Today’s Catholic Mass features a reading of the Gospel of John’s meditation on the beginning of the new era in human history - the coming of the Christ Child:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him.
But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.
And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.
Those words, written nearly 2000 years ago, have inspired songs and art through the centuries. Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, you can click on below links and listen along:
The oldest known Christmas song is Jesus Refulsit Omnium, attributed to St. Hilary of Poitiers in about 366 AD.
Also dating from the 4th century is the better known Corde Natus Ex Parentis, attributed to the Roman poet Prudentius.
A sarcophagus from the same period is one of the earliest known depictions of the Nativity:
The song “The Friendly Beasts” (covered here by Cat Stevens aka Sufjan Stevens) was originally a 12th century French carol.
St. Francis of Assisi, who lived in the early 1200s, popularized many elements of Christmas that we know today. The subsequent centuries saw an explosion of Christmas music and art. Italian artist Giotto was inspired by St. Francis in his depictions of the Nativity in the late 1200s and early 1300s.
Fra Angelico experimented with perspective in his Nativity scenes from the mid-1400s.
Fifty years later, Botticelli and other artists of the Italian Renaissance had built on the work of Fra Angelico and revolutionized realism in art.
In Dulci Jubilo dates from Germany in the High Middle Ages, and The Angel Gabriel from the Basque country in the 13th or 14th century.
The English Coventry Carol dates from the late 1500s, and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, is from the mid-1600s. Hark the Herald Angels Sing was written soon after, though the tune we all know is by Felix Mendellsohn in the 19th century. In Germany, Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen was written in 1609.
Baroque and Rococo paintings of the Nativity reveled in exquisite detail and florid ornamentation:
In Italy in 1732, St. Alphonsus Liguori penned Tu Scendi dalle Stelle, sung here by Andrea Bocelli. The florid ornamentation of Baroque and Rococo art was echoed in the complexity of the music: Bach wrote his Christmas Oratorio in 1734 and the Handel wrote the Messiah in 1741. Charles Wesley wrote Come Thou Long Expected Jesus in 1749.
Perhaps the most famous 19th century Christmas hymn, Silent Night/Stille Nacht was composed by Austrians Franz Xavier Gruber and Joseph Mohr in 1818.
The 19th century also saw many of the English-language hymns we know well - I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In in 1833, Oh Come All Ye Faithful in 1841, Angels We Have Heard On High in 1862, As With Gladness Men of Old in 1867, and In the Bleak Midwinter by Christina Rossetti in 1872.
The 20th century features numerous secular Christmas songs that are regular features of December radio and shopping mall listening experiences. Religious hymns composed in the 20th century include, Mary’s Boy Child is from 1956 and made famous by Boney M in 1978. English composer John Rutter wrote Candlelight Carol in 1984.
Jewish-Belarusian painter Marc Chagall produced this haunting image of the nativity and the crucifixion:
In the 21st century, Rutter still produces music - and released five new Christmas carols just last month (November 2021).
And artists continue to produce art, to include this beautiful piece by Matt’s sister:
The Gospel of Luke records Mary’s prayer after finding out that she is expecting Jesus: “From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” We hope you enjoyed this tour through those generations.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!