Christmas Eve Blessings

Once in royal David's city stood

 a lowly cattle shed, 

where a mother laid her baby in a manger 

for his bed;

Mary was that mother mild;

 Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven, 

who is God and Lord of all, 

and his shelter was a stable, 

and his cradle was a stall; 

with the poor, the scorned,

the lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy.

We, like Mary, rest confounded

 that a stable should display heaven's Word, 

the world's creator, cradled there on 

Christmas Day,

yet this child, our Lord and brother,

brought us love for one another.

For he is our life long pattern;

daily, when on earth he grew,

he was tempted, scorned, rejected,

 tears and smiles like us he knew.

Thus he feels for all our sadness, 

and he shares in all our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see him,

through his own redeeming love;

for that child who seemed so helpless

 is our Lord in heaven above;

and he leads his children on

to the place where he has gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable, 

with the oxen standing round, we shall see him;

in heaven, where his saints his throne surround;

Christ, revealed to faithful eye,

set at God's right hand on high.

Song--- Once in Royal Davids's City written by
Cecil Frances Alexander in 1848.
Set to music in 1849 by Henry John Gauntlett.

A Blessed Christmas to all of you!!

  with Love