Day 261: Of the Father's Love Begotten

 

DAY 261

                              Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic                     

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland

pastorrobert@paxpres.org

Week Thirty-eight    Monday 30 November 2020

Of the Father’s Love Begotten

1. Of the Father’s love begotten ere the worlds began to be,

he is Alpha and Omega, he the Source, the ending he,

of the things that are, that have been, and that future years shall see,

evermore and evermore!

2. O that birth forever blessed, when the Virgin, full of grace,

by the Holy Ghost conceiving, bore the Savior of our race;

and the babe, the world’s Redeemer, first revealed his sacred face,

evermore and evermore!

3. This is he whom heav’n-taught singers sang of old with one accord,

whom the Scriptures of the prophets promised in their faithful word;

now he shines, the long expected; let creation praise its Lord,

evermore and evermore!

4. O ye heights of heav’n adore him; angel hosts, his praises sing:

All dominions bow before him and extol our God and King;

let no tongue on earth be silent, ev’ry voice in concert ring,

evermore and evermore!  

5. Christ, to thee, with God the Father, and, O Holy Ghost, to thee,

hymn and chant and high thanksgiving and unwearied praises be,

honor, glory, and dominion and eternal victory,

evermore and evermore!

- Aurelius Clemens Prudentius 348-413 AD

The doctrine of the nature of Christ was under attack. In response, Emperor Constantine convened a Council in 325 AD that hammered out the Nicene Creed. During this time Aurelius, who was born and died in the Roman province now known as Spain, wrote this earliest extant hymn text in response to the controversy and in defense of the divinity of Christ. A lawyer and politician he retired to spend his later years as an ascetic, reading Christian writers and the Bible, fasting and praying, and writing Christian poetry. He lived and wrote between two of the worst plagues in history, the Antonine Plague of 165-180 AD and the Plague of Justinian of 541-542 AD. This hymn, one of many he wrote during this time between plagues, is still sung today during Advent to a simple plainsong Gregorian chant-like melody, “Divinum Mysterium.”

Reflective question: Thinking about the nature of Christ, which of these verses most speaks to you? Why?

Reflective Scripture: John 10:30 – “I and the Father are one.” – Jesus.