In Loving Adoration
(A National Hymn)
by Thornton Bancroft Penfield

In loving adoration
We come to worship thee,
Thou Author of Salvation,
So wonderful, so free;
Oh, teach us how to praise thee,
As we before thee stand,
And hear us, as we pray thee,
To bless our own dear land.

For millions still in darkness
Within this land of light,
For those who’ve wandered blindly
From God and home and right
And those who ne’er have seen thee,
Thou God of love and might,
We earnestly beseech thee
May they receive their sight.

Be thou our strong defender,
Our confidence alone,
Be with our country’s rulers,
Our nation’s cornerstone;
And thus led by thy Spirit,
And heeding thy blest Word,
From ocean unto ocean
All men shall call thee Lord.

Pen­field was the son of Thorn­ton Bi­ge­low Pen­field and Char­lotte De­vins, mis­sion­ar­ies to In­dia, and hus­band of Mar­tha Lee Mar­tin (mar­ried 1894).  After his fa­ther’s death in 1871, his mo­ther moved the fa­mi­ly to her par­ents’ home in Mont­clair, New Jer­sey.

He at­tended St. Johns­bury Acad­e­my, Ver­mont, then re­turned to New York and lived with his mo­ther and step­fa­ther while at­tend­ing Co­lum­bia Un­i­ver­si­ty in New York Ci­ty. He then stu­died at Un­ion Se­mi­na­ry, and worked for the New York Tri­bune.

After gra­du­a­tion from se­mi­na­ry, Pen­field went to work for the Pres­by­ter­i­an Board of Home Mis­sions, and lat­er, the In­ter­na­tion­al Com­mit­tee of the Young Men’s Chris­tian As­so­ci­a­tion (YMCA).

Source: Hymntime.com; http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/p/e/n/f/penfield_tb.htm

“America the beautiful! So you sing in one of your national songs. Yes, America, you are beautiful indeed, and blessed in so many ways… But your greatest beauty and your richest blessing is found in the human person: in each man, woman and child, in every immigrant, in every native-born son and daughter.

“For this reason, America, your deepest identity and truest character as a nation is revealed in the position you take towards the human person. The ultimate test of your greatness in the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenseless ones.

“The best traditions of your land presume respect for those who cannot defend themselves. If you want equal justice for all, and true freedom and lasting peace, then, America, defend life! All the great causes that are yours today will have meaning only to the extent that you guarantee the right to life and protect the human person…”

Saint Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II, Farewell [to America] Ceremony, Detroit Airport, September 19, 1987.

Mary, The Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the United States, pray for us.

Be not afraid!  And may the peace of Christ be with you and your loved ones today and always.  Holy Family pray for us.  Amen.