Every Lent I try to post these verses somewhere. They come from one of those grand old Lutheran hymns that are surprisingly orthodox in their theology. (E.g., “Now Thank We All Our God” and “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”—and of course, we can’t forget the Methodists for giving us “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” and “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today”!)

I first met this particular hymn in its beautiful Bach setting for SATB chorus; you will find a link to a performance of it below.

Jesus, I will ponder now
On Thy holy passion.
With Thy spirit me endow
For such meditation.
Grant that I in love and faith
May the image cherish
Of Thy suffering, pain, and death
That I may not perish.

Grant that I Thy passion view
With repentant grieving,
Nor Thee crucify anew
By unholy living.
How can I refuse to shun
Every sinful pleasure,
Since for me God’s only Son
Suffered without measure?

If my sins give me alarm,
And my conscience grieve me,
Let Thy cross my fear disarm,
Peace of conscience give me,
So that I with hope may see
This, Thy holy passion:
If God’s Son so loveth me,
God must have compassion.

“Jesu, deine Passion”