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An ancient chant of Eucharistic devotion based on words from the book of the Old Testament prophet, Habakkuk (2:20) - "Let all the earth keep silence before him."
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!
- from the Divine Liturgy of St. James, Fourth Century; the oldest surviving liturgy developed for general use in the Church. The photo is an ikon of Jesus at Haggia Sophia Church, Constantinople (now Istanbul).