O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, ELW 352
1 O sacred head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighted down, now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown;
O sacred head, what glory, what bliss till now was thine!
Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call thee mine.
2 How pale thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn; how does thy face now languish, which once was bright as morn!
Thy grief and bitter passion were all for sinners' gain;
mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain.
3 What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest friend, for this thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end?
Oh, make me thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee.
4 Lord, be my consolation; shield me when I must die; remind me of they passion when my last hour draws nigh.
These eyes, new faith receiving, from thee shall never move; for all who die believing die safely in thy love.
Devotion
Lord, be my consolation, shield me when I must die;
Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
These eyes, new faith receiving, from thee shall never move;
for all who die believing die safely in thy love.
In the legend of the Three Brothers from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the three brothers all have an encounter with Death. The only one who seems to triumph over Death is the one who accepts Death for its inevitability and welcomes him as an old friend.
In O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, the hymn writer confronts the inevitability of death not with fear or trepidation, but as a justified sinner who calls upon the Lord when his last hour draws nigh. The writer asks for eyes to receive new faith and to die safely within the love of Christ. The work of the cross is complete when the sinner finds that it is Christ who has defeated the powers of sin, death and the devil. And it is in Christ's love for us that we triumph over death as well, with Christ by our side.
Prayer
Creator of all things, from everlasting you have created us, and to everlasting you defend us. Keep us steadfast in Your love, that we may receive Your gifts of eternal grace. Amen.