How can I know that love,
Which chose a lowly maiden mild
With news from heav'n above
That she would bear a holy child?
"The Lord has done great things," she said,
"The humble raised, the hungry fed,
And holy is His name."

This was no royal birth,
No welcome from the frosty night.
Their child was God on Earth,
Yet none would aid them in their plight.
So in a lowly cattle stall,
That holy babe was born for all,
And in a manger lay.

How shall He be adored,
That child amidst the winter's cold?
An angel from the Lord
Brought news to shepherds in their fold.
The heav'nly host in starlit sky
sang "Glory be to God on high!
A King is born tonight!"

From Eastern lands afar,
Came Magi filled with eager joy.
Their compass was a star,
Their journey's end a baby boy.
They offered gifts of gold and myrrh,
Yet little Jesus did not stir,
Still sleeping peacefully.

Though He was born to reign,
Yet His was not a royal throne.
He sought no Earthly gain,
Despised, rejected by His own.
That night in dark Gethsemane,
He prayed alone on bended knee,
"Your will, not mine, be done."

Now can I know that love
That made this world His dwelling place -
Our Lord in heav'n above!
What have I done to earn such grace?
That God should send His son for me,
From Bethlehem to Calvary,
O mystery divine!

Words by Colin Frayn
Copyright 2019 St Luke's Choir
All rights reserved