For All Of Those Longing For January 20, 2025, Patience Gains All Things

It’s Sunday, November 24, now just one month before December 24, Christmas Eve.

Waiting for December 24 has always been easier for God-loving adults, so many of whom welcome each Christmas Eve as the Most Beautiful and Divine Night Of The Year, immortalized in song by Al Martino in ‘O Holy Night’, than it is for impatient small fry pressing their noses against window panes ever searching for snowflakes that may or may not come.

The innocence of childhood is framed by “visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads”.

Surely, no other song or Christmas Carol has more haunting immortal lyrics than as does, ‘O Holy Night’.

‘O Holy Night’

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour’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 world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn;

Chorus
Fall on your knees, Oh hear the angel voices!
O night divine! O night when Christ was born.
O night, O holy night, O night divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming;
With glowing hearts by his cradle we stand:
So, led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land,
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend;

Chorus
He knows our need, To our weakness no stranger!
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King! your King! before him bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is Love and His gospel is Peace;
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,
And in his name all oppression shall cease,
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful Chorus raise we;
Let all within us praise his Holy name!

Chorus
Christ is the Lord, then ever! ever praise we!
His pow'r and glory, evermore proclaim!
His pow'r and glory, evermore proclaim!”

“Today, its popularity shows no sign of waning, as last year it was voted the Nation’s Favourite Carol in the annual Classic FM poll.”

Meanwhile, creative parental diversions to keep little ones in the Christmas spirit—and hopefully a little more patient—are many. Carefully hand-printed Letters to Santa, visits to the jolly elf at local shopping malls, watching beloved ‘Snoopy’ in ‘Charlie Brown’s Christmas’, are but a few.

Nagging adult impatience is not so easy to hold at bay, particularly this year when so many of us feel held in suspension until President Elect Donald J. Trump is inaugurated on January 20, 2025.

Millions will not be at ease until Inauguration Day 2025 has come and gone.

We should all pray fervently that Donald Trump and his family will be safe from any and all harm; that any attempted sabotage of sore loser Democrats on MAGA and Trump’s cabinet will fail.

For all of those feeling held in suspension, pray the beautiful prayer, known universally as ‘St. Teresa’s Bookmark’.

“Let nothing disturb thee,
Let nothing a-fright thee,
All things are passing;
God alone is changeless.
Patience gains all things.
Who hath God wants nothing.
God alone suffices.”

Patience really does “gain all things”.

Meanwhile, join little children in their celebration of Christmas 2024, knowing down at heart that better days ARE on the way.

Let this Christmas be the one that lasts all year.

The best Christmas present I ever received is a little plaque sent by ‘Isthmus Kathie’, that remains on my desk every day of the year.

The plaque reads: “For unto us a child is born, a Savior who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2-11).

“May the love of that first Christmas be with you always”.

Since “time waits for no man”, January 20, 2025 is coming. All we need now is the patience to wait for it.

Al Martino -- Oh, Holy Night