The original lyrics of “Stille Nacht” were written in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, by a Priest, Father Joseph Mohr. The melody was composed by an Austrian Headmaster, Franz Xavier Gruber. It was first published and performed in 1818.
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht !
Alles schläft, einsam wacht
Nur das traute, hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in Himmlischer Ruh,
Schlaf in Himmlischer Ruh.
Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht !
Hirten erst kundgemacht,
Durch der Engel Halleluja.
Tönt es laut von fern und nah:
Christ, der Retter ist da,
Christ, der Retter ist da !
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht !
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund,
Christ, in deiner Geburt,
Christ, in deiner Geburt.
The following Text is from a German lady who left a Comment
on the YouTube rendering of “Stille Nacht”.
“I'm German, and I grew up listening to this Christmas Carol. Every time I hear this song , it transfers me way back in time. We had a Tradition in Germany, where, on Christmas Day, my Mum would be in the Living Room decorating the Christmas Tree and, also, the whole room (the Living Room door was closed to us).
“We children went into the Kitchen, dimmed the light and put candles on the table.
All ten of us kids were sitting around a BIG table and sang Christmas Carols
(all in German, of course).
“It took my Mum almost the whole afternoon. We were full of excitement,
but waited patiently. We would listen for my Mum to play this song.
That was the cue that it was time to go in.
“So, we lined up: Biggest to smallest (long line). She opened the door,
and I tell you, we just stood their in awe of how beautiful everything was.
“I think the best Christmas present we could give our Mum was when
she saw our sparkling eyes and the big smiles on our faces !
This song is, and always will be, what Christmas is all about:
Love; Giving; and, of course, The Birth of Jesus Christ.
Source: English: Cropped from [1], part of Piae cantiones ecclesiasticae et scholasticae veterum episcoporum in incluto Regno Sueciae passim usurpate, nu per studio cuiusdam Reverendis:se Ecclesia Dei et Schola Aboensi in Finlandia optime meriti accurate à mendis correctae et nunc typis commissae opera Henri Theodorici Nylandesis.
The Latin Text is a typical Mediæval Song of Praise, which follows the standard pattern for the time – a uniform series of four-line stanzas, each preceded by a two-line Refrain (in the early English Carol this was known as the Burden). Carols could be on any subject, but typically they were about The Virgin Mary, The Saints or Yuletide themes.
The complete Text of “Gaudete”, including the Refrain:
British Folk Rock Group, Steeleye Span, had a hit in 1973 (No. 14, UK Singles Chart) with an “a cappella” recording of the song. Guitarist Bob Johnson had heard the song when he attended a Folk-Carol Service in Cambridge, and brought it to the attention of the rest of The Band.
In 1975, Mike Oldfield had a Top 10 hit with “In Dulci Jubilo”, but this Latin song was performed as an instrumental. “Oh. What a Circus”, from the 1976 musical “Evita”, and a hit Single performed by David Essex, includes a Choral Chant in Latin, based on the Catholic Marian Anthem “Salve Regina”.
The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.
"O Holy Night" ("Cantique de Noël") is a well-known Christmas Carol, composed by Adolphe Adam, in 1847, to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians), by a wine merchant and poet, Placide Cappeau (1808–1877).
In Roquemaure, France, at the end of 1843, the Church Organ was renovated. To celebrate the event, the Parish Priest asked Cappeau, a native of Roquemaure, to write a Christmas poem. Cappeau did it, although being a professed Anti-Cleric and Atheist.
Soon after, Adam wrote the music. The Carol was premiered in Roquemaure, in 1847, by the Opera Singer Emily Laurey.
Unitarian Minister John Sullivan Dwight, Editor of "Dwight's Journal of Music", created a singing edition, based on Cappeau's French Text, in 1855. In both the French original, and in the two familiar English versions of the Carol, the Text reflects on The Birth of Jesus and of Humanity's Redemption.
The Word, begotten from all Eternity by The Father, has raised, into personal union with Himself, The Blessed Fruit of The Virginal Womb of Mary; in other words, the human and Divine natures are joined in Our Lord in the unity of a single Person - The Second Person of The Blessed Trinity.
Further, since when we speak of a son we mean a person, Jesus must be called The Son of God, because, as The Son of God, He is a Divine Person. From this it follows, that Our Lady is called The Mother of God; not that she has begotten The Word, but because from her is derived the humanity that The Word has united to Himself in The Mystery of The Incarnation.
Of this Mystery, the first manifestation to the World was The Birth of Our Lord at Bethlehem [Editor: In Hebrew, Bethlehem means "House of Bread"]. Whence, we see the reason why, every year at Christmas, The Church says "Puer natus est nobis et Filius datus est nobis". "Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given." [Introit, Alleluia.]
It is The Son of God, God begotten of The Father in the one day of Eternity (Ego hodie genui te), Who is now begotten of The Father as Man in the day of The Incarnation; Ego hodie genui te. "By the taking of the Manhood into God," says Saint Athanasius, The Son of Mary is born to The Divine Life. As it was at Midnight that Our Lady brought her first-born Son into the World and laid Him in a Cradle, so Mass is Celebrated at Midnight in Saint Mary Major, Rome, where the Relics of The Crib are kept.
"With great Devotion," says Saint Leo, "has The Incarnate Word given Himself to win for us the fight against Satan, for not in His Divine Majesty, but in the weakness of our flesh, He waged war against this cruel enemy." [Fifth Lesson.] The Victory which He has gained, in spite of His weakness, shows Him to be God.
It is "God of God, Light of Light," (Credo) Who disperses the darkness of sin. "Christ is The True Light Who comes to enlighten the World, plunged in darkness" (Collect). "By The Mystery of The Word made Flesh," says the Preface, "the light of Thy Glory hath shone anew upon the eyes of our mind; so that, while we acknowledge Him as God seen by men, we may be drawn by Him to the love of things unseen."
"The Grace of God Our Saviour hath appeared to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires . . . that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and might cleanse to Himself a people acceptable, and zealous in good works" (Epistle).
He is made like unto us that we may become like unto Him (Secret), and by His example may be enabled to live a holy life (Postcommunion). Thus, shall we "live soberly, justly, and godly in this World, looking for the Blessed hope and coming of the Glory of The Great God and Our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Epistle).
As we saw in Advent, The First Coming of Our Lord prepares us for the Second Coming.
Mass: Dóminus dixit ad me. Credo: Is Said or Sung. Preface: For Christmas. (This is Said each day until The Epiphany, except on The Octave of Saint John.)
The Tradition of a Midnight Vigil on the Eve of Christmas began in The East, and was observed in the Late-4th-Century A.D. in Jerusalem. The Tradition reached The West in 430 A.D. under Pope Sixtus III in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.[1]
By the 12th-Century, the practice of Midnight Mass had become more widespread, as all Priests had been granted the faculty of Celebrating three Masses on Christmas Day (previously reserved to the Pope), provided the three different Propers were Celebrated at their appropriate times of Midnight, Dawn and Day.[1]
On Sunday, many newspapers announced that the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, had solemnly proclaimed that he had been compelled to cancel Christmas.
I found this amusing and wondered if he had sent a negotiating team by time travel to the reign of Caesar Augustus, tasked by Her Majesty’s Government to persuade the High Priest, to petition God the Father to delay the incarnation for the time being. An anonymous spokesman from 10 Downing Street would then brief the media that although saving the human race was important, it was necessary first of all to save the NHS.
Of course the Prime Minister didn’t really mean that and we may have sympathy for him in making difficult decisions. We should pray for him and for all those who hold civil power.
Unfortunately, however Christmas for many is far removed from the celebration of the incarnation of the second person of the Blessed Trinity. It may seem that Christmas has indeed been cancelled for anyone who has been preparing the way for the turkey without thinking about preparing the way for the Lord.
And yet the feast of Our Saviour’s birth is still a part of the culture. We may give thanks for that, and hope that for some at least, the sad mitigation of the human good of families gathering together, may be softened by having a sense, even if dimmed by secular concerns, that something much greater is left intact.
In today’s Magnificat antiphon at Vespers, we pray:
O Emmánuel, Rex et légifer noster, exspectátio géntium, et Salvátor eárum: veni ad salvándum nos, Dómine, Deus noster.
O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, expectation of the peoples, and their Saviour: come to save us, O Lord our God !
At our Christmas Masses, we will rejoice that the One who was longed for over centuries of preparation by priest and prophet, has indeed come to save us. The beautiful liturgy of Holy Mother Church allows us to bask in this great truth through the office of the feast and its Octave, the great celebration of the Word made flesh being shown to the Jews and the Gentiles, all the way through to His Baptism and the beginning of His public life with miracles that had never been seen before, teaching that had never been heard before, and the inauguration of the Kingdom that will have no end.
May the infant Christ bless us, and His Holy Mother help us to take these mysteries to our heart once again with greater fervour and deeper love in return to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost who have loved us first and loved us with such great benevolence.
“At length,” says Saint Peter Damian, in his Sermon for this Holy Eve, “at length we have come from the stormy sea into the tranquil port;
hitherto, it was the promise, now, it is the prize;
hitherto, labour, now rest;
hitherto, despair, now hope;
hitherto, the way, now our home.
“The heralds of The Divine Promise came to us; but they gave us nothing but rich promises. Hence, our Psalmist himself grew wearied and slept, and, with a seemingly reproachful tone, thus sings his lamentation to God: “But, Thou hast rejected and despised us; Thou hast deferred the coming of Thy Christ.” [Psalm LXXXVIII].
At another time, he assumes a tone of command and thus Prays: “O, Thou, that sittest upon the Cherubim, show Thyself !” [Ibid. LXXIX].
Seated on Thy High Throne, with myriads of adoring Angels around Thee, look down upon the children of men, who are victims of that sin, which was committed indeed by Adam, but permitted by Thy Justice. Remember what my substance is; [Ibid. LXXXVIII].
Thou didst make it to the likeness of Thine own; for though every living man is vanity, yet inasmuch as he is made to Thy image, he is not a passing vanity [Ibid. XXXVIII].
Bend Thy Heavens and come down, and turn the eyes of Thy Mercy upon us, Thy miserable supplicants, and forget us not unto the end !
“Isaias”, also, in the vehemence of his desire, thus spoke: “For Sion's sake, I will not hold my peace, and, for the sake of Jerusalem, I will not rest, till her Just One come forth as Brightness. Oh !, that Thou wouldst rend The Heavens, and wouldst come down !”.
So, too, all the Prophets, tired of the long delay of the coming, have Prayed to Thee, now with supplication, now with lamentation, and now with cries of impatience. We have listened to these their Prayers; we have made us of them as our own, and, now, nothing can give us joy or gladness, till Our Saviour come to us, and, kissing us with the kiss of His lips, say to us: “I have heard and granted your Prayers.”
“But, what is this that has been said to us: “Sanctify yourselves, O, ye children of Israel, and be ready; for, on the morrow, The Lord will come down” ? We are, then, but one half day and night from the grand visit, the admirable birth of The Infant God !
Hurry on your course, ye fleeting hours, that we may the sooner see The Son of God in His crib, and pay our homage to this world-saving birth. You, brethren, are the children of Israel, that are sanctified and cleansed from every defilement of Soul and body, ready, by your earnest Devotion, for tomorrow's Mysteries.
Such, indeed, your are, if I may judge from the manner in which you have spent these Sacred Days of Preparation for The Coming of your Saviour.
“Bur, if, notwithstanding all your care, some drops of the stream of this life's frailties are still on your hearts, wipe them away and cover them with the Snow-White Robe of Confession. This, I can promise you from the Mercy of The Divine Infant; He that shall confess his sins and be sorry for them, shall have born within him The Light of The World; the darkness that deceived him shall be dispelled; and he shall enjoy the Brightness of The True Light.
For, how can Mercy be denied to the miserable this night, in which the merciful and compassionate Lord is so mercifully born ? Therefore, drive away from you all haughty looks and idle words, and unjust works; let your loins be girt, and your feet walk in the right paths; and then come, and accuse The Lord, if this night He rend not The Heavens, and come down to you, and throw all your sins into the depths of the sea.”
This Holy Eve is, indeed, a Day of Grace and Hope, and we ought to spend it in Spiritual Joy. The Church, contrary to her general practice, prescribes that, if Christmas Eve fall on a Sunday, the Fasting alone shall be Anticipated on The Saturday; but that The Office and Mass of The Vigil should take precedence of The Office and Mass of The Fourth Sunday of Advent.
How Solemn, then, in the eyes of The Church, are these few hours, which separate us from The Great Feast ! On all other Feasts, no matter how great they may be, the Solemnity begins with First Vespers, and, until then, The Church restrains her joy, and Celebrates The Divine Office and Sacrifice according to The Lenten Rite.
Christmas, on the contrary, seems to begin with The Vigil; and one would suppose that this morning's Lauds were the opening of The Feast; for the Solemn Intonation of this portion of The Office is that of a Double, and the Antiphons are sung before and after each Psalm or Canticle.
The Purple Vestments are used at The Mass, but all The Genuflections peculiar to The Advent Ferias are omitted; and only one Collect is said, instead of the three usually said when The Mass is not that of a Solemnity.
Let us enter into the spirit of The Church, and prepare ourselves, in all the joy of our hearts, to meet The Saviour Who is coming to us. Let us observe with strictness the Fast which is prescribed; it will enable our bodies to aid the promptness of our spirit. Let us delight in the thought that, before we again lie down to rest, we shall have seen Him born, in the Solemn Midnight, Who comes to give Light to every creature. For, surely, it is the duty of every Faithful child of The Catholic Church to celebrate with her this Happy Night, when, in spite of all the coldness of Devotion, the whole Universe keeps up its Watch for the arrival of its Saviour.
It is one of the last vestiges of the piety of ancient days, and God forbid it should ever be effaced !
Let us, in a spirit of Prayer, look at the principal portions of The Office of this beautiful Vigil. First, then, The Church makes a mysterious announcement to her children. It serves as the Invitatory of Matins, and as the Introit and Gradual of The Mass.
They are the words which Moses addressed to the people of God when he told them of The Heavenly Manna, which they would receive on the morrow.
We. too, are expecting our Manna, our Jesus, The Bread of Life, Who is to be born in Bethlehem, which name means “The House of Bread”.
![[1]](http://s1.doria.fi/helmi/bk/rv/fem19990004/35.jpg){kind=link}
