A hymn for Maundy Thursday, holding together bread, cup, and the quiet service of Christ.

On this shore, you break the bread, Lord

1  
On this shore, you break the bread, Lord,
as the curlew calls at dawn;
mist lies soft on bog and meadow,
dew on gorse and trembling fawn.
At the table of the hillside,
where the heather scents the air,
you invite us to your blessing,
bid us taste your love and care.

2  
As you shared the cup at supper,
stars above the Jordan shone;
now the Liffey, Barrow, Shannon
bear your quiet promise on.
In the stillness of the evening,
as the red fox slips through fern,
you are present in the breaking—
every heart may now return.

3  
Christ, you kneel to wash us gently,
like the tide on western sand;
seaweed sways with whispered mercy,
beckoning us to understand.
In the chalice of creation,
in the thrush’s evening hymn,
you renew the ancient covenant,
filling earth and cup to brim.

4  
So we gather at your table,
oak and ash and hawthorn near;
saints and kin and wandering pilgrims
find their home and welcome here.
Bread of life for every season,
wine of hope for every soul—
Christ of Ireland’s fields and waters,
feed us, heal us, make us whole.

Hymn information

First line: On this shore, you break the bread, Lord
Text: Michael McFarland Campbell
Metre: 87 87 D
Tune:
Theme: Maundy Thursday, Eucharist, Presence,

Copyright

© Michael McFarland Campbell. 2026. 
Permission granted for local church or parish use with attribution. Not for commercial reproduction.

Written recently and shared here as part of the NeuroDivine hymn collection.