HYMN TO THE TABERNACLES

................... by Bld Alexandrina

 

On this hymn, Father Umberto Pasquale writes that it has “the rhythm of a psalm” and “it is dotted by poetical hastiness and is surpassed by Saint Francis of Assisi’s seraphic fervour”.

Father Mariano Pinho refers to it as “the precious praise chant, which reminds us of St. Francis’ Chant to the Sun or the Benedicite”. On the other hand, Mr and Mrs. Signorile, call it an amazing offertory chant: “Her (Alexandrina’s) inflamed, unrestrained love, overflowing from her full heart, bursts into an amazing Offertory Chant”.

Oh my Jesus, I want that each pain that I feel, each palpitation of my heart, each time that I breathe, each second of the hours that I pass, to be

Acts of love for your Tabernacles.

I want that each movement of my feet, of my hands, my lips, my tongue, each time that I open my eyes or close them, each tear, each smile, each joy, each sadness, each tribulation, each distraction, contrariety or trouble, to be

Acts of love for your Tabernacles.

I want that each letter of the prayers that I recite or hear to recite, all the words that I pronounce or hear to pronounce, that I read or hear to read, that I write or see writing, that I sing or hear to sing, to be

Acts of love for your Tabernacles.

I want that each little kiss that I give in your holy images or in those of your and my beloved Mummy, in your saints, to be

Acts of love for your Tabernacles.

Oh Jesus, I want each little drop of rain that falls from the sky to the land, all the water contained in the world, offered drop by drop, all the sands of the sea and everything the sea contains, to be

Acts of love for your Tabernacles.

Oh Jesus, I offer You the leaves of the trees, all the fruits that they may have, the little flowers offered petal by pe­tal, all the little grains of seeds and cereals in the world, and everything  contained in  the gardens, fields and mountains, I offer everything as

Acts of love for your Tabernacles.

Oh Jesus, I offer You the feathers of the small birds, their own warbling the coats and the voices of all the animals, as

Acts of love for your Tabernacles.

Oh Jesus, I offer You the day and the night, the heat and the cold, the wind, the snow, the moon, the moonlight, the sun, the sunset, the stars of the sky, my sleep, my dream, as

Acts of love for your Tabernacles.

Oh Jesus, I offer You everything the world contains, all greatnesses, wealth and treasures of the world, everything which happens to myself, everything I use to offer to You, everything I can imagine, as

Acts of love for your Tabernacles.

Oh Jesus, accept the sky, the land, the sea, everything, everything they have, as if everything was mine and of everything I could make use and offer You as

Acts of love for your Tabernacles.