And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11
On the third Sunday of Advent, we light the pink candle for joy! The third Sunday of Advent is also called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means “rejoice” in Latin. We celebrate the joy of the coming birth of Jesus. Rose colored vestments are worn on this Sunday. Pink is the color of joy, so make sure you dress in your favorite rose or pink to celebrate this joyful day!
I’ve picked out some of my favorite joyful songs to share with you! What are your favorite joyful hymns?
My all time favorite joyful Christmas song is probably one of yours too! Joy to the World was first written in 1719 by Isaac Watts. Yes, that’s more than 200 years ago!!! The story goes that Isaac Watts, a hymnist, was tired of singing songs from the book of Psalms, as was the norm in his day. Isaac decided to join the Old Testament and the New Testament together in song. Psalm 98 was the basis for Joy to the World. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Psalm 98:4. This hymn was set to the music that we still sing it to by Bostonian, Louis Mason, in 1848. There are some similarities between Handel’s Messiah, and Joy to the World. Since Handel and Watts lived around the same time, they may have run into each other…or heard each other’s composition. Two hundred years later, I am so very thankful for both pieces!
Angels We Have Heard on High is another one of my very favorite Christmas hymns! I love to sing it with as much joy as I can possible muster. After all, it was written by angels!!! In Luke 2:13-14 the Bible tells us And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men. This beautiful hymn was first written in French in 1855. In excelsius Deo means glory to God in the highest! The words that the angels sang to the shepherds on the wonderful night when Jesus was born! How blessed are we to be able to sing this song!!!
I absolutely love hearing Bing Crosby sing O Come, All Ye Faithful. His voice brings such calmness and majesty to this song. While I love Bing’s rendition, this hymn dates back to John Francis Wade in 1745, maybe even before that! Some scholars think it could have been written in the 1300’s! When I was in high school, my Latin teacher had us learn this beautiful hymn in Latin! You might know some of the words, Adeste Fideles,Laeti triumphantes. I had the best Latin teacher ever! It was such an honor and a thrill to sing this song as it was originally written…in Latin! O Come All Ye Faithful, Joyful and Triumphant! Can you hear the joy in the writers words! Christmas is the most joyful day of the year!
As we draw closer and closer to Christmas Day make sure you look for joy! This week you should sing all of the Christmas hymns that put joy into your heart. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Psalm 100:1-2