Hymn for King Charles the Martyr: 'With thankful hearts thy glory' (Feast day 30th January)

Choir of All Saints Margaret Street, London

Text:

With thankful hearts thy glory,
O King of Saints, we sing,
Shown in the saintly story
Of Charles, the Martyr-King,
Who chose to die, obeying
The voice of conscience clear,
Not live on earth, betraying
All that he counted dear.

For long his foes assailed him
Till friends were overthrown,
And this world's weapons failed him,
And he was left alone.
No whit his foes relented,
Successful in the strife,
But to their king presented
The choice of death or life.

Shall, then, his memory perish?
His name we venerate,
The Faith he loved we cherish,
His spirit emulate,
That so by Christ-like living
With charity resigned,
Each other's faults forgiving,
We may enrich mankind.

For all lives lived sincerely
In Christ may God be blest,
To mortals thus most clearly
In mortals manifest--
The Father, who forgiveth
Man's failures in the strife,
The Son, in whom he liveth,
The Spirit, Source of Life!

[s.albans]

"O Lord we offer unto thee all praise and thanks for the glory of Thy grace that shined forth in Thine anointed servant Charles; and we beseech Thee to give us all grace that by a careful studious imitation of this Thy blessed Saint and Martyr, that we may be made worthy to receive benefit by his prayers, which he, in communion with the Church Catholic, offers up unto Thee for that part of it here Militant, through thy Son, our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen." (1660, Bishop Brian Duppa, of Salisbury and Winchester)

[SaintSwithinsDay]

May the martyred King Charles shower blessings upon his kingdom and upon our present King Charles.