Silent Night by Michael Podhaczky

There is a much-loved hymn, which we sing each Christmas. It has been sung for the last few hundred years, i.e., Silent Night. There has been some dis­agree­ment as to the origin and tradition of the hymn. The following is a version of its origin. Early Christmas Eve, 1818 tragedy struck a little church in the town of Oberndorf, Austria. The church organist (and primary school headmaster), Franz Xavier Gruber, was shocked to discover that, the organ would not bellow out its majestic tones. After further investigation, he found that either mice had chewed a hole through the bellows, or they had deteriorated. For several days before Christmas day, it had snowed heavenly, so nobody was able to come to repair the organ. Gruber was concerned that there might not be any music for the Christmas service. It seemed that it would be a season of a silent night with no singing.

Gruber saw the assistant minister Joseph Mohr sharing his dilemma. Gruber asked the Mohr to write a Christmas song that could be sung without the organ. Mohr walked in the countryside trudging through thick snow, thinking about what to do. Later that day, Mohr reading Luke chapter two and contemplated what he was reading, Luke 2:11

“And this very day in David’s (a king of Israel) town your Saviour was born-Christ the Lord!”

The words welled up within him like a mighty overflow from heaven.

Working long into the night, Mohr composed a poem about the Christmas story. Early Christmas morning Mohr took his freshly penned words to Gruber hoping that he could quickly write a simple melody suitable for the guitar. That afternoon the music was finished. The people arrived, but there was no organ bellowing into the cold night air just Gruber strumming his guitar. The song was sung for the first that night. The people fell in love with the song immediately. It was a season to sing of the Silent Night that Christmas. Consequently, Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber gave the world a much-loved Christmas carol. Since then, it has been translated into more than ninety languages and dialects.

Oh, that the real meaning of Christmas would grip us this season. Grip us, the way that it grabbed Mohr and Gruber.

“This very day in David’s town, your Saviour was born-Christ the Lord!” (Luke 2:11).

The message of the angel is one for all.

This Christmas is the season which, could be the beginning of the most fabulous Silent Night for us or someone we know. This a time of peace and joy.

Pause in His presence for a moment and think this over…