Corona Devo 1758

O holy night…
O night divine…
O night when Christ was born!... 
(excerpts from “O Holy Night”, circa 1847) Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure  

~~~

Do we know what today is…tonight?

Can you feel it?  …The electricity of the day and the night that today...is.  It is special, but no…that word is not (possibly) strong enough to pay homage and justice to Christmas Eve.  (The eve of the birth of Christ.)

Palpable.  Powerful.  Laden.

These are better, but still completely lacking.  For, even people who don’t acknowledge God sense a sacrality in this night.  O holy night...when Christ was born.

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.  ~Isaiah 7:14

~~~

“The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”   (“O little town of Bethlehem, Phillips Brooks, 1868)

This phrase sums up our daily/meager/compromised human existence as it collides with our Heavenly Father’s holiness/purity/magnitude…awesomeness.   We hope for salvation from our sins, and yet we fear that our sinfulness will exempt us from it.  The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. 

We desire the Lord’s love.  We yearn for unity with our God and Savior, and tonight, tonight…He bends near.

The history of this night. 

The miracle of this night. 

The holy of this night.  

This night was foretold of in the Bible.  This night was historically documented in the Bible.  This night has been celebrated ever-since.

O holy night…

O night divine…

O night when Christ was born!...  (“O Holy Night”) 

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  

(10) And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  

(11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  ~Luke 2:9-11

~~~

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”   ~Isaiah 7:14  

~~~

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”  ~Micah 5:2

~~~

Can you feel it?  The electricity of today is palpable.  Powerful.  Laden.

O night divine…

O holy night! the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope- the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!  (“O Holy Night”, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure)

May we enter into the milieu (physical/social/emotional environment) of this day and night: the sense of something more, and the divinity of it.

O night divine…It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com


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