“As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free”

I must admit that I get a little choked up at the last verse of the Battle Hymn of the Republic.  Remembering also that Pres. Bush had the US Army Chorus sing this for ” target=”_blank”>Pope Benedict at the White House

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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15 Comments

  1. Kathleen10 says:

    What a wonderfully happy day for America! We are proud to see the peaceful transfer of power, and pray for God’s guidance and blessing on President Donald J. Trump and this administration, and their families!

  2. WVC says:

    God Bless Trump. However, the Battle Hymn of the Republic is a horrible song. Historically speaking, the He in “His Truth” was actually John Brown, one of our most famous domestic terrorists. Let’s stick with America the Beautiful or the Star-Spangled Banner, please.

    [So what and who cares? That’s not how 99.9% of people hear it and not how the Army Chorus sings it. Let’s drag out an old award for you for this bit of mud…]

  3. un-ionized says:

    WVC, you have it a little mixed up. I have a personal family connection to the author of the lyrics and I know of its origin and also the origin of the original “John Brown” song which is not as you may think.

  4. Supertradmum says:

    Very cool…thanks for sharing. As I live in the biggest Dem stronghold in Iowa, I basically had to be quiet all day in order to survive…surrounded by paranoid Dems, sadly, who are terrified, instead of trusting in Divine Providence. Love the song and thought the fireworks were great…….God bless America. We have been given a reprieve.

  5. Fiat Domine says:

    Battle Hymn of the Republic:

    Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
    He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored,
    He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword
    His truth is marching on.

    Chorus:
    Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
    Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
    Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
    His truth is marching on.

    I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps
    They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps
    I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
    His day is marching on.
    Chorus

    I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnish`d rows of steel,
    “As ye deal with my contemnors, so with you my grace shall deal;”
    Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel
    Since God is marching on.
    Chorus

    He has sounded from the trumpet that shall never call retreat
    He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat
    Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet!
    Our God is marching on.
    Chorus

    In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
    With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
    As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
    While God is marching on.
    Chorus
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    I say, why would all of a sudden the hymn be talking about Brown when the subject all through the hymn is obviously about God and Christ? The line right before “His Truth” says: He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword. I am certain that Brown was not capable of that!

    Brown’s song had the same tune, but it was a different song.

    Another Glory trying to be snatched away from God/Christ.

  6. un-ionized says:

    Fiat Domine, and the original Brown song was a joke from some soldiers who had the same name. Very interesting history there of how folk things happen. It’s like the Methodists using the tunes of drinking songs for hymns as they witnessed in front of taverns. Teetotaler’s revenge.

  7. un-ionized says:

    I meant a joke by some soldiers about a friend with the same name.

  8. Fiat Domine says:

    I loved your sour grape award dear Father – so very very funny.

    I wanted to say that i cried a few times during that Battle Hymn of The Republic video. It was so hard to fathom that on world wide television, The USA was showing such a beautiful welcoming for our new President of The United States of America, with hymn and fireworks that sang about God and Christ and His Holy Death for us! Thanks be to God. Deo Gratias.

  9. Ages says:

    A Unionist song, but well-performed. I’ll allow it. (he said, dodging grapes)

    [The War of Northern Oppression ended quite a while ago. I am unaware of a similar hymn from the southern region. Is there one? And, I do have another award involving a grapefruit! I haven’t used that one for a while, either.]

  10. MrsMacD says:

    So heartwarming to hear.
    Remember Our Lady said to say the rosary for peace in the world? I’m certain this is a favour granted by her for all the rosaries said the night of the elections. We might have found ourselves in another world war…

  11. Ralph says:

    Father,

    Thank you for sharing this moving video. Although I am an American, I have to admit I had never listened to the last verse of the Hymn. Listening to it now, mindful of the context of both the time it was written and the time we are living in, moves me to weep.

    May God bless our country and our leaders!

  12. THREEHEARTS says:

    He, Trump, reminds me so much of Winston Churchill and his speeches during the war on the BBC (9o’clock evening news. His pugnacious face says don’t mess with America

  13. un-ionized says:

    Ages, ?

  14. stuart reiss says:

    Ah, thats fabulous. We here across the pond are pleased that Americans chose wisely. Because it all, flows back…..
    Some wymyn, nutters, hippies and others who enjoy life under social welfare allowances met today in London, and caused a general nuisance to traffic, by prancing about with home made posters…..im sure Mr Trump will be uspet.

  15. Ben Kenobi says:

    My first sunday in America was on Memorial day and they sang the Battle Hymn. I also have the link to Dubya playing it for Papa Benedict’s birthday.

    Thanks for reminding me of fantastic memories, Fr. Z :)

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