Come and Take the Flesh of Christ (Sancti Venite)

This hymn about the Eucharist is a translation of Irish Latin hymn Sancti Venite Corpus Christi Sumite, from the Bangor Antiphonary. The Latin hymn is attributed to St. Sechnall (died c. 447), and the creator of this English translation is unknown. Another translation in use is John Mason Neale's “Draw Nigh and Take the Body of the Lord”.

This version is sometimes used with a chorus, as shown in the slides below.

No on-line examples have been found.

Tunes which it has been set to include GARTEN - a traditional Irish tune, composer unknown.

Downloads

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PowerPoint slides

PowerPoint slides with chorus

Examples

Instrumental - guitar with bagpipes

Lyrics

Refrain:
One in body, heart and mind
We are one by love united
Christ be love within this sign
Shared for all as bread and wine.

Come and take the flesh of Christ
Which he gave to be our bread.
Drink the chalice of his blood
Which upon the cross he shed.

We who are redeemed and saved,
By his body and his blood,
Hail the saving sacred Host
Which he gave to be our food.

Giver of salvation,
Christ, the Son of God most high,
Sacrificed to save the world,
Raised with him, we will not die.