Hymn of the week: “Again We Keep This Solemn Fast”

Again we keep this solemn fast
A gift of faith from ages past,
This Lent which bids us lovingly
To faith and hope and charity.

This old hymn is traditionally sung on the first Sunday of Lent. The lyrics to “Again We Keep This Solemn Fast” are attributed to Pope St. Gregory, or “Gregory the Great.” Written in the late 6th century, the hymn references several Bible passages: Joel 2:12-18, Matthew 6:1-21, and Matthew 9:16-18.

The words were translated by John Mason Neale in the mid 19th century, who also set them to a 16th-century tune called the Old Hundredth. Several hymns have also been set to this tune,