What Child is This?

What Child is this Whose limbs so small
Are resting on the hay?
What gentle kiss on His mean shawl
Does Mother Mary lay?
Whence comes this star so big and bright
By golden rays encased?
In field not far, at dead of night,
It bid the shepherds haste.

What shepherds these who are so called
To witness Jesus' birth?
They bend their knees in prayer enthralled,
Before the King of Earth.

A marvel great they all did see
On that first Christmas night.
In lowly state, from Jesse's tree,
No pomp for Him, no might,
Is Jesus born all hidden still,
From those who know Him not.
His wraps are torn, by His own will
From rags with soil and spot.

Some short days hence from lands far East
Three wise-men will appear.
In gilded tents, they rest and feast.
But Lo! They now draw near.

They do not know that their rich gifts
Foretell this Child's fate.
Amid the snow His joy uplifts,
But mockery and hate
Await the Child  Whose limbs so slight
Still shiver in the cold.
What babe so mild, lies here in sight
Of Kings and cattle bold?

O Little Town of Bethlehem

O little town of Bethlehem,
With busy streets and small,
How came you not to give a hall
To those who safeguard such a gem
As Christ the Son of God?

Your dwellers all did not take heed,
That Mary and her Son had need
Of rest and warmth; they turn away
The One who made their night and day,
And is made man to pay their debt
And by His death, their bliss abet.

O little town of Bethlem,
The night has fallen fast.
The people to their beds at last,
Turn head and hand; no sight for them
As for the shepherds poor.

The angels in the sky will sing,
The wisemen three their gifts will bring,
The Virgin Queen her Son will bear-
But You! O Town! You will not share
The joy all Heaven rings forth this night
That shines in Jesus' star so bright! 

Awake, O Town! You are the one
In which, this night, God placed His Son,
To now begin His earthly life,
To save your people, end the strife.
And True! His birth all hell confounds,
While glorious praise in Heaven resounds.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

God rest ye merry gentlemen,
Your Savior has come down.
Inside a lowly asses pen,
With warm, white sheep, and cattle brown,
He slumbers hid from sinful sight,
While straight above His star shines bright,
Which angels there have flown.

You know the tale of Christmas night,
A tale most true and real.
You see the shepherds faint with fright,
As angels in the sky reveal
The birthing place of our Dear Lord.
With haste they gather wool and gourd
To offer in their zeal.

The star has made a journey long,
It guided wise-men three.
They come with pomp, camel, and song
In search of one they know to be
The rightful King; they find Him there,
Gold, frankincense and myrrh lay bare,
Adore on bended knee.

The angels sing, while silent night
On all the land around
Is softened by the dainty sight
Of snow that covers all the ground;
Then slowly, slowly comes the moon
Brightens the night, until quite soon
A brand new day is found.

Let us in laud our songs employ,
On this year's Christmas feast-
Our prayers unite in hope and joy,
Adore with shepherd, king and beast,
The child who gave himself for man,
The price of God's eternal plan,
Whose love has never ceased.
                   
                   Sophie Saurette

Always a New Beginning

         Today has been super windy so far, with lots of gray clouds on one side of the building and crazy sunshine on the other. I am stumped on my math homework, so I wrote the questions down to ask my teacher in class today. But who cares about my mundane life actions, that are amazingly boring and rather pointless to tell you about. Not me, that's for sure.
         I do care about food though, a lot. And about never giving up, which includes realizing that every minute is a new beginning. Our soul can be sad, but we can never lose faith in hope, in the fact that no matter how many times we fail, there is always another chance. The more we take that chance, the less we will fail. We just have to take the chance.
         I am currently breathing Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have to remind myself to savor the expectation, and not get to caught up in the future of it. I constantly am praying for snow. Even the thought of it falling makes me smile. Btw, anyone who reads this please say a prayer to St. Anthony for something I lost that is really important, and I really need.
        I am coming back to this post after a very tedious science lab. There are little marimba players downstairs, that are insanely loud, but pretty good!! Although I can't say I want their concert to go on much longer :)
        Anyways, tootles!!