O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shinned the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary, And gathered all above

While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King, And peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently, The wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming, But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in. Amen.

Where children pure and happy, pray to the blessed Child

Where misery cries out to thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.

O holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel! Amen.

O COME O COME EMMANUEL

O come, O come Emmanuel, And ransom captive
Israel, that mourns in lonely exile
Here until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Rod of Jesus, free Thine own from Satan’s

Tyranny; From depths of hell Thy people
Save, And give them victory over the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Day Spring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine
Advent here; Disperse the gloomy clouds of
Nights, and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou key of David, come, And open wide our

Heavenly home; Make safe the way that leads on
High, and close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes, on

Sinai’s height, In ancient times didst give the
Law, In cloud, and majesty and awe
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
 A MESSAGE CAME TO A MAIDEN YOUNG
A message came to a maiden young; the
Angel stood beside her In shining robes, and with
Golden tongue he told what should be tide her;
The maid was lost in wonder; her world was
Rent a sunder; Ah! how could
She Christ’s mother be By God’s most high decree!

No greater news could a messenger bring; For

it was from that young mother He came, who walked on the
Earth as a king, And yet was all men’s brother;
His truth has spread like leaven; it will marry
Earth to heaven, Till all agree
In charity to dwell from sea to sea.
He came, God’s word to the world her below; And
Round him there did gather a band who found that this
Teacher to know was e’en to know the father;
He healed the sick who sought him, for gave the
Foes who fought him; Beside the
Sea of Galilee He set the nations free

And sometimes trumpets from Sion ring out, And

Tramping comes, and drumming; “Thy kingdom come,” so we
Cry, and they shout, “It comes!” and still it is coming.
Far, far ahead, to win us, Yet with us,
Nay within us; Till all shall
See That King is he, The Love from Galilee!

MARY’S SALIDUMMAY
My soul magnifies the Lord, and in God my heart exults
Salidum salidumay, insinalidummiway.
Ay ay salidummay

Favored look he cast on me, shadowed me so tenderly,

Generations then will see deep things God works silently
Ay ay salidummay.
To God fearing souls he shows, his sure mercy he bestows;
And the strength of his right arm scatters all the proud who swarm.
Ay ay salidummay.

All enthroned he will bring down, and the lowly he does crown;
Hungry ones he fills with good, but the rich he brings to rue.
Ay ay salidummay.

So the promise from of old, comes to life does not go cold;

Promise made to Abraham bears its fruit your kingdom come.
Ay ay salidummay.
“ Blessed Mary” all Saints say; your consent has paved the way.
Our salvation is now done, by the coming God the Son.
Ay ay salidummay.
 18 ON JORDAN’S BANK
On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry announces
That the Lord is nigh awake and hearken,
For he brings glad tidings of the King of kings,

Then cleansed be every breast from sin, make

Straight the way for God within, and let each heart prepare
a home where such a mighty guest may come

For thou art our salvation, Lord, our

Refuge, and our great reward, without thy grace we
Waste away like flowers that wither and decay

To hell the sick stretch out thine hand, and

Bid the fallen sinner stand, shine forth, and let thy
Light restore earth’s own true loveliness once more

All praise, eternal Son, to thee, whose

Advent doth thy people free, whom with the Father
We adore and Holy Spirit ever more.

IN THE BREAK MID WINTER FROST WIND MADE

In the bleak mid-winter, Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as Iron, Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen snow on snow, Snow. .on. . Snow,
In the bleak mid-winter, Long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold him, Nor. . . earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall welcome him when he comes to reign;
In the bleak med winter a stable place sufficed
The Lord. . God incarnate, Jesus Christ.
Angels and arch angels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the. . . air;
But his mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What . . . can I give him, poor . . . as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise . . . man, I would do my part; yet
What I can I give him, Give my heart.

52 ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH

Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing through the night
And the mountains in reply echoing their brave delight.

CHORUS: Glo . . .. . . . . . . . . . . ria, In excel sis Deo!

Glo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ria, In excel sis Deo!

Shepherds why this jubilee? why these songs of happy cheer

What the gladsome tidings be what glad tidings did you hear? Cho.
 Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee Christ the Lord the new born King. Cho.

See within a manger laid, Whom the angels praise above,

Marry Joseph; lend your aid, while we raise our hearts in love. Cho.

39 AWAY IN A MANGER

Away in a manger, no crib for his bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.
I love thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.

67 WE THREE KINGS

We three kings of orient are bearing

Gifts we traverse afar field and fountain
Moor and mountain following yonder star Cho.

CHORUS:
O----- Star of wonder, star of night,
star with royal beauty bright west ward leading
still proceeding guide us to thy perfect light!

Born a king on Bethlehem’s plain gold

I bring to crown him again king for ever
Ceasing never over us all to reign. Cho.

Frank in cense to offer have I; incense

Owns deity nigh; prayer and praising
all are raising worship him, God most high. Cho.

Myrrh is mine its bitter perfume breathes a

Life of gathering gloom sorrowing, sighing
Bleeding, dying sealed in the stone cold tomb. Cho.

Glorious now behold him arise King and

God and sacrifice heaven sings
Alleluia, Alleluia the earth replies. Cho.