Vision of the Five Wounds

Two hands have haunted me for days,
Two hands of slender shape;
All crushed and torn as in the press
Is bruised the purple grape;
At work or meals, at prayer or play,
Those mangled Palms I see,
And a plaintive voice keeps whispering
"These Hands were pierced for thee,"
For me, Sweet Lord! for me?
"Yea, even so, ungrateful child,
These hands were pierced for thee.

Through toils and dangers passing on,
As though a fiery flood;
Two slender feet beside mine own
Mark ev' ry step with blood
The swollen veins so rent with nails,
It breaks my heart to see,
While the same sad voice cries out afresh
"These Feet were pierced for thee."
For me, dear Christ! for me?
"Yea even so rebellious soul
These feet were pierced for thee."

As on they journey to the close,
These wounded feet and mine;
Distincter still the vision grows,
And more and more divine.
For in my Guide's wide open side,
The riven heart I see,
And a tender voice sobs like a psalm
"This heart was pierced for thee"
For me, great God! for me?
"You enter in my love my lamb!
This heart was pierced for thee."

MIDI sequence copyright © 2002 Brian M. Ames.