O Purest of the Pure

Representative Text

1 O purest of creatures, sweet Mother, sweet Maid,
The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid:
Dark night hath come down on us, Mother, and we
Look out for thy shining, Sweet Star of the Sea,
Look out for thy shining, Sweet Star of the Sea,
Sweet Star of the Sea.

2 Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world,
And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurl'd;
And the tempest-toss'd Church, all her eyes are on thee;
They look for thy shining, Sweet Star of the Sea,
They look for thy shining, Sweet Star of the Sea,
Sweet Star of the Sea.

3 Oh! blissful and calm was the wonderful rest
That thou gavest thy God in thy virginal breast;
For the heaven He left He found heaven in thee;
And He shone in thy shining, Sweet Star of the Sea.

3 Oh! shine on us brighter than ever, then shine!
For the primest of honors, dear Mother! is thine;
"Conceived without sin," thy new title shall be,
Clear light from thy birth-spring, Sweet Star of the Sea.

Source: Laudis Corona: the new Sunday school hymn book, containing a collection of Catholic hymns, arranged for the principal seasons and festivals of the year #1

Author: Frederick W. Faber

Raised in the Church of England, Frederick W. Faber (b. Calverly, Yorkshire, England, 1814; d. Kensington, London, England, 1863) came from a Huguenot and strict Calvinistic family background. He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, and ordained in the Church of England in 1839. Influenced by the teaching of John Henry Newman, Faber followed Newman into the Roman Catholic Church in 1845 and served under Newman's supervision in the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. Because he believed that Roman Catholics should sing hymns like those written by John Newton, Charles Wesley, and William Cowpe, Faber wrote 150 hymns himself. One of his best known, "Faith of Our Fathers," originally had these words in its third stanza: "Faith of Our Fathers! Mary'… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: O purest of creatures, sweet mother, sweet maid
Title: O Purest of the Pure
Author: Frederick W. Faber
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 36 of 36)
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A Treasury of Catholic Song #155

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American Catholic Hymnal #279

Cantica Sacra #d71

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Catholic Church Hymnal with Music #112

Catholic Hymns, Gregorian Institute Hymnal, Organ Accompaniments to the 3rd and Augmented Edition #d64

Children's Hymn Book and Sodality Manual #d50

Diocesan Hymnal #d106

Hosanna of the Little Ones #d32

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Hymns and Songs for Catholic Children #109

Hymns used by the Pupils of the Sisters of Notre Dame #d164

Hymns, Carols and Chants for the Sunday School Children of St. Ignatius' Church #d61

Jubilee Hymns. Book II #d19

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Laudis Corona #1

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Lyra Catholica #383

Popular Hymns for Youth #d113

Rohr's Favorite Catholic Melodies #d46

School Recreations #d77

St. Basil 's Hymn Book. 31st ed. #d111

St. Basil's Hymn Book #d124

St. Basil's Hymnal ... 10th ed. #d143

St. Basil's Hymnal. 3rd ed. #d120

St. Basil's Hymnal. Rev. ed. #d136

St. Francis Hymnal and Choir Manual #d246

Sursum Corda #d76

The Ave Maria Hymnal. 2nd rev. ed. #d122

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The Catholic Hymn Book #127b

The Catholic Youth's Hymn Book by the Christian Brothers. Rev. #d114

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The Catholic Youth's Hymn Book #86

The Choral Sodality Hand Book, Containing Hymns, Canticles and Litanies #d25

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The De La Salle Hymnal #70

The Hymn Book of the New Sunday School Companion #d27

The Hymnal #c135

The New Saint Basil Hymnal #d111

The Ordinary of the Mass and a Complete Manual of Hymns for Parochial Schools #d321

The St. Alban Hymnal #d312

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The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book. Singers' ed., Melody ed. #79

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