Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Do you ever feel like you are so busy getting ready for Christmas that Christmas itself becomes an afterthought? As much as I enjoy so many of the trappings of the Christmas season--the music, decorations, delicious food, parties, family gatherings, advent calendars, shopping for gifts, and extra church services--this time of the year can be exhausting. For many of us, this season, when we are regaled with tidings of "peace on earth and goodwill toward men," can ironically seem like one of the noisiest, most chaotic, most stressful, and most expensive times of the year. By the time it's over, many of us are ready for a long winter's nap. In the midst of our frantic pace of life, the carol of Christmas that we will examine on Christmas morning stops us in our tracks. "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence," an ancient hymn of Christmas and communion, urges us to cast aside our earthly distractions and enter into the divine mystery of Christ's incarnation and sacrifice for us. In haunting and solemn melodies, it reminds our restless souls who Jesus really is and what really matters most. I would like to invite you to ask yourself what has been distracting you from Jesus this week and make an effort to put it aside. Confess your distractedness and restlessness to the Lord. Read the words of Habakkuk 2:20, and ask Jesus to help you to be still and silent before Him.