He had been a long time member of the church but refused to show up for services let alone join. He was an integral part of the Christmas Choir, but would not attend rehearsals.

Still, everyone looked forward to seeing him once a year. So much, in fact, they would hold a seat for him at the candle light service every Christmas Eve. Many of the congregation would arrive early to get a good seat nearby the gentleman.

Was it his personality? No, he really kept to himself rarely sharing a word with anyone.

It was his voice. “Oh Holy Night” was his song.

Throughout his life he often wished for the chance to perform it at a local church. Although the spirit of Christmas had left his heart years ago with the passing of his wife, this one song, those special lyrics, belonged to him.

It was said that it was her favorite song and although poor, the richness of his voice was his gift to her. This church, that night, was always theirs. As the service progressed anticipation would build. Everyone joined in singing “Silent Night,” “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” and others.

Then the big moment would arrive.

The choir would stand, the church organ would begin to play.  “O holy night, the stars are brightly shining” was the intro sung by the 12 member choir. Then, as if Heaven had open its doors, the choir softly faded and the man began to sing…
“It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”

You could feel the excitement as music began to build to the refrain…

“Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!”
By this time there was never a dry eye.

After the service the man would blend into the crowd and exit the rear door. The tradition lived on until a month before Christmas that year. He had joined his love, his reason to sing.

“What will they do?” one of the elders asked. “Who could take his place?”

No one. No one would dare attempt to fill his spot. It would be difficult indeed to come close to that long treasured moment.

“We will do the song in his memory” the choir director declared.  “But who among us will sing his part?”

“God had blessed us with his voice and His earthly choir is not made of only one single voice,” he assured them. “He will bless us again.”

That Christmas Eve, as everyone filled the church, you could hear the choir warming up in the basement.

A small piano began playing followed by, “O holy night, the stars are brightly shining” then silence.

The minister began by welcoming everyone and in particular the visitors, “Family and friends who return home each year.” “In the center of the church you will notice a single seat holding a bouquet of Christmas flowers. It is in memory of a man we called, “The Voice of Christmas.”

The service began building to that very moment they all waited for. Lights dimmed and a young child holding a single candle in his hand walked toward the front.

The organist began the intro and the choir stood to sing, “O holy night, the stars are brightly shining..”

There was a sudden hush and the faint sound of one small voice singing…
“It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”

The organ stopped. The choir remained standing as everyone looked to see where the voice was coming from. “Over there! I couldn’t believe it. That beautiful voice was the child. The child holding the candle.” He slowly, nervously turned around toward the crowd and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” and he began to cry. The choir director rushed to his side and assured him everything was fine.

Then the young boy said, “I always sang along but no one could hear me. Some man was always louder than me.”

Laughter filled the church.

The minister declared, “God has indeed answered our prayers. We are blessed once again with “The Voice of Christmas.”

The organist began again as the young boy was lifted up to sing and they all joined in…

“Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!”

We are each called to be His Voice not only at Christmas but all year long.

1. Thou shalt give thy heart to Christ. Let Him be at the top of thy Christmas list

2. Thou shalt prepare thy soul for Christmas. Spend not so much on gifts that thy soul is forgotten.

3. Thou shalt not let Santa Claus replace Christ, thus robbing the day of its spiritual reality.

4. Thou shalt not burden the shop girl, the mailman, and the merchant with complaints and demands.

5. Thou shalt give thyself with thy gift. This will increase its value a hundred fold, and he who receiveth it shall treasure it forever.

6. Thou shalt not value gifts received by their cost. Even the least expensive may signify love, and that is more priceless than silver and gold.

7. Thou shalt not neglect the needy. Share thy blessings with many who will go hungry and cold unless thou are generous.

8. Thou shalt not neglect thy church. Its services highlight the true meaning of the season.

9. Thou shalt be as a little child. Not until thou has become in spirit as a little one art thou ready to enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

10. Thou shall not forget to share your joy, peace and faith with those around you.

So its Christmas season and all are planning great things for this Christmas. Let us do some planning now to make this Christmas a very special one.

There are various means by which Christians practice this preparatory period before the Feast of the Birth of Christ. It is suggested that, at minimum, the faithful should eat less and abstain from meat (and possibly dairy and oil) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during this period. Some abstain from these foods during the entire period and some add fasting (defined as not eating from midnight until noon) as well.

Have a counter-cultural Christmas

Christianity is indeed a counter-cultural way of life. The culture of the world tells us that beginning after October, life is all about focusing on consumerism and gluttony. Are you a Christian? Pray for God’s strength to resist the temptation to buy into this world’s attitude toward this Holy season. Be a witness to the world.

Going vegan during Advent is a great way of becoming conscious of what and how much we consume. Are we truly preparing for the birth of Jesus in our hearts, or are we stuffing our hunger for Christ? Are we relying on food to give us peace, or are we running to the Heart of Jesus for comfort?

This season is a traditional time for thinking of others. Starting around now, many churches and organizations begin collecting food and other goods for the poor. Fasting and abstaining from certain foods, while giving to some of these good causes serves to heighten our awareness of the great need of many across the world, as well as the great excess that most of us in the West enjoy. Be sure to give of your time, talent and treasure to the poor during this time.

Let’s make this season about focusing on our love for Christ and preparing for His birth in our hearts. Fast from extra sleep in order to get up a bit earlier to make morning Mass. Pray morning and evening prayer or pray the Rosary (especially the Joyful Mysteries.) Meditate on the day’s Scripture readings. Start a prayer/meditation/Scripture journal. Say the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner) repeatedly throughout the day.

Prepare to receive Christ in a special way this Christmas.