Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:13-20 ESV).

“Angels We Have Heard On High,” or as is known in hymnology, Gloria in Excelsis Deo, is an example of the psalmi idiotici ("private psalms", i.e. compositions by individuals in imitation of the biblical Psalter) that were popular in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. In the 4th century it became part of morning prayers, and is still recited in the Byzantine Rite Orthros service. The Latin translation is traditionally attributed to Hilary of Poitiers (circa 300–368), who may have learned it while in the East; as such, it is part of a loose tradition of early Latin translations of the scripture known as the Latin Vulgate. The Latin hymn thus uses the word excelsis to translate the Greek word ὑψίστοις (the highest) in our reading, not the word altissimis, which Jerome preferred for his translation. Spend a few minutes and listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5mdybeyLVc. I have many memories attached to this song, both the English and Latin versions. As an elementary student attending the Sacred Heart Catholic School in Galveston, Texas, we were required to participate in choir. Of course the sacred songs of the season were the traditional mainstay of our repertoire. In later years I often enjoyed both hearing and singing the carols, of which this one remains one of my favorites. Even though my theology differs in some degree with that which I was taught early in my Catholic education, I have found some things which cannot be disputed. These things are the constants through most of Christianity today. I am very grateful for that early education. Perhaps one of those things involves the Incarnation. I absolutely cannot imagine how we might legitimately think of God becoming human is anything short of “Gloria in Excelsis.” God’s love for us is so great that words in any language fail to capture the miracle of that first Christmas. In it we find the Creator, the very Word of God, becoming man that He might redeem us and set us free from sin and death. I’ve received many gifts through the years. I still have some of them. Each holds a special position and is treasured. None of them, however, can be compared to God’s gift of His only begotten Son. Spend a little time today pondering this great miracle of God on your behalf. He is the real Gift of Christmas!