Faith of our Fathers

Faith of our fathers, living still,
in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
whene'er we hear that glorious word!

When I sing this hymn, I am reminded of the early martyrs for Christ -- Ignatius, Polycarp, Perpetua, etc. These men and women of incredible faith, whose blood became the seed for Christianity.

I was surprised to find out today that this hymn was actually referring specifically to the persecution of Roman Catholics by Protestants during Henry VIII's reign as he was in the process of establishing the Church of England! This is the third verse (often omitted).

Faith of our fathers! Mary's prayers
Shall win England back unto Thee,
And through the truth that comes from God
England shall indeed be free.

Ironically, the writer of the hymn, Frederick Faber, was brought up and ordained as an Anglican priest in a strict Calvinist home. He later joined the Tractarian movement that promoted a return to ancient liturgies and traditions, and eventually became a Roman Catholic. It was as a Roman Catholic that he wrote "Faith of our Fathers".

Ironically, again, this hymn is now sung in both Roman Catholic and Protestant churches all over the world. God does have a sense of humour.