A CHRISTMAS CAROL

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

By Mary A. O’Reilly

Night in the far Judean land,The pregnant air is still,The sky one blue unclouded band,Seems drooping o’er each hill.The hills then toward each other bend,Some mighty secret to portend.Gloria in excelsis Deo.The sheep in near-by pastures browse,Some bleat as if in pain;The youthful shepherds watch and drowse,Then drowse and watch again;When lo! a light from Heaven appearsWhich makes them huddle in their fears.Gloria in excelsis Deo.God’s glory shone around them there,And then an angel cried—“Fear not, for I good tidings bearTo you, and all beside.For unto you is born this dayA Savior, Christ the Lord.” We pray—Gloria in excelsis Deo.Then swinging from the skies there cameGroups of the heavenly host,Praising the Lord in sweet acclaim—The burden of their toast—“Glory to God on High,” again—His “Peace on earth, good will to men.”Gloria in excelsis Deo.Within a stable sweet with hay,And warm with breath of kine,The Baby and His Mother lay,O, mystery divine!The bed of straw a cloud appears,We hear the music of the spheres.Gloria in excelsis Deo.Dear maiden mother, let us now,While to your breast He clings,In humble adoration bowWith shepherds and with kings,And at His feet our off’ring bePraise, love, faith, hope and charity.Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Night in the far Judean land,The pregnant air is still,The sky one blue unclouded band,Seems drooping o’er each hill.The hills then toward each other bend,Some mighty secret to portend.Gloria in excelsis Deo.The sheep in near-by pastures browse,Some bleat as if in pain;The youthful shepherds watch and drowse,Then drowse and watch again;When lo! a light from Heaven appearsWhich makes them huddle in their fears.Gloria in excelsis Deo.God’s glory shone around them there,And then an angel cried—“Fear not, for I good tidings bearTo you, and all beside.For unto you is born this dayA Savior, Christ the Lord.” We pray—Gloria in excelsis Deo.Then swinging from the skies there cameGroups of the heavenly host,Praising the Lord in sweet acclaim—The burden of their toast—“Glory to God on High,” again—His “Peace on earth, good will to men.”Gloria in excelsis Deo.Within a stable sweet with hay,And warm with breath of kine,The Baby and His Mother lay,O, mystery divine!The bed of straw a cloud appears,We hear the music of the spheres.Gloria in excelsis Deo.Dear maiden mother, let us now,While to your breast He clings,In humble adoration bowWith shepherds and with kings,And at His feet our off’ring bePraise, love, faith, hope and charity.Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Night in the far Judean land,The pregnant air is still,The sky one blue unclouded band,Seems drooping o’er each hill.The hills then toward each other bend,Some mighty secret to portend.Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Night in the far Judean land,

The pregnant air is still,

The sky one blue unclouded band,

Seems drooping o’er each hill.

The hills then toward each other bend,

Some mighty secret to portend.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

The sheep in near-by pastures browse,Some bleat as if in pain;The youthful shepherds watch and drowse,Then drowse and watch again;When lo! a light from Heaven appearsWhich makes them huddle in their fears.Gloria in excelsis Deo.

The sheep in near-by pastures browse,

Some bleat as if in pain;

The youthful shepherds watch and drowse,

Then drowse and watch again;

When lo! a light from Heaven appears

Which makes them huddle in their fears.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

God’s glory shone around them there,And then an angel cried—“Fear not, for I good tidings bearTo you, and all beside.For unto you is born this dayA Savior, Christ the Lord.” We pray—Gloria in excelsis Deo.

God’s glory shone around them there,

And then an angel cried—

“Fear not, for I good tidings bear

To you, and all beside.

For unto you is born this day

A Savior, Christ the Lord.” We pray—

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Then swinging from the skies there cameGroups of the heavenly host,Praising the Lord in sweet acclaim—The burden of their toast—“Glory to God on High,” again—His “Peace on earth, good will to men.”Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Then swinging from the skies there came

Groups of the heavenly host,

Praising the Lord in sweet acclaim—

The burden of their toast—

“Glory to God on High,” again—

His “Peace on earth, good will to men.”

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Within a stable sweet with hay,And warm with breath of kine,The Baby and His Mother lay,O, mystery divine!The bed of straw a cloud appears,We hear the music of the spheres.Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Within a stable sweet with hay,

And warm with breath of kine,

The Baby and His Mother lay,

O, mystery divine!

The bed of straw a cloud appears,

We hear the music of the spheres.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Dear maiden mother, let us now,While to your breast He clings,In humble adoration bowWith shepherds and with kings,And at His feet our off’ring bePraise, love, faith, hope and charity.Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Dear maiden mother, let us now,

While to your breast He clings,

In humble adoration bow

With shepherds and with kings,

And at His feet our off’ring be

Praise, love, faith, hope and charity.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

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