The 26th of Advent

Silent Night (arr. Mark Hayes)

Silent Night (Stille Nacht), an Austrian carol, was first written for guitar and sung in a Salzburg church Christmas Eve service in 1818. It paints the picture of the sovereign, Holy Spirit-empowered miraculous birth of Jesus to a virgin and tells of the shepherds and the star and the Angel Gabriel speaking to them with the host of angels coming to sing Alleluia on that holy night. It tells of glories streaming from afar as the herald angels sing “Gloria in excelcis Deo!” to glorify God. And the poetry tells of the most shining love that God has for humanity that He would send His only Son – a perfect, righteous, holy One – to take a lowly place on earth , suffer and experience pain and death, all in order to bring salvation to us because He loves us that much. And so the poetry of “Love’s pure light” beaming from Christ’s face that night in a cattle stall is fitting. And so we are brought to sing “Alleluia” with the angels to our King in the last stanza. This carol has the distinction of being a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins. – Matthew 1:18-25

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 Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour 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 Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born!

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