12/12/2025
The Light of the Cross at Christmas
(-A templar Christmas poem, by Francis L. Anson )
Where candlelight in silence glows,
And ancient stone remembers oaths,
The Knights assemble, young and old,
Their sacred vows once more retold.
No crown of kings, no bloodline claimed,
No earthly rank from which we came.
We kneel where faithful feet once trod,
Before the altar, before our God.
By creed alone we wear their name,
Not flesh nor kin nor mortal claim.
Yet bound in word and deed we stand,
By Cross and oath, by Christ’s command.
Around them gather hearts made one,
Spouse and child, each daughter, son.
Warm blessings flow where prayers are said,
Where faith is lived, where souls are fed.
No sword now laid on cold stone bare,
But yielded up in humble prayer.
To Him who died, yet rose again,
Our living hope, our victory won.
Four candles stand in solemn line,
Four sacred lights through space and time.
No age can dim, no night erase
The promises of saving grace.
The first flame burns with gentle hue,
A whispered vow forever true.
Through darkest nights its glow remains
The Light of Hope that still sustains.
Prophets spoke and hearts believed,
The world once groaned, now stands relieved.
A Savior comes, the heavens sing,
All praise the newborn, promised King.
The second candle softly calls
What peace survives when empires fall?
Not forged by steel nor ruled by fear,
But born in straw with angels near.
In lowly hay, in humble place,
Heaven reached down in boundless grace.
The Prince of Peace to earth was given,
A holy gift from highest heaven.
The third flame dances, bright with cheer,
A joy the world could never steer.
No crown could buy, no gold secure
The mercy Christ made strong and pure.
Come shepherds, with you hearts laid bare,
This joy restores what sin laid there.
Death undone, its power stilled,
By love made flesh, the law fulfilled.
The fourth candle pours out love divine,
From heaven’s throne through space and time.
Not earned by might, nor won by fame,
But sealed forever in His Name.
No tournament nor earthly boast
Could claim the love that matters most.
It came not crowned, nor robed in might,
But wrapped in flesh, the world’s true Light.
Then shines the Christ Candle, clear and bright,
The fullness of God revealed in light.
Not palace-born, nor power displayed,
But Child made low, the Cornerstone laid.
Now raise the toast of Knights of old,
To Him whose love our hearts now hold.
From shore to shore, from east to west,
From coast to coast where faith finds rest.
At daylight we rise, one sacred band,
In fraternal vow, and covenant stand.
A bond not born of blood or sword,
But sealed in Christ, our Captain Lord.
O Holy Child of Bethlehem,
Be born in us, now and again.
Clothe us in grace, and your courage steer,
Teach us to serve with hearts sincere.
Let tables wide with bread be spread,
Let prayer be shared, let none be led
To stand alone or walk apart
Make home again each wounded heart.
For Christmas lives where Christ is known,
In lives redeemed, in mercy shown.
In open hands and welcome cheer,
In love made real from year to year.
No crown we seek, no power we claim,
No glory won through blood or fame.
We kneel, we rise, by Light made strong,
No walls divide where hearts belong.
So, ring the hall with hymns once more,
Let joy resound from floor to floor.
Christ the King was born that year
Proclaim it loud for all to hear
Hope.
Peace.
Joy.
Love.
All glory be to Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Alleluia.
