On a very silent Christmas Eve in Oberndorf, Austria, Father Joseph Mohr discovers mice chewed through the bellows in his organ. Flooded water also makes the organ parts icy. Since the organ is broken, the Catholic priest asks his friend, schoolteacher, organist, and choirmaster, Franz Gruber, to help him finish a new song on guitar. It is inspired by a sickly child that he visited the day before. That evening at Christmas Eve Mass, the congregants love the new Christmas hymn and leave singing a peaceful song named “Silent Night.” The hymn spreads to people all around the world.
SYNOPSIS
On a quiet Christmas Eve morning in St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria, it is a disappointing day for Father Joseph. The day before, he had visited a sick child in the Austrian countryside, who reminded him of the Christ child. He prayed for healing and asked God to bless the family and their child amid the snowy winter hillside. A day later, now when he tries to play his church organ, he discovers that mice have chewed through the bellows that are used to supply the instrument with wind. The music is stilled. Water from the nearby Salzach River has also flooded behind the organ, damaged instrument parts, and made them icy. Father Joseph worries about his midnight Christmas Eve Mass as he cleans up the water and mice droppings in the sanctuary. Since the organ is broken, he will have to perform his yearly new carol for the service on guitar. Then, maybe he could raise money through the Christmas Eve offering to replace the organ for the church.
As he makes his way into his office, he thinks about the sickly baby he had met just yesterday. He dips his pen in the ink jar on his desk and scribbles a batch of lyrics onto a crumpled piece of paper. He entitles it “Silent Night.” Considering that the new song needs music, Father Joseph runs off to his friend, schoolteacher, organist, and choirmaster, Franz Gruber. After Father Joseph surprises Franz at his home, Franz agrees to finish the carol for the Christmas mass. He hums a melody while strumming the guitar. As Father Joseph paces back and forth in Franz’s home, Franz finally finishes the music to the lyric. Father Joseph thinks the melody is gorgeous, with a tear in his eye.
At the midnight Mass, worried that the congregation will reject the new song, Father Joseph prays a silent prayer. While some congregants are distraught about the broken organ, a family of glovemakers named the Strassers whisper to each other about how thoughtful it is of Father Joseph and Franz to write such a lovely new song for Christmas. After giving extra Christmas Eve offerings to replace the broken organ, congregants go home while singing the new carol to themselves. As time passes, “Silent Night” spreads all over the world. As history has it, the song is to be sung on Christmas Eve at the stroke of midnight by candlelight, and not a minute too soon. It offers a peaceful blessing in tumultuous times. Everyone needs a silent night, but most of all at Christmas.
Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters
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