Songs of the Season

The days before Christmas, every where you go, you hear Christmas carols.  No other season has so many songs–religious songs, silly songs, worship songs, celebrating songs, kid songs, songs telling stories, songs with words from almost every language.  Songs to sing and songs for dancing happy jigs.

This hasn’t always been the case.

Telesphorus, the leader of the church in Rome around 125 AD, is said to have  declared it acceptable to sing Gloria in Excelsis Deo or the Angels Hymn at Midnight mass on Christmas Eve.  

A significant span of time occurs before we add new music to Christmas.

From 125 AD until around the 1200’s, the people listened to Priests singing songs during worship, but they did not join in the sing.

Our dear Francis of Assisi, as part of his Christmas Eve telling of the story of Christ’s birth, used music to tell the story. He wrote Psalmist of Nativitate.  Francis wanted upbeat music people could sing and celebrate with.  Happy, you can dance to it music, to tell the wonderful story of Jesus birth.  He put latin words honoring Jesus birth to familiar cheerful music for people to sing where ever they went.

Psalmist of Nativitate is considered the first Christmas Carol.  Over the years more and more Christmas Carols were written and played.  Everyone can find songs they love to hear and sing.

Exercise –non journalling today

Play your christmas music and sing, just sing those beautiful songs in celebration of Jesus.  Sing preparing your heart for the joyous day which is approaching.  Honor God with your singing.  Pull out your Christmas Carols and tell the story of Him who stepped down from heaven to a manger in a small village for your sake.