Reflecting the suddenness of those angels in Luke’s gospel—“Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God”—Christmas is upon us! Our days of preparation have evaporated onto this gracious celebration of the Nativity, Christ Jesus, our Light, born into our lives and that of the world. Merry Christmas to our parishioners, family and relatives who have returned, visitors, and those passing through. We are blessed with the beauty of the church interior reflecting the grace of Christmas, the Holy Family, and Epiphany. Alongside the symbols and lights reflecting the beauty of this holy season is the music. We will hear Joy To The World, Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, O Little Town of Bethlehem, The First Noel, and the triumphant song—Angels We Have Heard On High—reflecting the suddenness of the multitude of host praising God in the sky. We cherish the music of this holy season, and many of the traditional Christmas hymns originate from Europe. Through in the songs of the season such as White Christmas and we have a multitude of various lyrics bringing us to this point. Ever so often I stumble across an unfamiliar song of the season, though probably will never be sung in church, such music deserves its place with the other great or simple pieces. One such song I discovered on James Taylor Christmas CD entitled: “Some Children See Him.” A song reflecting the birth of Jesus, Christmas, unique to each culture and area. However, the real meaning lies in the story behind the song. Back in the early 1900’s Burt Bates, a pastor in Michigan, composed the lyrics and music to an original Christmas song that was sent out as a Christmas card to family and friends alike. Upon his death in 1948 his son Alfred, an accomplished musician, took up the tradition of the annual “Burt Carols” with the help of a family friend, Wihla Hutson, herself an accomplished musician and music director for her church. With a suggestion from Alfred’s wife Anne, Wihla pondered the gift of Christmas shared by all children worldwide: “Wihla noted how Alfred’s wife saw Jesus as a little child would see him... Wihla’s mind was crowded with thoughts of children. She realized that if she were a child in Africa, she would see the world much differently...an African child would see Jesus as a black man. Then she realized a Chinese child would see the Son of God with almond eyes, while an Indian child would see Jesus with dark hair and brown skin. As she never had before, Wihla grasped the concept of God’s being a universal spirit.” And thus, the beautiful song was created, reflecting the gift of the Christ child no less than the familiar hymns we recognize.
Some children see Him lily white, the baby Jesus born this night. Some children see Him lily white, With tresses soft and fair. Some children see Him bronzed and brown, The Lord of heav'n to earth come down. Some children see Him bronzed and brown, With dark and heavy hair. Some children see Him almond-eyed, This Savior whom we kneel beside. Some children see Him almond-eyed, With skin of yellow hue. Some children see Him dark as the, Sweet Mary's Son to whom we pray. Some children see him dark as they, And, ah! they love Him, too!
The children in each different place
Will see the baby Jesus' face
Like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace,
And filled with holy light.
O lay aside each earthly thing
And with thy heart as offering,
Come worship now the infant King.
'Tis love that's born tonight!
If not for children, their anticipation approaching Christmas, their innocence looking into a Nativity scene, and their will to believe, we could not possibly grasp the real wonder and awe of this holy season, and the childlike wonder of it all, as C.S Lewis points out: “When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”
I want to express my gratitude for the musicians, those who cantered and sang in the choir, the readers, altar servers, ushers and greeters, the Eucharistic Ministers (and those who took Communion to the Homebound and care centers), our Deacons and Sacristans—and those who decorated our church environment and keeps it clean & welcoming. Our staff and volunteers who prepare us for this Season. Your faith and ministries and presence provided dignity to our Christmas liturgies. Thank you. And to our parishioners and visitors alike, thank you for sharing your presence and faith within the Eucharist we share. Christmas is a joyous time, yet for some it is a somber time. May we share our blessings and struggles together, seeking the hope and Light of our faith in the Eucharist, and through our presence.
As we come to the end of this calendar year, thank you for sharing your blessings and support, so crucial to our mission as Church, and Catholic presence within Boone County and beyond. For your talents and time shared—thank you!
On behalf of Fr. Ross and myself, thank you for your thoughtfulness, your cards, gifts, homemade treats and acts of kindness as we approached Christmas. We are blessed to serve you and share within the community of our Catholic Churches in Boone County.
Blessings to you and your family this Christmas Season, Fr. Tim
FYI: “Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.” (Miracle On 34th Street)“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When
he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” (What A Wonderful Life)
“God bless us, every one! (Tiny Tim)