"Greater love hath no man" by John Ireland

I was a member of the choir at St. Francis of Assisi Church on 31st Street, home to the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province and to FDNY Chaplain Father Mychal Judge.

This is one of the pieces that we sang for Father Mychal's funeral. It begins with these words:

Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can the floods drown it.
Love is strong as death.
Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.

and ends with these:

I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto to God, which is your reasonable service.

Juli Borst