When I read the lessons for today, especially the passage about the Ethiopian eunuch who had been baptized by Phillip on the road to Gaza, I was immediately drawn to the words, “on his way rejoicing.” It reminded of me of an old but very, popular hymn, “On Our Way Rejoicing.” It was written by John S. B. Monsell, a chaplain and rector of several churches in Ireland and England. He wrote over three hundred hymns, this one in 1863. The verses of the hymn are printed below. It was sung consistently in several denominations ever since and even experienced a rise in popularity in the 1990s, tapering off again in the 2000s. As was the case for many hymns, it was composed by a pastor to intensify the lessons of a particular Sunday through music and to intensify their message in the minds of worshipers in the week to come.
This hymn has come to be a particularly strong endorsement of the rest of the readings for today. It is a clear call to proclaim the good news of our redemption through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as a fulfilled promise of God. It is about rejoicing as in Psalm 66, where we are reminded to “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy!”
Verse 1:
On our way rejoicing, gladly let us go,
Christ our Lord has conquered, vanquished is the foe.
Christ without our safety, Christ within our joy,
Who, if we be faithful, can our hope destroy?Refrain:
On our way rejoicing,
As we (homeward, forward, or onward) move. (changed for recessions or processions)
Hearken to our praises,
O, blest God of love.Verse 2:
Unto God the Father, Joyful songs we sing,
Unto God the savior, thankful hearts we bring,
Unto God the Spirit, bow we and adore,
On our way rejoicing, now and evermore.Verse 3: (Not found in all hymn books)
If with honest-hearted, love for God and man,
Day by day Thou find us, doing what we can.
Thou who gives the seed-time, wilt give large increase,
Crown the head with blessings, fill the heart with peace.
I pray that today many readers will find this a useful way to pray today’s lessons throughout the day, as we go ON OUR WAY REJOICING!
Barbara Dilly
I came to Creighton in 2000 and retired in 2020. My twenty years of teaching, research and service in the Jesuit tradition enhanced my own life. It was an exciting time of celebration. I loved teaching and interacting with Creighton students because they responded so eagerly to the Ignatian pedagogical emphasis on the development of the whole person. It is this spirit of whole person development and celebration of life that I hope to infuse in my reflection writings.
My academic background is eclectic, preparing me well for the Liberal Arts academic environment at Creighton. I earned my BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA in 1988 and my Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures from the University of California, Irvine in 1994. My research focused on rural communities in the American Midwest, Latin America, and Australia. I taught Environmental Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods, Social and Cultural Theory, and Food Studies courses.
I retired to Shell Rock, a small rural community in Northeast Iowa where I enjoy gardening, cooking, quilting, driving my 65 Impala convertible an my 49 Willys Jeepster. I have lots of fun playing my guitars with friends from the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. But most importantly, I am still working to make my community and rural America a better place. I host a community quilt studio and serve on the Mission Board of my church. I also serve as the Climate Committee Chair and on the Executive Board of the Center for Rural Affairs.
