On the Baptizer

The Nativity of St. John the Baptizer is a solemnity of no small importance. It is the preamble to the Incarnation, the source of the Benedictus. A beautiful occasion, indeed. Today's inspiration appears in a new hymn, below:

Hidden God

Elizabeth ran hastily to greet
Thy mother, Mary, full of grace.
Her infant sensed and stirred his feet;
his forming eyes beheld Thy latent face.

John’s vision was beclouded by two shields:
from womb to womb, a double curtain drawn.
To Christian minds, Thy face is now revealed,
hid only in one Eucharistic dawn.

We hail Thee fervently now, hidden God,
and beg that we should know Thy presence here.
Shine forth to cleanse the paths that we have trod,
And light the way that ever shall be dear.

Metrical Index: 10.10.10.10

Text and Tune: Friguy