Jesus Crucified

A Hymn to Jesus Crucified by Fr. Frederick Faber
Also known as: “O Come and Mourn With Me Awhile”

This devotional hymn is one that calls you, the singer, to the cross with Mary on Calvary. In Jesus Crucified, Fr. Faber begs you to have compassion on Jesus in His agony:

Have we no tears to shed for Him?

You are reminded of Mary’s great sorrow at being helpless to ease His suffering, and you are in awe that she willingly offered up her Son for your salvation.

Her heart is martyred with Her Son’s.

May we console Our Lord by singing this hymn to Him, and may our hearts grow in tenderness as we sympathize with Mary.

Sheet Music

Original score was found at hymnary.org. The song appears in the St. Peter’s Sodality Hymnal of 1872. I changed the rhythm in a couple spots to reflect how we sing it at our parish. (The Musescore player below doesn’t play the fermatas, unfortunately.)

Sheet Music PDF

Audio

Musecore – if the player below isn’t working, it will on the Musecore website. You can also print and share the sheet music.

Text

Jesus Crucified

By Fr. Frederick Faber (1814-1853)
First published in his collection “Jesus and Mary: or Catholic Hymns for Reading and Singing” in 1852

1.
O come and mourn with me awhile;
See, Mary calls us to her side;
O come and let us mourn with her,
Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

Have we no tears to shed for Him,
While soldiers scoff and Jews deride?
Ah! look how patiently He hangs,
Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

2.
How fast His Hands and Feet are nailed;
His blessed Tongue with thirst is tied,
His failing Eyes are blind with blood,
Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

His Mother cannot reach His Face;
She stands in helplessness beside,
Her heart is martyred with her Son’s,
Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

3.
Seven times He spoke seven words of love,
And all three hours His silence cried
For mercy on the souls of men;
Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

What was Thy crime, my dearest Lord?
By earth, by heaven, Thou hast been tried,
And guilty found of too much love;
Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

4.
Found guilty of excess of love,
It was Thine own sweet will that tied
Thee tighter far than helpless nails;
Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

Death came, and Jesus meekly bowed;
His falling Eyes He strove to to guide
With mindful love to Mary’s face;
Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

5.
O break, O break, hard heart of mine!
Thy weak self-love and guilty pride
His Pilate and His Judas were:
Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

Come, take thy stand beneath the Cross,
And let the Blood from out that Side
Fall gently on thee drop by drop;
Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

6.
A broken heart, a found of tears,
Ask, and they will not be denied;
A broken heart love’s cradle is;
Jesus, our Love, is crucified!

O Love of God! O Sin of Man!
In this dread act your strength is tried;
And victory remains with love,
For He, our Love, is crucified!