Christmas Music

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I’m listening to Christmas music on Pandora today.  Just seems like a good thing to do on a quiet slow Christmas day.  Our festivities were last night.  We had a wonderful time.  The day ended with making potato candy with my youngest daughter.  She is off with friends today and wanted a treat to take with her.  It was fun.


Christmas music really sets a mood, doesn’t it.  I love Silver Bells because it reminds me of Christmas in New York City.  I sure hope I get to see the tree at Rockerfeller Center at least one more time.  I used to love to go see it with my dad.  I’ve even been there when it was lit.  What joy, what excitement!  After that, a trip across the street to the magnificent St. Patrick’s Cathedral to see the crèche, followed by some steaming hot chocolate made the day complete. 



Our first Christmas in Tennessee I was so homesick for New York and the East coast one of our daughters gave me some silver bells.  They still hang on our back door.  She told me when you see these bells think of Christmas in New York-I do.  However, now I miss her when I look at them. 

But Silver Bells is not my favorite Christmas song.  When I’m asked, as one is this time of the year, what is your favorite Christmas Carol, I hesitate.  My favorite is one that almost no one knows.  I usually answer that my favorite “popular” Christmas Carol is Joy to the World.  My favorite verse is the last one:

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

I love the harmony of this Carol.  It just gives me the Joy that it declares. 

So what is my favorite?  One of my best Christmas presents was a record player.  I guess then it was like getting an mp3 player.  I also got some 45’s to play on it.  On one of these 45’s was an obscure ancient Carol, Good King Wenceslaus.   

The tune is wonderful and can be done fast or slow.  I like it both ways.  The tune is even more ancient that the song dating back to the 13th Century.  But the words – the words tell a wonderful story.  The Saint, King Wenceslaus went out in the snow of December 26 (the feast of St. Stephen).  He saw a poor man gathering sticks in the snow.  Moved to compassion the king orders his servant to help him feed this poor man.  He wants to “dine” with the man.  The servant grows tired in the cold.  He is told by the saint to step in the saints footsteps.  The warmth of the footsteps revives the servant and we are told that we are to bless the poor.

I am pondering this message today.  I am thinking about the homeless and those alone.  I am thinking about the poor with children who wanted to give their children so much more this Christmas.  I am thinking about God sending the greatest gift to earth, His son. 



Following in the footsteps of Jesus means we go to the poor, it means we go to the outcast, the foreigner, the stranger.  Who can you still bless this Christmas and throughout the year?

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