“A great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men, on whom His favor rests.’” Luke 2:13-14

Angels we have heard on high

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

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Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

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See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.

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An al ter nate trans la tion, by George Rat cliffe Wood ward (1848-1934):

Shepherds in the field abiding,
Tell us when the seraph bright
Greeted you with wondrous tiding,
What you saw and heard that night.

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We beheld—it is no fable—
God incarnate, King of bliss,
Swathed and cradled in a stable,
And the angel strain was this:

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Choristers on high were singing
Jesus and His virgin birth,
Heavenly bells the while a-ringing
“Peace, good will to men on earth.”

Refrain

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2 Corinthians 4:6 – “For God, who said,(Q) “Let light shine out of darkness,”(R) has shone in our hearts to give(S) the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Silent Night

Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light;
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

Silent night, holy night
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

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Go! Tell it on the Mountain

Been offline for a few days while vacationing in Orlando.

Enjoy the enthusiastic sounds of Christmas with our daughter, Hannah.

Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.

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The shepherds feared and trembled,
When lo! above the earth,
Rang out the angels chorus
That hailed the Savior’s birth.

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Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessèd Christmas morn.

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“I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me.” Malachi 3:1

The great forerunner of the morn,

lyrics by the Venerable Bede (673-735) (Praecursor altus luminis); translated from Latin

The great forerunner of the morn,
The herald of the Word, is born:
And faithful hearts shall never fail
With thanks and praise his light to hail.

With heavenly message Gabriel came,
That John should be that herald’s name,
And with prophetic utterance told
His actions great and manifold.

John, still unborn, yet gave aright
His witness to the coming Light;
And Christ, the Sun of all the earth,
Fulfilled that witness at His birth.

Of woman born shall never be
A greater prophet than was he,
Whose mighty deeds exalt his fame
To greater than a prophet’s name.

But why should mortal accents raise
The hymn of John the Baptist’s praise?
Of whom, or e’er his course was run,
Thus spake the Father to the Son?

“Behold, My herald, who shall go
Before Thy face Thy way to show,
And shine, as with the day-star’s gleam,
Before Thine own eternal beam.”

All praise to God the Father be,
All praise, eternal Son, to Thee,
Whom with the Spirit we adore
Forever and forevermore.

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“There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” Luke 2:8-9

Albrecht Durer – Nativity

The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay tending their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

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Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

They lookèd up and saw a star
Shining in the east, beyond them far;
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.

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And by the light of that same star
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek for a King was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.

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This star drew nigh to the northwest,
Over Bethlehem it took its rest;
And there it did both stop and stay,
Right over the place where Jesus lay.

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Then did they know assuredly
Within that house the King did lie;
One entered it them for to see,
And found the Babe in poverty.

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Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Full reverently upon the knee,
And offered there, in His presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.

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Between an ox stall and an ass,
This Child truly there He was;
For want of clothing they did Him lay
All in a manger, among the hay.

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Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord;
That hath made Heaven and earth of naught,
And with His blood mankind hath bought.

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If we in our time shall do well,
We shall be free from death and hell;
For God hath prepared for us all
A resting place in general.

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“Christ Jesus…made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” Philippians 2:6-7

The advent of our God

The advent of our God
Our prayers must now employ,
And we must meet Him on His road
With hymns of holy joy.

The everlasting Son
Incarnate deigns to be;
Himself a servant’s form puts on
To set His people free.

Daughter of Zion, rise
To meet thy lowly King,
Nor let thy faithless heart despise
The peace He comes to bring.

As Judge, on clouds of light,
He soon will come again,
And all His scattered saints unite
With Him in Heaven to reign.

Before the dawning day
Let sin’s dark deeds be gone;
The old man all be put away,
The new man all put on.

All glory to the Son
Who comes to set us free,
With Father, Spirit, ever One,
Through all eternity.

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Gerard van Honthorst (1590-1656)

Away in a Manger

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there.

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“Joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

The Blasts of Chill December

The blasts of chill December sound
The farewell of the year,
And night’s swift shadows gathering round
O’ercloud the soul with fear;
But rest you well, good Christian men,
Nor be of heart forlorn;
December’s darkness brings again
The Light of Christmas morn.

The welcome snow at Christmastide
Falls shining from the skies:
On village paths and uplands wide
All holy-white it lies;
It crowns with pearl the oaks and pines,
And glitters on the thorn;
But purer is the Light that shines
On gladsome Christmas morn.

At Christmastide the gracious moon
Keeps vigil while we sleep,
And sheds abroad her light’s sweet boon,
On vale and mountain-steep;
O’er all the slumbering land descends
Her radiancy unshorn;
But brighter is the Light, good friends,
That shines on Christmas morn.

’Twas when the world was waxing old,
And night on Bethlehem lay,
The shepherds saw the heavens unfold
A light beyond the day;
Such glory ne’er had visited
A world with sin outworn;
But yet more glorious Light is shed
On happy Christmas morn.

Those shepherds poor, how blest were they
The angels’ song to hear!
In manger cradle as He lay,
To greet their Lord so dear!
The Lord of Heaven’s eternal height
For us a Child was born;
And He, the very Light of light,
Shone forth that Christmas morn!

Before His infant smile afar,
Were driven the hosts of hell;
And still in souls that childlike are
His guardian love shall dwell:
O then rejoice, good Christian men,
Nor be of heart forlorn;
December’s darkness brings again
The Light of Christmas morn.

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