Hymn of St. Kevin

To celebrate St. Kevin's Day

Published in The Hymnary, Novello, 1872.

1 Come ye faithful, raise the strain

Of triumphant gladness;

God hath brought His Israel

Into joy from sadness;

Loosed from Pharaoh?s bitter yoke

Jacob's sons and daughters;

Led them with unmoisten?d foot

Through the Red Sea waters.

 

2 Tis the Spring of souls to-day;

Christ hath burst His prison,

And from three days' sleep in death

As a sun hath risen;

All the winter of our sins,

Long and dark is flying

From His light, to Whom we give

Laud and praise undying.

 

3 Now the Queen of seasons bright

With the Day of splendour,

With the royal Feast of feasts,

Comes its joy to render;

Comes to glad Jerusalem,

Who with true affection

Welcomes in unwearied strains

Jesus' resurrection. Amen.

John Mason Neale, 1818 - 66, from the Greek

Click here to hear a sound file of the Hymn of St. Kevin

"Troparian of St. Kevin"

submitted by a reader
(a troparian is a sort of "theme song"
in orthodox Christian churches)

You were privileged to live in the age of saints, O Father Kevin,
being baptized by one saint, taught by another, and buried
by a third. Pray to God that he will raise up saints in our day
to help, support, and guide us in the way of salvation.