This hymn was composed for the Order by Ronan Johnston to celebrate its centenary in 2015.
It is very scriptural as all of the lines in the hymn are taken directly from the Scriptures. Ronan tried to include the personal spirituality of St. Columbanus, his personal devotion to Christ and his great courage.
It speaks also of the difficulty for men spiritually today and the great fear of standing against the “spirit of the age”, the culture of death and being shunned for taking a stand.
The words “we” and “I” are used in chorus and verse to represent the collective and personal elements of Church. The middle 8 takes up the motto of the Knights of St. Columbanus – Instaurare omnia in Christo – to restore all things in Christ.