Strengthen for Service, Lord

Strengthen for service, Lord, the hands
That holy things have taken;
Let ears that now have heard thy songs
To clamor never waken.

Lord, may the tongues which ‘Holy’ sang
Keep free from all deceiving;
The eyes which saw Thy love be bright
Thy blessèd hope perceiving.

The feet that tread Thy holy courts
From light do Thou not banish;
The bodies by Thy body fed
With Thy new life replenish.

Author: Unknown

Year: 4

This is an English translation of the ancient Syriac post-communion hymn from the Liturgy of Malabar (also known as the Liturgy of St. Thomas). The original author is unknown; the translation commonly used in hymnals is usually attributed to Percy Dearmer (1867–1936) or sometimes to others such as F. E. Brightman or J. M. Neale, but the core text is traditional and dates to at least the 4th–5th century.