O painful, painful, painful day!

My Lord, my flesh, my son;

the breath of life you breathed away,

was life in God now won.

The pain of birth you chose to make

a sign of God’s new life.

So for God’s Kingdom you now take

the pain, the curse, the knife.

“Here is your son”, you said to me,

“Mother”, to one well loved.

Disciples all, we are to be,

in grief and love embraced.

O painful, painful, painful day!

That joy through tears may come,

I do believe, and hope to say,

when you have led me home.

c David Beswick, 1997

(86.86 Tune: St. Magnus or Morning Song)

May be reproduced freely with acknowlegement for use in worship but
not pubished commercially without approval.

David Beswick <>
Wesburn, Vic., Australia
http://people.enternet.com.au/~beswick/