What News This Bitter Night?

| | Comments (0)

     What news, what news this bitter night,

     When all is shuttered in the gloom?

No news except a baby born,

Who finds within an ox's stall his narrow room.

     What men are these who hurry past?

     What wonder do they run to see?

Shepherds who heart the herald song,

Who haste in stable to adore the mystery.

     What child is this who, sleeping, makes

     The manger throne his resting place?

None but the King of heaven high,

Born into dying to redeem our fallen race!

      What shall I bring to honor Him?

      What homage pay, what poor gift give?

Naught but your heard which, dead in sin,

Finds in this Child redeeming love---and strength to live!


The poem is by the late Dr. Henry Letterman, longtime professor of English at Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, IL. Dr. Richard Hillert, of the same institution, put this poem to music for Grace Lutheran Church, River Forest, IL. It was recorded by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop in 1992.

Leave a comment

About the author

Paul A. Zalonski is from New Haven, CT. He is a member of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, a Catholic ecclesial movement and an Oblate of Saint Benedict. Contact Paul at paulzalonski[at]yahoo.com.

Categories

Archives

Humanities Blog Directory

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Paul Zalonski published on December 27, 2009 1:55 PM.

Holy Family, the Octave of Christmas was the previous entry in this blog.

On the Holy Family by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.