HYMN: O Glory of the Father’s Light

One of my favorite liturgies in Lutheran Service Book is the service of Evening Prayer (p.243 in LSB). I don’t think I really discovered it until seminary. I might have heard it in the college chapel at some point, though we didn’t have regular evening services at Bronxville. It’s a beautiful liturgy, beginning with what is called the service of light. In my practice, I walk down the aisle, carrying a lit candle, as the congregation and I chant responsively:

Leader: Jesus Christ is the Light of the world,
Congregation: The light no darkness can overcome.
L: Stay with us, Lord, for it is evening,
C: And the day is almost over.
L: Let Your light scatter the darkness
C: And illumine Your Church.

And then, once the lit candle is placed before the altar, we chant a beautiful canticle called the Phos Hilaron, perhaps the oldest song sung by the Church which does not appear in the Bible. It’s a beautiful text:

L: Joyous light of glory
C: Of the immortal Father,

Heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ,
We have come to the setting of the Sun
And we look to the evening light.
We sing to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy of being praised with pure voices forever.
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
The universe proclaims your glory.

If you get the chance to see this service in person, do so. Here is a link to the Evening Prayer service as it appeared at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Marion, Iowa. There are some differences from what is in the hymnal, and you can’t see the whole of the candlelit procession, but you’ll get the idea.

It is a great desire of mine to write a hymn text for the many canticles contained in LSB. I’ve done a few, but I had not yet gotten to the Phos Hilaron. That has now changed. I don’t think it will ever replace the beautiful setting in Evening Prayer—it certainly won’t for me—but I certainly wasn’t going to pass up making the attempt. As always, feedback is love.

O Glory of the Father’s Light

O glory of the Father’s light

Eternal, joyous, holy, bright:

O holy Jesus, radiant Son,

The sun is set and day is done.

The light of evening now we see.

O blessèd holy Trinity,

Your praise we sing, for praise is due,

Dear Father, Son, and Ghost to You.

Lord Jesus Christ, our Life, our Light,

As we progress from day to night, 

We sing, O Lord, with cheerful voice,

And in your glory we rejoice.

LM (88 88)

O HEILIGE DRESFALTIGKEIT (LSB 876)

Evening (Phos Hilaron), Liturgical Music