"Once in Royal David's city..."
As the pure, crystalline voice of one boy soprano rings out from King's College in Cambridge, England singing the traditional opening carol of The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, for millions listening live on the radio worldwide, Christmas has truly begun.
The Festival grew out of a need to bind up the wounds of World War I and has continued every year from 1918 unstopped by war, unrest or even a plandemic. They say that during World War II, listeners to the Festival could hear the tar paper flapping in the wind as the ancient stained glass of the Chapel had been removed for safety during the Blitz.
This year is no different. The Festival continues sans live audience while its Nine Lessons ring as true this year as they have for the past 102 years.
The Festival begins with these beautiful words:
Beloved in Christ, be it this Christmas Eve our care and delight to prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the angels; in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, and the Babe lying in a manger. Let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first days of our disobedience unto the glorious Redemption brought us by this Holy Child; ... But first let us pray for the needs of his whole world; for peace and health over all the earth; for unity and goodwill within the Church he came to build... |
And because this of all things would rejoice his heart, let us at this time remember in his name the poor and the helpless, the cold and the hungry, the abused, the exploited and the oppressed; the sick in body and in mind and them that mourn; the isolated, the lonely and the unloved; the elderly and the little children; all who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not, or who by sin have grieved his heart of love. Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore and in a greater light, that multitude which no man can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in this Lord Jesus, we for evermore are one. These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of heaven, in the words which Christ himself hath taught us: Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The Almighty God bless us with his grace: Christ give us the joys of everlasting life: and unto the fellowship of the citizens above may the King of Angels bring us all. Amen. |
Christmas Eve: It has a checkered history, sometimes a day of Peace, sometimes a day of war. On Christmas Eve 1776 the Continental Army was deeply discouraged, having recently lost New York and experienced defeat after defeat at the hands of the British Army.
It must've been a horrible Christmas. The men were demoralized and far from home. Many of their commissions were about to expire while others simply deserted. They suffered from illness, malnutrition and bone-chilling cold. Under the cover of darkness on Christmas Night 1776, General Washington and the Continental Army silently slipped across the Delaware River. Everything was against them. Snow. Sleet. Ice on the river. The darkness so intense, the boatmen and ferrymen couldn't see the opposite shore of the river as they tried to navigate their cargo of soldiers and artillery to the New Jersey shore. Somehow, they managed the crossing but not the intended meet-up on the opposite shore. |
Nonetheless, while England's hired mercenary army, the Hessians, were still hungover from hoisting a few too many around the Tannenbaum, the Continental Army finally scored a morale boosting victory on December 26th. They took 1,000 German prisoners and valuable supplies.
Word spread like wildfire through the colonies, giving the Americans hope. It was just the morale boost the patriots needed.
But on Christmas Eve 1776, there was peace.
Unfortunately, it would not be the last time we tangled with the British. In 1812, we again took up arms against each other. There were two more bloody years of fighting ending in a peace agreement reached on Christmas Eve 1814 in Belgium (of all places!). On Christmas Eve 1814, there was peace. In 1914, in some areas of the front lines of World War I, a two hour Christmas Truce ceasefire was announced and (mostly) honored by soldiers on both sides of the War to End all Wars. WWI veterans recall crossing over No Man's Land to meet and shake hands with their German adversaries. They sang Christmas carols, commiserated together over the horrors of war, exchanged small gifts and kicked a soccer ball around with the Germans. Both sides buried their dead. |
It was a beautiful moment immortalized by the song Christmas in the Trenches sung so poignantly by John McDermott. Hours later, they exchanged gunfire again.
But on Christmas Eve/Day 1914, there was briefly peace.
May the same be true for us in 2020. Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men. As the Festival says so poignantly:
O God, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only son, Jesus Christ: grant that as we joyfully receive him for our redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him, when he shall come to be our judge; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. Christ, who by his incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, fill you with peace and goodwill, and make you partakers of the divine nature; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen. |
This post first appeared on Lenora Thompson, Writer Of Narcissism, please read the originial post: here
