On the third day of this Christmas,
How our faith is feeling worn!
The Nativity is past us;
Our attention is now torn.
What we saw and felt and wondered
Threatens now to fade away;
Help our faith, O God our Maker,
As we mark another day.
On the third day of this Christmas,
How our hope is wearing thin!
Moving toward a looming new year,
There is not much left within.
What we face ahead is daunting;
Can we possibly endure?
Lift our hope, O Holy Spirit,
And our confidence assure.
On the third day of this Christmas,
How our love is fraying fast!
Stress and strain drive us to wonder
If our good can ever last.
In a world demanding of us
What we don't know how to give,
Keep our love, O Christ our Savior,
Shining forth in how we live.
TEXT: Charles Spence Freeman, December 2022.
MUSIC: Tune NETTLETON, Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second, 1813.
It is not my intention to come up with some kind of "Twelve Hymns of Christmas" marathon, but this particular sequence of days is, so far, provoking reflections that end up attaching themselves to tunes. Make of it what you will.
No comments:
Post a Comment