Morning Moments

During the course of Church history, when Christians have been forbidden to speak of their faith, ways of communicating the truth of the Gospel have been devised in order for Christians to do what they should, must, and can do - evangelize and encourage. Of all the Christmas carols, there is one that even today many do not understand. It was written in such a time as I have described.

The information about this carol is nothing new, but maybe you have not seen this before. The carol is entitled, The Twelve Days Of Christmas.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were
not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone
during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning
plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each
element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

The following is the meaning of the otherwise senseless lyrics:

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control..

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.'

It is a wonderfully unique way to remember the great truths of Scriptue. Hopefully, the song now has new meaning for us when we sing it.

BLESSINGS!