Lord Of All Hopefulness

James Kilbane sings “Lord Of All Hopefulness,” the hymn written by Jan Struther in 1931 and set to the Irish tune “Slane.” Each of the four verses names Jesus with a different title and then asks for his presence at one time of the day. The words move through a single day from morning to night.

The first verse calls him Lord of all hopefulness and joy, whose child-like trust no cares could destroy, and asks him to be there at waking with bliss at the break of day. The second addresses the Lord of eagerness and faith, whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe, a reference to the carpenter's trade, and asks for strength at the noon of the day. The third calls him the Lord of kindliness and grace, with hands swift to welcome and arms ready to embrace, and asks for love at the eve of the day. The last calls him the Lord of gentleness and calm, whose voice is contentment and presence is balm, and asks for peace at the end of the day. The slow melody and plain rhymes make the hymn a favorite for weddings, school assemblies and evening prayer. It is a good fit for a household that wants a short prayer to say together at the table and before bed.

New mercies every morning are Lamentations 3:22-23. Jesus the carpenter is Mark 6:3, and the peace that guards the heart is Philippians 4:7.