Good Friday: "O Come and mourn"

Hymns.
III. Jesus Crucified (“O come and mourn”)
By Frederick William Faber (1814–1863)


O Come and mourn with me awhile,
  See, Mary calls us to her side;
O come and let us mourn with her:
  Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

Have we no tears to shed for Him,
  While soldiers scoff and Jews deride?
Ah! look how patiently He hangs:
  Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

How fast His hands and feet are nailed;
  His blessèd tongue with thirst is tied;
His failing eyes are blind with blood:
  Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

His Mother cannot reach His face;
  She stands in helplessness beside;
Her heart is martyred with her Son’s:
  Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

Seven times He spoke, seven words of love,
  And all three hours His silence cried
For mercy on the souls of men:
  Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

What was Thy crime, my dearest Lord?
  By earth, by heaven, Thou hast been tried,
And guilty found of too much love:
  Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

Found guilty of excess of love,
  It was Thine own sweet will that tied
The tighter far than helpless nails:
  Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

Death came, and Jesus meekly bowed;
  His falling eyes He strove to guide
With mindful love to Mary’s face:
  Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

O break, O break, hard heart of mine!
  Thy weak self-love and guilty pride
His Pilate and his Judas were:
  Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

Come, take thy stand beneath the cross
  And let the blood from out that side
Fall gently on thee drop by drop:
  Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

A broken heart, a fount of tears,
  Ask, and they will not be denied;
A broken heart love’s cradle is:
  Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

O Love of God! O sin of Man!
  In this dread act your strength is tried:
And victory remains with love,
  For He, our Love, is crucified!