OH HAPPY FLOWERS

O happy Flowers! O happy Flowers!

How quietly for hours and hours,

In dead of night in cheerful day,

Close to my own dear Lord you stay,

Until you gently fade away.

O happy Flowers! what would I give

In your sweet place all day to live,

And then to die, my service o'er,

Softly as you do, at His door.

O happy Lights! O happy Lights!

Watching my Jesus livelong nights,

How close you cluster round His throne,

Dying so meekly one by one,

As each its faithful watch has done.

Could I with you but take my turn,

And burn with love of Him, and burn

Till love had wasted me, like you,

Sweet Lights! what better could I do?

O happy Pyx, O happy Pyx!

Where Jesus doth his dwelling fix.

O little palace! dear and bright,

Where He, who is the world's true light,

Spends all the day, and stays all night!

Ah! if my heart could only be

A little home for Him like thee,

Such fires my happy sould would move,

I could not help but die of love!

O Pyx and Lights and Flowers! but I

Through envy of you will not die;

Nay, happy things! what will you do,

Since I am better off than you,

The whole day long, the whole night through?

For Jesus gives himself to me

So sweetly and so utterly,

By rights long since I should have died

For love of Jesus Crucified.

My happy Soul! My happy Soul!

How shall I then my love control?

O sweet Communion! Feast of bliss!

When the dear Host my tongue doth kiss,

What happiness is like to this?

Oh Heaven, I think must be alway

Quite like a First Communion Day,

With love so sweet and joy so strange, -

Only that Heaven will never change!