Holy Night, Indeed
Do you have any guesses about what may have been the first song broadcast from space? The crew of Gemini 6 snuck bells and a harmonica onboard. On December 16, 1965, after reporting a “strange object” moving in the skies from north to south, they played a few lines of Jingle Bells. You can click here to hear the astronauts. (1)
And does anyone know the story behind “The Twelve Days of Christmas”? “Though a host of modern internet sites and some magazine articles have tried to reduce “The Twelve Days of Christmas” to a little more than a silly Christmas carol, most scholars of the Catholic Church deem it a very important surviving example of a time when that denomination used codes to disguise their teachings in order to avoid persecution.
“Originally a poem written by Catholic clerics, this song was transformed into a carol at a time when celebrating the twelve days of Christmas was one of the most important holiday customs.” (2)
The complete explanation of why each day’s “gift code” was chosen to represent the spiritual truth it pictures, can be found through this link, but here is what each gift represented: (3)
The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus.
Two turtle doves represent the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens represent faith, hope, and love, and also the Holy Trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The four calling birds are the four gospels.
The five golden rings represent the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch.
Each egg of the six geese a-laying is a day in creation when God “hatched” or formed the world.
Hidden in the seven swans-a-swimming are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (as the Catholics count them).
The eight maids-a-milking represent the eight Beatitudes (from Matthew 5:3-10).
Nine ladies dancing were the fruits of the Spirit.
Ten lords-a-leaping were code for the Ten Commandments.
The eleven pipers piping signify the eleven faithful disciples.
The twelve drummers drumming are the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed.
I’m not sure this can be proven, but it’s so good I’m just gonna go with it!
O Holy Night
And then there is my all-time favorite Christmas song, “O Holy Night.” Can there be more poignant words than these?
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” (4)
And the moving third stanza, with the stirring words of love and freedom, reaches deep into the human soul:
“Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love, and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother;
And in His name, all oppression shall cease.” (5)
Here are the words of this wonderful song in their entirety, followed by a link to “The Nativity Story” with Josh Groban’s classic version of “O Holy Night.” Do yourself a favor: find a time when you can stop everything you’re doing, and both watch and listen to this five-minute video. It is NOT just him singing. You will be glad you did.
Merry Christmas.
O Holy Night
“O holy night! the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle, we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the Wise Men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend.
He knows our need— to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!
Truly, He taught us to love one another;
His law is love, and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name, all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we;
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!” (6)
Click on the link below to watch the full video.
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