God the Father high,
As God the Holy Spirit effects the sacrifice.
3. Forth from His wounded body, the water and the blood,
The glad’ning stream of heaven swells to a mighty flood.
It winds throughout the ages and flows into the hearts
Of saints He makes from sinners with skillful healing arts.
4. This food, so light, refreshing, shall speed our pilgrim way,
Until that happy morning when dawn turns into day.
Upon the holy mountain, within God’s holy hall,
The Father and the Spirit, and Christ, our all in all.
© 2005 CanticaNOVA Publications
This sample can be used free of charge if the authors name and copyright notice are attached and you can go to their site to see the music that goes with the meter of the hymn.
9 comments
“The Church’s One Foundation” fits the words very nicely.
Not as good, perhaps, as “Table of Plenty”– but a nice effort. 😉
Great stuff. It only makes the drivel that is the hymn “Table of Plenty” even more evident.
I can see that Tim and I are of the same mind! 🙂
Gary Penkala and CanticaNOVA are to be commended not only for commemorating the Year of the Eucharist but in consistently publishing music with the mind of the Church, something that only occasionally interests larger “Catholic” and “Gregorian” enterprises. He is a great supporter of the propers of the Mass: singing liturgical texts in the liturgy … what a concept!
So if you are a Catholic musician, or interested in liturgical music, spend some time at the CanticaNOVA site; you will find something of use, whether scores, books, or information. Mr. Penkala is always quick to assist if needed.
Didn’t the USCCB, in keeping with the Spirit of Vatican II, mandate that every hymn have at least one verse about how important we are to the celebratory meal?
(For that matter, it fits in the melody of “The Yellow Rose of Texas.”)
What pretty words! So little church music is pretty anymore. It’s all so earnest!
It’s just beautiful. It really does put to shame the other hymes out there of late.
Aw, it makes my heart glad to see Kathy here! She’s a great gal 🙂
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