'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime

Hymns from the North

If you haven’t gathered by now, I’m often haunted by home - a home I haven’t returned to in years for many reasons. But it’s impossible not to be haunted by it, not to be brought back to the noise-dampened winter evenings, and the bright sun reflecting off of the snow, the whole world white for months on end. The hymn below is another whisper of that backdrop ever informing me.

I released a small demo Advent album via my Catholic project, CASSIA & MYRRH, the other day, and it included this hymn, written by St. Jean de Brebeuf while he was servings in the missions in what is now Canada, before he was brutally killed by one of the violent tribes—who ultimately consumed his heart because of their belief his remarkable courage would thus become theirs. He had been tortured once before, and sent back to France—only to beg to return to his people, knowing the fate that likely awaited him.

That’s a story unto itself. And it’s not a story only for the religious, although I believe it’s a worthy occasion to deeply consider the power of religious realities. It’s a story for anyone in our culture starved for evidence of the higher nobility and sacrifice so notably absent in our time as everything seems to crumble before our eyes.

But I’m sharing it here because, like a couple of other songs I’ve sung and shared, it sounds like Canada to me. There is a distinct Canadian melancholy, particularly born of the unrelenting winters, that is captured here once again.

If you’re in the midst of whatever holiday madness you find yourself in, I believe you’ll appreciate a moment of stillness with this. For paid members, I will include the download link to the whole album below as well, under the video.

You might also enjoy this post for some other Christmas thoughts from last year: