Reflection on "O Sacred Head Surrounded"

 I promised I would do a reflection later on this blog (on a Friday in Lent) on two of the hymns which I use at stations. "O Sacred Head Surrounded", and "Stabat Mater" (or "Sorrowful Mother"). This week I decided to do a reflection on Stations, on what is the Friday of the Second Week of Lent. Next week will be the Third Week of Lent, which will be before the Fourth, which is traditionally called "Laetare Sunday", or "Rose Sunday" as I will call it, since the priest will (should) wear pink, which we will talk about next week.

1 O sacred Head surrounded By crown of piercing thorn! O bleeding Head, so wounded, Reviled and put to scorn! The pow'r of death comes o'er you, The glow of life decays, Yet angel hosts adore you And tremble as they gaze.

"O Sacred Head" is a song often assocated with the Passion of Christ, and is often played on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. "O Sacred Head", very much is a poetic reflection on the passion of Christ. It begans talking about the crown of thorns, leaving the head of Christ wounded. It speaks of how Christ might have looked during his passion, left bloody and bruised, and he must have looked close to death. Yet we know even in his "unstately being" (as scripture puts it), angels hosts surround him, gazing upon his sufferings.

2 I see your strength and vigor All fading in the strife, And death with cruel rigor, Bereaving you of life; O agony and dying! O love to sinners free! Jesus, all grace supplying, O turn your face on me.

Jesus must have been weak, suffering grately, and feeling the greatest pain. Jesus must have felt left along, in pain, facing this strife to himself. Yet in it all, he did it for us. In his agony and death, while yes, great in agony, it was for us, his gift of love to us. Thus even in his passion he looks at us with the greatest mercy and Love.

3 In this, your bitter passion, Good Shepherd, think of me With your most sweet compassion, Unworthy though I be: Beneath your cross abiding For ever would I rest, In your dear love confiding, And with your presence blest.

And this last verse speaks of the Mercy of Jesus once again. That in this all, he looks at us with passion, and we look upon him, unworthily, asking for mercy, reflecting upon everything he has done for us, especially this work upon the cross.