Expert: Fr. Michael - 7/6/2006

Question
I have a wedding coming up that I will be singing Ave Maria at.  I would really like to use some alternate lyrics that I've heard someone else do a long time ago.  I can't seem to track down the lyrics anywhere.  Please Help!
It starts out like this:
Father In Heaven
Almighty God
Within Your love abiding Your children dwell secure from harm
For Thou dost hold them safe within thine arms.

There are supposed to be 2 verses and I've looked everywhere to no success.

Thanks

Answer
That's certainly no Ave Maria!  Better to stick with the traditional version, which is available in beautiful settings by Charles Gounod over Bach's Prelude in C and by Franz Schubert, as well as others.  The text is:

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum;
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.  Amen.

There's nothing better than that.  No sense even trying.