What time the evening
shadows fall
Around the Church on
earth,
When darker forms of doubt
appall,
And new false lights have
birth;
Then closer should her
faithful band
For truth together hold,
Hell�s last devices to
withstand,
And safely guard her fold.
O Father, in that hour of
fear,
Thy Church on earth do
keep,
Thine altar to the last to
rear,
And feed Thy fainting
sheep;
May she the holy truths
attest
Apostles taught of yore,
Nor quit the faith by
saints confessed,
Though tempted ne�er so
sore.
O Christ, Who for Thy
flock didst pray
That all might be as one,
Unite us all ere fades the
day,
Thou sole begotten Son;
The East, the West,
together bind
In love�s unbroken chain;
Give each one hope, one
heart, one mind,
One glory, and one gain.
O Spirit, Lord of light
and life,
The Church with strength
renew,
Compose the angry voice of
strife,
All jealousies subdue;
Do Thou in ever quickening
streams
Upon Thy saints descend,
And warm them with
reviving beams,
And guide them to the end.
Great Three in One,
great One in Three,
Our hymns of prayer
receive,
And teach us all from sin
to flee,
And live as we believe;
So, pure in faith, our
thoughts and speech,
And acts that faith shall
own;
So shall we to Thy
presence reach,
And know as we are known.