Ubi caritas is a hymn of the Western Church, long used as one of the antiphon

Antiphon

An antiphon in Christian music and ritual, is a "responsory" by a choir or congregation, usually in Gregorian chant, to a psalm or other text in a religious service or musical work....

s for the washing of feet on Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great & Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, is the Christian feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the Canonical gospels...

. The Gregorian

Gregorian chant

Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...

 melody was composed sometime between the fourth and tenth centuries, though some scholars believe the text dates from early Christian gatherings before the formalization of the Mass

Mass (liturgy)

"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...

. It is usually sung at Eucharistic Adoration

Eucharistic adoration

Eucharistic adoration is a practice in the Roman Catholic Church, and in a few Anglican and Lutheran churches, in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed to and adored by the faithful....

 and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is a devotional ceremony celebrated within the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in some Anglican and Lutheran Churches, Liberal Catholic churches, Western Rite Orthodox churches, and Latinised Eastern Catholic Churches.Benediction of the...

 and on Holy Thursday evening at the Mass of the Lord's Supper

Mass of the Lord's Supper

The Mass of the Lord's Supper is the Catholic Mass celebrated on the evening of Holy Thursday. It inaugurates the Easter Triduum, and commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples, more explicitly than other celebrations of the Mass....

. The current Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 Missal (1970) reassigned it from the foot-washing mandatum to the offertory

Offertory

The Offertory is the portion of a Eucharistic service when bread and wine are brought to the altar. The offertory exists in many liturgical Christian denominations, though the Eucharistic theology varies among celebrations conducted by these denominations....

 for the Holy (Maundy) Thursday mass, and it also is found in current Anglican and Lutheran hymnals.

The 1973 Roman Missal

Roman Missal

The Roman Missal is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.-Situation before the Council of Trent:...

 changed the first line of the hymn's stanzas. Now, the first line of each stanza reads "Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est," after certain very early manuscripts. This translates to: "Where charity is true, God himself is there."

The well-known Taizé

Taizé

Taizé is the name or part of the name of several places in France and an asteroid:* Taizé Community in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, a monastic order visited by many young people* Taizé, Saône-et-Loire in the Saône-et-Loire département...

 chant by Jacques Berthier

Jacques Berthier

Jacques Berthier was a French composer of liturgical music, best known for writing much of the music used at Taizé.-Biography:...

 (1978) uses only the words of the refrain, with verses taken from I Corinthians 13:2-8. Maurice Duruflé

Maurice Duruflé

Maurice Duruflé was a French composer, organist, and pedagogue.Duruflé was born in Louviers, Eure. In 1912, he became chorister at the Rouen Cathedral Choir School, where he studied piano and organ with Jules Haelling...

's choral

Choir

A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...

 setting makes use of the Gregorian melody, using only the words of the refrain and the first stanza.

A more recent version of the hymn for choir, entitled Ubi Caritas et Amor by University of Aberdeen professor Dr. Paul Mealor

Paul Mealor

Paul Mealor is a Welsh composer. Described by the New York Times as "one of the most important composers to have emerged in Welsh choral music since William Mathias", Mealor’s motets, songs and cycles have been performed, broadcast and recorded by artists around the world.-Biography:Born in St...

, was included in the ceremony at the 2011 Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine.

Text

Latin Text	English Translation	French Translation	German Translation
Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor. Exultemus, et in ipso jucundemur. Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum. Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero. Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur: Ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus. Cessent iurgia maligna, cessent lites. Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus. Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Simul quoque cum beatis videamus, Glorianter vultum tuum, Christe Deus: Gaudium quod est immensum, atque probum, Saecula per infinita saeculorum. Amen.	Where charity and love are, God is there. Christ's love has gathered us into one. Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him. Let us fear, and let us love the living God. And may we love each other with a sincere heart. Where charity and love are, God is there. As we are gathered into one body, Beware, lest we be divided in mind. Let evil impulses stop, let controversy cease, And may Christ our God be in our midst. Where charity and love are, God is there. And may we with the saints also, See Thy face in glory, O Christ our God: The joy that is immense and good, Unto the ages through infinite ages. Amen.	Là où sont la charité et l'amour, Dieu est présent. L'amour du Christ nous a rassemblés et nous sommes un. Exultons et réjouissons-nous en lui. Craignons et aimons le Dieu vivant et aimons-nous les un aux autres d'un coeur sincère. Là où sont la charité et l'amour, Dieu est présent. Ne formons donc tous qu'un seul corps : Ne soyons pas divisés de cœur, prenons garde. Cessent les querelles méchantes, cessent les disputes. Et que le Christ soit au milieu de nous. Là où sont la charité et l'amour, Dieu est présent. Qu'avec les bienheureux, nous voyions Votre glorieux visage, ô Christ Dieu, Joie immense et divine; Pendant la durée infinie des siècles. Ainsi soit-il.	Wo Liebe und Güte sind, da ist Gott. Die Liebe Christi hat uns als eins versammelt. Lasst uns freuen und fröhlich in ihm sein. Lasst uns fürchten und lieben den lebendigen Gott. Lasst uns einander aufrichtig von Herzen lieben. Wo Liebe und Güte sind, da ist Gott. Da wir also zugleich zu einem versammelt sind: Nehmen wir uns in acht, dass wir nicht im Geiste getrennt werden. Üble Zänkereien mögen aufhören, die Streitigkeiten (mögen) nachlassen. Und in der Mitte von uns sei (der) Gott Christus. Wo Güte und Liebe sind, da ist Gott. Dass auch wir mit den Seligen schauen dein Angesicht in Herrlichkeit, Christus Gott: Die Freude, die übergroße und gute, in nie endender Ewigkeit. Amen.

External links

• Ubi caritas lyrics
• free settings at CPDL
  Choral Public Domain Library
  The Choral Public Domain Library is a sheet music archive which focuses on choral and vocal music in the public domain or otherwise freely available for printing and performing .-Description:...