Sing We All of Christmas: Silent Night

Many of you probably know how this carol came to be:  the malfunctioning organ, the text written and given to the organist to write a tune, the plan for guitar accompaniment.

Sometimes the things that are in disrepair in in our lives can breed blessing, no?

I've wondered sometimes whether it really was a silent night, but it seems that quiet or not, our pondering of that holy birth brings with it an awed and grateful silence.

For unlike many of the carols we've loomed at already, this one pauses beside the manger, an ear turned to the hills where the angels sing. 

We pause to see Jesus sleeping, tended by Mary.  We pause from a distance to see the shepherds and hear the angels.  We pause as we turn back to this Savior-Baby.  We pause to sing His praise.

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,
Darkness flies, all is light;
Shepherds hear the angels sing,
"Alleluia! Hail the King!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born."

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, loves pure light;
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

Silent night, holy night,
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.

Text by Joseph Mohr and translated from the German (in this case) by John F. Young; tune STILLE NACHT by Franz Gruber.