Very soon all around the world Christians will gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus. No doubt many classic Christmas carols and hymns will be sung. However, I doubt that this song will be one of them. It is the oldest known Christmas carol written in Latin circa 405 AD by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, born in Spain in 348 AD. Prudentius was trained as a lawyer and rose to high office in the State, “holding the reins of power over famous cities,” serving as a judge. He was later called to the court of Theodosius I.

But he was equally well-known as the writer of Christian poems because of devotion to his faith and love for God. Although he gave so much time to expressing the goodness of Christ, when he reached the age of 57, he was still not satisfied that he had done enough. So he wrote: “Now very close to the end of life, may my soul stop its foolishness; and if by deeds it cannot, yet, at least, by words give praise to God, join day to day by constant hymns, fail not each night in songs to celebrate the Lord.”

Among those many poems he penned a number for the Christmas season. One of them was titled, “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” With all the emphasis on various elements of Christmas today that have little if anything to do with our Lord’s sacred birth, let the lyrics of this ancient hymn remind us of how the early Christians commemorated Christ’s birth.

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,
Bare 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 seers in old time
Chanted of with one accord;
Whom the voices 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 heaven adore Him;
Angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him,
And extol our God and King!
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert sing,
Evermore and evermore!

5. Thee let old men, thee let young men,
Thee let boys in chorus sing;
Matrons, virgins, little maidens,
With glad voices answering:
Let their guileless songs re-echo,
And the heart its music bring,
Evermore and evermore!

6. Christ, to Thee with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee,
Hymn and chant with high thanksgiving,
And unwearied praises be:
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory,
Evermore and evermore!