the gift of song

Before our labyrinth walk yesterday, we enjoyed a lovely sing-a-long to the Old English Carol, "The Friendly Beasts." http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/f/r/friendbe.htm . Father Bob was kind enough to learn the tune on his guitar for me (in five minutes no less!) so that the excited group of first graders could have a surprise gift on a very, rainy day. Father Scott joined us along with Mac, Father Bob's Golden Retriever (no stranger to visitors of this blog).

The Friendly Beasts

Jesus, our Brother, strong and good,
Was humbly born in a stable rude,
And the friendly beasts around Him stood,
Jesus, our Brother, strong and good.

“I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
“I carried His mother uphill and down,
I carried His mother to Bethlehem town;
I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

“I,” said the cow, all white and red,
“I gave Him my manger for His bed,
I gave Him hay to pillow His head;
I,” said the cow, all white and red.

“I,” said the sheep with curly horn,
“I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm,
He wore my coat on Christmas morn;
I,” said the sheep with curly horn.

“I,” said the dove, from the rafters high,
“I cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry,
We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I;
I,” said the dove, from the rafters high.

Thus all the beasts, by some good spell,
In the stable dark were glad to tell
Of the gifts they gave Emmanuel,
The gifts they gave Emmanuel.


After the song and a lovely prayer, the rain let up so that we were finally all able to walk the labyrinth together. The students had carefully colored labyrinth ornaments they had made with their teacher. Each child listed their special gifts to baby Jesus on the back of the ornament. Sixteen pairs of precious feet walked into the Center one-by-one to hang the ornaments with yarn ties on the awaiting Christmas tree. Afterward, they gathered once again for a brief prayer, candy canes and the picture you see here with their treasured teacher, Mrs. M.

And I am still smiling.....I may never stop!