O Day Full of Grace

“O Day Full of Grace” (LSB 503) is a Scandinavian Lutheran chorale for the Day of Pentecost. Although, we do not know who originally wrote this hymn, it was first published in Swedish in 10 stanzas for the Hans Thomissøn’s Lutheran hymnal of 1569.

Then in 1826, N.F.S. Grundtvig (1783-1872) – the Danish Lutheran pastor known for writing “Built on the Rock” – revised the hymn to now include 13 stanzas. In Grundtvig’s original stanza two, he referred to Christmas. In stanza five, he referred to Pentecost.

Today’s version of this hymn also includes another revision by Gerald Thorson (1921-2001), for which he has slimmed the hymn to only five stanzas. So, this hymn would remain a Pentecost hymn, Thorson included the reference from Grundtvig’s text.

God’s grace is eternal, and His plan of salvation was laid before the foundation of the earth. Yet a new time of grace appeared when the Son was manifested in flesh and blood. Still another day of grace dawned on Pentecost when the era of the Christian Church began. This hymn is in many ways a Christian form of the Benedictus of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79; LSB 226-227). As John the Baptist prepared the way of the dawning day of Christ, so now the Church presents this glorious dawning to the world.

The brilliant light of the day full of grace, the time of the Church, is conveyed in the prominent use of the image of light in this poem: “light from our God”; “shine for us now”; “that light sublime”; “darkness and shame removing”, “all darkness for us dispelling”; “our hearts aglow”; “walk in the light.” Such an emphasis had special meaning before electricity made light ever present, even more so to those in the Nordic lands where the hymn was first sung. The coincidence of the earlier dawns of springtime, the lengthening of days, and the Pentecost celebration added an extra dimension to the song of light and grace.

(Credit: Lutheran Service Book – Companion to the Hymns)

1     O day full of grace that now we see
    Appearing on earth’s horizon,
Bring light from our God that we may be
    Replete in His joy this season.
God, shine for us now in this dark place;
    Your name on our hearts emblazon.

2     O day full of grace, O blessèd time,
    Our Lord on the earth arriving;
Then came to the world that light sublime,
    Great joy for us all retrieving;
For Jesus all mortals did embrace,
    All darkness and shame removing.

3     For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
    When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
    That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
    Our voices in endless singing.

4     God came to us then at Pentecost,
    His Spirit new life revealing,
That we might no more from Him be lost,
    All darkness for us dispelling.
His flame will the mark of sin efface
    And bring to us all His healing.

5     When we on that final journey go
    That Christ is for us preparing,
We’ll gather in song, our hearts aglow,
    All joy of the heavens sharing,
And walk in the light of God’s own place,
    With angels His name adoring.

Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: CPH Limited Promotional License no. 119000000