January 4th and the Epiphany of the Lord…On the 11th day of Christmas my true love sent to me 11 pipers piping, 10 lords a-leaping, 9 ladies dancing, 8 maids a-milking, 7 swans a-swimming, 6 geese a-laying, 5 golden rings, 4 collybirds, 3 French Hens, 2 Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree. There was a hidden meaning behind the words of the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, which expressed the religious belief of a people who could have lost their lives if their allegiance to the Catholic faith had been known during English penal times (1558-1829) when it was forbidden for English Catholics to practice their faith openly. Each number signifies a crucial article of the Catholic faith. “eleven pipers piping” = eleven faithful Apostles “ten lords a-leaping” = Ten Commandments “nine ladies dancing” = nine fruits of the Holy Spirit “eight maids a-milking” = eight Beatitudes “seven swans a-swimming” = seven gifts of the Holy Spirit “six geese a-laying” = six days of Creation “five golden rings” = first five books of the Old Testament “four collybirds” = four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John “three French hens” = baptismal gifts of faith, hope and charity “two turtle doves” = Old and New Testaments “True Love” = God “me” = baptized person “A partridge in a pear tree” = Jesus, as a mother partridge protects her nestlings from predators by serving as a decoy Let us reflect upon the hidden meaning behind the words of the song as we sing and ask the 11 faithful Apostles to intercede for us that we may remain ever faithful to Jesus. “twelve drummers drumming” = twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 16:00:01 +0000
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