Created: 2014
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
‘Til He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night, O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night, O night divine!
Trans. John Sullivan Dwight (1855)
Background:
This Christmas piece was inspired by one of my favourite carols, ‘O Holy Night’. The line I love the most is ‘Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!’
I imagine how the shepherds must have felt that night.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.’ Luke 2:8-14
The shepherds hurried to find the baby, presumably leaving their flocks for a while. Can you imagine how they must have been brimming with anticipation? First they were ‘terrified’ by the appearance of the angels then they meet the newly born, longed for Messiah. Did they fall to their knees in awe? I would.
This Christmas try to spend some time in awe of what the birth of that tiny baby still means to the world. His message of love is no less powerful, radical and challenging than it was two thousand years ago. Fall on your knees…
Printing and Sizing:
This item is 105mmX148mm and is printed on 300gsm gloss card stock. Each card is blank inside, has its title and copyright details on the back and is individually wrapped in cellophane with an envelope. Comparitive sizing between our A4 prints and other cards can be found by clicking here.
