Hymns are beautiful truths poetically told, hung on a rhythm, and held in a melody. This makes them memorable. Hymn study is extremely simple. Sing the hymn once a day. We’ve provided you links to different versions to enjoy as well as a link to download the sheet music for the hymn. Some of this year’s selections are very familiar and others are a little more obscure. In keeping with our theme of Ancients, these hymns are older written before 1700.
Hymn Story
“Be Thou My Vision” is one of the oldest hymns on record. St. Patrick took the Latin Bible with him to become a missionary to the Irish in about 400 AD. Multitudes came to listen and began a relationship with Jesus, but the Druids opposed Patrick’s message of hope. Patrick was one of the most fruitful evangelists ever; he started 200 churches and baptized 100,000 people into the Christian faith. His mission changed Ireland forever.
During the eighth century, an Irish poet descended from Patrick’s converts, wrote a poetic prayer asking God to be his Vision, Wisdom, and Best Thought. IN 1905, Mary Elizabeth Byrne translated the ancient Irish poem into English verse, and Eleanor Hull took that translation and crafted it into verses with rhyme and meter. They set the verses to a traditional Irish tune called “Slane,” and the hymn “Be Thou My Vision” was born.
Music
Sheet music
