Feast of the Sacred Heart

Two lights on a lowly altar;      Two snowy cloths for a Feast;     Two vases of dying roses;      The morning comes from the east,     With a gleam for the folds of the vestments      And a grace for the face of the priest.     The sound of a low, sweet whisper      Floats over a little bread,     And trembles around a chalice,      And the priest bows down his head!     O'er a sign of white on the altar --      In the cup -- o'er a sign of red.     As red as the red of roses,      As white as the white of snows!     But the red is a red of a surface      Beneath which a God's blood flows;     And the white is the white of a sunlight      Within which a God's flesh glows.     Ah! words of the olden Thursday!      Ye come from the far-away!     Ye bring us the Friday's victim      In His own love's olden way;     In the hand of the priest at the altar      His Heart finds a home each day.     The sight of a Host uplifted!      The silver-sound of a bell!     The gleam of a golden chalice.      Be glad, sad heart! 'tis well;     He made, and He keeps love's promise,      With thee all days to dwell.     From his hand to his lips that tremble,      From his lips to his heart a-thrill,     Goes the little Host on its love-path,      Still doing the Father's will;     And over the rim of the chalice      The blood flows forth to fill     The heart of the man anointed      With the waves of a wondrous grace;     A silence falls on the altar --      An awe on each bended face --     For the Heart that bled on Calvary      Still beats in the holy place.     The priest comes down to the railing      Where brows are bowed in prayer;     In the tender clasp of his fingers      A Host lies pure and fair,     And the hearts of Christ and the Christian      Meet there -- and only there!     Oh! love that is deep and deathless!      Oh! faith that is strong and grand!     Oh! hope that will shine forever,      O'er the wastes of a weary land!     Christ's Heart finds an earthly heaven      In the palm of the priest's pure hand.