O salutaris hostia

Our Church is full of so many beautiful Eucharistic hymns that I am just now discovering! Maybe it is that we are so used to seeing them or hearing them in Latin that we don’t pay much attention to the English version. But when the English is read, though it may not have the complete message, it is still full of so much to be reflected on. Last night during Adoration and Benediction, we sang O salutaris hostia, which is actually the last two verses of Verbum Supernum (The Word of God), written by St Thomas Aquinas. The hymn we sang is below with the English translation below it. Pray and meditate on it.


O salutaris hostia,
quae caeli pandis ostium,
bella premunt hostilia;
da robur, fer auxilium.

Uni trinoque Domino
sit sempiterna gloria:
qui vitam sine termino
nobis donet in patria. Amen.


O saving Victim, opening wide
the gate of heaven to all below:
our foes press on from every side;
Thine aid supply, Thy strength bestow.

To Thy great Name be endless praise,
immortal Godhead, One in Three!
O grant us endless length of days
in our true native land with Thee. Amen.


*Verbum Supernum can be found in its entirety at http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/Hymni/VerbumSup.html