Scripture Verse

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God…[and] love thy neighbor as thyself. Matthew 22:37–39

Introduction

portrait
John Worcester
1834–1900

Words: John West­all, in The Mag­ni­fi­cat (New York: New-Church Press, 1910).

Music: John Wor­ces­ter (1834–1900) (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know when this hymn was writ­ten,

portrait
John Westall
1816–1890

Lyrics

O how shall I keep my Christ­mas?
My heart whispered softly to me,
For I had been reading the story
Of the Lord’s nativity;
And slowly and clearly before me
The words like pictures rise,
And the scenes appear in the beauty
Of the starry Syrian skies.

O cradled He was in a manger!
For lowly and poor was He,
Whose throne is the splendors of heaven
Whose pow’r is infinity;
And He bore His cross to save us,
To save us from death and sin,
And He trod all alone the winepress
To make us pure and clean.

In glo­ry the hosts of the angels
Came singing His song of praise,
And filling the heav’ns with their music
In those wonderful old days;
Singing Glory to God in the highest!
And peace upon earth,
And the mighty chorus of voices
Pealed forth Good will to all.

O how shall I keep my Christ­mas?
As they keep it in heaven above;
O keep it with peace and thanksgiving,
And kindliest deed of love;
And share with the poor and needy
The joys which the Lord gives thee;
And thy heart shall keep with the angels
The Lord’s nativity.