Songs Of Hope - Sing We Now Of ChristmasSample

Of the Father’s Love Begotten

“I am the Alpha and the Omega”

Of the Father’s Love Begotten has long been one of my favorite hymns, but until a few weeks ago, I knew nothing of its history. When I researched it, I found that Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius wrote it in the 5th century as a poem. Prudentius was considered the greatest Christian poet of his time. So the poem has been around for ages, but it wasn’t actually translated and set to music until the 1800s by a man named J. M. Neale. Neale spoke 20 languages and was known for his translations of Greek and Latin hymns.

The thing I’ve always loved most about this hymn is its haunting melody, the way it curls around itself. So imagine my delight to find that the tune is the “Divinum Mysterium” or Divine Mystery. What a fitting melody for this text! The tune isn’t quite as old as the poem, but it is from the 13th century.

So this beautiful poem about how Christ was born of God’s great love for us was written 1600 years ago. And it was set to a melody from 800 years ago. And about 170 years ago, a couple of verses were added as a Doxology by a man named Henry Williams Baker. And today, we continue to sing these words:

Of the Father’s love begotten
‘Ere the worlds began to be.
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the Source, the Ending He.
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.

This hymn reminds me that God’s love is never-ending, that He is the creator of all that is and all that will be, and that He loved us so much that He sent His son to redeem us. Even the title tells us that Jesus came from love to be love.

And the last line that repeats in every verse: Evermore and evermore. I love that this is one of the oldest hymns in our hymnal and that it still resonates today. I am sure it will continue to touch hearts and shine the light of the Father’s love for years and years to come.

Let no tongue on earth be silent, Every voice in concert ring, Evermore and evermore.

Jen Jones
Director, Data Quality & Institutional Analytics
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor