Hymns Modern & Ancient 42: The day of circumcision Tune: 7.6.7.6.D Ellacombe A HYMN FOR THE FEAST OF THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST
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©Pharisaios Publications 2004 |
The day of circumcision, The infant child was brought, And laid upon the table, Midst holy prayer and thought, The blade was duly sharpened, And sparks flew from the wheel, And though the flesh was severed, All knew that it would heal.
The covenant that God had made, As Abraham was told, Required that every human male On reaching eight days old Should have his foreskin cut away, And in that act alone, Become an heir of God's great love; A sign that could be shown.
When Moses was in danger great, His wife Zipporah knew That she must make a bloody sign, So to her son she flew, And taking up a sharpened flint, She circumcised the lad, And spread it out on Moses' feet, So he could see she had.
So when the Virgin Mary's son Reached his eighth day of life, His family prepared their child To undergo the knife. After the act, the Hebrew nurse Took up the piece of flesh, And put it in a jar of oil Perfumed to keep it fresh.
This precious alabaster box Was held for many a year, Until her son disposed of it To a young woman near. This second Mary kept the gift For future use unknown, Until the day she heard her Lord And love to her was shown.
Into the house she brought the oil And poured it on his head, And with her hair she wiped his feet, For soon he would be dead. And so the circle was full made, The piece of skin returned Unto the one who gave his life To pay a debt not earned.
This holy Feast we keep with awe Since Habbakuk decreed Our foreskins are uncovered By every sinful deed. The circumcision that we keep Is not a fleshly one, But done in spirit and in truth, Through faith in God's own Son. |