Christ In Canada 150 - Our National Anthem

As we look at some of the examples of Christian heritage in the history of Canada, we should also expect to find such Faith proclaimed in our music and literature.  In this third post in our “Christ In Canada 150” series, we will consider our national anthem, “O Canada”.

“O Canada” was originally written in 1880 for the St. Jean de Baptiste day ceremony.  The music was composed by Calixa Lavallee and the words, in French, by poet and judge Sir Adolphe Basile Routhier.

Routhier’s original version, translated into English, contains the following stanza:

Sacred love of the throne and the altar, 
Fill our hearts with your immortal breath! 
Among the foreign races, 
Our guide is the law: 
Let us know how to be a people of brothers, 
Under the yoke of faith. 
And repeat, like our fathers, 
The battle cry: "For Christ and King!" 
The battle cry: "For Christ and King!"

There were several different versions created over the years, but all contain reference to GOD, and/or the prayer to GOD in the chorus!  For example:

1885, Richardson:  “Almighty God! On thee we call, Defend our rights, forfend this nation’s thrall”

1908, McCulloch:  “Lord God of Hosts! We now implore Bless our dear land this day and evermore”

Finally, the version which eventually became most popular was created by Robert Stanley Weir in 1908.  In Weir’s version of “O Canada”, the entire fourth stanza, like the chorus, is a prayer:

Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer, 
Hold our Dominion in thy loving care; 
Help us to find, O God, in thee 
A lasting, rich reward, 
As waiting for the better Day, 
We ever stand on guard.

Although the entire song, including this stanza, is not commonly sung, we do sing the similar prayer written in the chorus:  “God keep our land glorious and free!”

As we can see, the authors of our national anthem believed that GOD rules over the nations, and that men ought always to pray.  Let’s keep Christ In Canada 150!

Links:

Poem by Robert Stanley Weir