An Image of That Heavenly Light

An image of that heavenly light,
The goal the Church keeps ay in sight,
Christ on the holy mount displays
Where He outshines the sun’s bright rays.

Let every age proclaimer be
How, on this day, the chosen three
With Moses and Elias heard
The Lord speak many a gracious word.

As witnesses to grace are nigh
Those twain, the Law and Prophecy;
And to the Son, from out the cloud,
The Father’s record thunders loud.

With garments whiter than the snows,
And shining face, Lord Jesus shows
What glory for those saints shall be
Who joy in God with piety.

The vision and the mystery
Make faithful hearts beat quick and high,
So on this solemn day of days
The cry goes up of prayer and praise.

O God the Father, God the Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
Vouchsafe to bring us, by thy grace,
To see thy glory face to face.

Author: John Mason Neale

Year: 1854

This is a translation of the 15th-century Latin hymn 'Quicumque Christum quaeritis' (from Prudentius' Cathemerinon) or a closely related office hymn for the Transfiguration. Neale's translations of such Latin office hymns frequently appear in 19th-century English hymnals with this style and vocabulary.