Within a lodge of broken bark
The tender Babe was found,
A ragged robe of rabbit skin
Enwrapp’d His beauty ‘round;
(…)
The chiefs from far before Him knelt
With gifts of fox and beaver pelt.
(…)
O children of the forest free,
O sons of Manitou,
The Holy Child of earth and heaven
Is born today for you.
– “The Huron Carol,” St. Jean de Brébeuf
Who is proud when the heavens are humble,
Who mounts if the mountains fall,
If the fixed stars topple and tumble
And a deluge of love drowns all-
Who rears up his head for a crown,
Who holds up his will for a warrant,
Who strives with a starry torrent,
When all that is good goes down?
– “Gloria In Profundis,” G.K. Chesterton
Moonless darknesss stands between.
The Past, the Past, no more be seen!
But the Bethlehem-star may lead me
To the sight of Him Who freed me
From the self that I have been.
– “Moonless Darkness Stands Between,” Gerard Manley Hopkins
My soul’s a a shepherd too: a flock it feeds
Of thoughts, and words, and deeds.
The pasture is thy word; the streams, thy grace
Enriching all the place.
Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers
Out-sing the day-light houres.
– “Christmas,” George Herbert
Now at last the destined ages
Their appointed course had run,
When rejoicing from His chamber
Issued forth the Bridegroom Son.
(…)
Man gave forth a song of gladness,
God Himself a plaintive moan;
Both possessing that which never
Had been hitherto their own.
– Christmas poem, St. John of the Cross
The pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
And Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!’
– “Christmas Bells,” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Seest thou, my soul, with thy faith’s eyes, how He
Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie?
Was not His pity towards thee wondrous high,
That would have need to be pitied by thee?
– “Nativity,” John Donne
Acknowledgements
Public Domain, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4125558
By wmpearl – Collections of The Cloisters, New York City, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2718312
By Stefano di Giovanni – The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=158680
By Haneburger – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8856697
By Geertgen tot Sint Jans – National Gallery, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37018624
By Absoblogginlutely at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2720217
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74545428
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