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Written by Sally Bair
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Wednesday, 16 December 2009 |
When two humble church leaders wrote the famed hymn, “Silent Night! Holy Night!” little did they know it would travel beyond their mountain village in the Alps.
Joseph Mohr, assistant priest in the Church of St. Nicholas in the region of Tyrol, often talked with Franz Gruber, the village schoolmaster and church organist, about the fact that the perfect Christmas hymn had never been written. One Christmas in the mid-1800s, Mohr had this in mind — to write the perfect hymn. When he learned that the church organ wasn’t working, he realized this would be the opportunity to compose his “perfect hymn” for the little congregation. Gruber, upon reading Mohr’s words, was ecstatic. “Friend Mohr, you have found it — the right song — God be praised!”
Gruber composed the appropriate tune just in time for the Christmas Eve mass, at which they sang the new hymn to the accompaniment of Gruber’s guitar. The hymn stirred the hearts of the parishioners as it has for succeeding generations.
There is some disagreement about details of the hymn’s origin. However, it did reach outside the village church because apparently the organ repairman saw a copy of it and took it upon himself to spread it all around the region of Tyrol. Today it’s sung in all major languages and is a favorite wherever Christmas songs are enjoyed.
“Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright round yon virgin mother and child, holy infant, so tender and mild — sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
“Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight; glories stream from heaven afar; heav’nly hosts sing alleluia — Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born.
“Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light; radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace — Jesus, Lord at thy birth, Jesus, Lord at thy birth.”
Luke 2:11: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord.”
Lord, we ask that even as the words of this beautiful Christmas hymn will stir our hearts to love and worship You, Your Holy Word would stir us in a greater way — giving us the desire and need to worship and serve You regardless of the season. In Jesus’ name, amen.
www.sallybair.com
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