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Epiphany
Christmas Carols for
January 6th 2001
The
First Noel
(french
version)
The
first Noel the angels did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel!
And
by the light of that same star,
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek for a King was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel!
This star drew nigh to the northwest;
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest,
And there it did both stop and stay,
Right over the place where Jesus lay.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel!
Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Fell reverently, upon bended knee,
And offered there, in His presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel!
Joy
To The World
Joy
to the world! The Lord has come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room,
And Heav’n and nature sing, And Heav’n and nature sing, And
Heav’n, and Heav’n and nature sing.
Joy
to the world! The Saviour reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains,
Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat the
sounding joy.
He
rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glory of His Righteousness,
And wonders of His love, and wonders of His love, And wonders of His
love.
Isaac
Watts, 1674-1748
wrote Joy To The World from Psalm 98. (Ps 98:4 Make a joyful noise unto
the Lord of all earth ; make a loud noise and rejoice and sing praise....)
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The
Twelve Days of Christmas
On
__________ day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
(First
Day) A Partridge in a Pear Tree
(Second Day) Two Turtle Doves
(Third Day) Three French Hens
(Fourth Day) Four Calling Birds
(Fifth Day) Five Golden Rings
(Sixth Day) Six Geese a Laying
(Seventh Day) Seven Swans a Swimming
(Eighth Day) Eight Maids a Milking
(Ninth Day) Nine Ladies Dancing
(Tenth Day) Ten Lords a Leaping
(Eleventh Day) Eleven Pipers Piping
(Twelfth Day) 12 Drummers Drumming
The
12 days of Christmas are the days between Christmas Day, Dec. 25,
the birth of Jesus, and the Epiphany, Jan. 6, the day Christians celebrate
the arrival of the magi and the revelation of Christ as the light
of the world.
"The
Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the
"catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets
of their faith - a memory aid.
The
songs gifts are hidden meanings to the teachings of the faith. The
"true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly
suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives
the presents refers to every baptized person. The partridge in a pear
tree is Jesus, the son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically
presented as a mother partridge. The other symbols mean the following:
2
Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the theological virtues
4 Calling Birds = The Four Gospels/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament "Pentateuch",
which gives the history of man's fall from grace
6 Geese-A-Laying = the six days of creation
7 Swans-A-Swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven
sacraments
8 Maids-A-Milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords-A-Leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's
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