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Summary of today\u2019s show: On our last show before Christmas, Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O\u2019Connell count down the top 10 Christmas hymns, according to Scot. Some on the list are expected, others are unexpected, and some cause a little good-humored arguments over the relative ranking of particular favorites. Also we hear the world premiere of Cardinal Se\xe1n\u2019s Christmas message that will be played worldwide on Vatican Radio on Christmas Day.\nListen to the show:\n\nWatch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: \nToday\u2019s host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Mark O\u2019Connell\nToday\u2019s guest(s): Cardinal Se\xe1n O\u2019Malley, OFM Cap, Archbishop of Boston\nToday\u2019s topics: Countdown of the Top 10 Christmas Hymns\n1st segment: Scot Landry said this our last live show from the studio this calendar year and our last show before Christmas. Fr. Mark O\u2019Connell said he is especially glad that the world didn\u2019t end today. Scot said Cardinal Sean recorded a Christmas message that will be played worldwide on Vatican Radio. We hear the first broadcast today.\nCardinal Se\xe1n referred to the starry night and the angels bringing the message of God to the shepherds. The shepherds went in haste to Jesus, Mary and Joseph and went forth giving praise and glory to God. He asked what if the people didn\u2019t believe and didn\u2019t share the news? But they did believe and we celebrate that the Word of God became Man among us. In too many ways the darkness threatens to overshadow us. The Light of Christ shines through the darkness and sustains us in our most difficult moment. We must share our faith with those around us. We must work to dispel the darkness and help one another live lives called to holiness.\nFr. Mark said the message from Cardinal Se\xe1n is to share the faith especially in this Year of Faith. Scot said when we receive the Good News, our call is to take that Good News and share it with everybody. God allows us to participate in His plan for salvation. To whom much is given, much is expected. If we\u2019ve been blessed with good Catholic formation, we are obligated to pass it on to others.\nOn today\u2019s show, we\u2019re going to countdown the top 10 Christmas hymns as determined by Scot.\n10. Angels We Have Heard on High\n\n\nCome to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing; Come, adore on bended knee Christ, the Lord, the newborn King. Gloria in excelsis Deo, in excelsis Deo\n\nScot said other than the Gloria, there isn\u2019t anything tremendously memorable about this song. Rick Heil said this is the song that separate the men from the boys in the choir because of the need for good breath control.\nScot said Number 9 wasn\u2019t one he\u2019d heard as a child growing up in Lowell. He said it\u2019s popular at the Archdiocesan Boy\u2019s Choir School and among others and it\u2019s recently become one of his favorites.\n9. Once in Royal David\u2019s City\n\n\nHe came down to earth from heaven, Who is God and Lord of all, And His shelter was a stable, And His cradle was a stall; With the poor, and mean, and lowly, Lived on earth our Saviour holy.\n\nScot said it\u2019s a beautiful poem set to a beautiful melody. Fr. Mark said it\u2019s a song he\u2019d forgotten about but he does love it.\nNumber 8 is a classic Scot has heard most of his life.\n8. What Child Is This?\n\n\nNails, spear shall pierce Him through, The Cross be borne for me, for you; Hail, hail, the Word made flesh, The Babe, the Son of Mary.\n\nScot loves the part in which they say \u201cthis, this is Christ the King.\u201d Fr. Mark said it makes him recall the carolers coming to his house as he was growing up. Rick said when he was in a choir, it usually came later in the program because it was so contemplative.\nScot thinks number 7 will be controversial because most will think it should be number 1.\n7. Silent Night\n\n\nSilent night! Holy night! Son of God, love\u2019s pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth\n\nScot said the only reason this is number 7 for him is because it always made him sleepy on Christmas Eve. Fr. Mark said it might have been played too much. He said he\u2019s heard a nice version by Christina Aguilera when she was 11 years old. Rick said he used to sing it in German. He said it\u2019s one of the first Christmas songs you learn, but learning to sing it in German gave him a newfound respect for it. And because it\u2019s slower, he loves it. Fr. Mark says it should be higher on the list and the next song doesn\u2019t beat it. Scot said that\u2019s makes this fun.\nScot thinks Number 6 could be some people\u2019s number 1. He thinks every Catholic parish sings this next one on Christmas Day.\n6. Joy to the World\n\n\nJoy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare him room, And heav\u2019n and nature sing,\nJoy to the earth! the Saviour reigns; Let men their songs employ, While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.\n\nFr. Mark said it\u2019s often sung at the end of Mass. People are joyful, all dressed up and greeting one another. It\u2019s a great way to celebrate Christmas. Rick said it\u2019s one of the songs that the congregation knows by heart and sings heartily.\nScot said Number 5 wouldn\u2019t have made his top 10 in the past week, but since then 4 people he respects have said this is their favorite Christmas hymn and it made him reconsider it.\n5. Lo, How a Rose E\u2019Er Blooming\n\n\nTo show God\u2019s love aright She bore to men a Saviour, When half spent was the night. This flower, whose fragrance tender With sweetness fills the air, Dispels with glorious splendor The darkness everywhere. True man, yet very God, From sin and death He saves us And lightens every load.\n\nScot said it\u2019s one of the most beautiful harmonies he\u2019s heard in church. Fr. Mark said it\u2019s a beautiful song for a choir and so fun for them to sing. Rick said he agrees with Scot\u2019s placement of the song on his list. Scot said there\u2019s a lot of spiritual richness in the lyrics that are concrete and it all comes together in a way you may not expect. Fr. Mark said this was Number 3 on his list.\nNumber 4 is one of Scot\u2019s favorites to sing in church. This was his favorite performed by the Archdiocesan Boys Choir School, where his son goes.\n4. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing\n\n\nVeiled in flesh the God head see! Hail, th\u2019 incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.\n\nScot said there\u2019s no doubt this could be Number 1. Fr. Mark said people could take this as a Christmas prayer and there\u2019s so many profound thoughts in all of these songs. Scot said one of the things he loves about this is that people sing it loud. It\u2019s something to participate in the Christmas Mass by amping up your volume to 10. Rick said this is another one of those congregation songs, that everyone sings, and it\u2019s a good classic. He enjoyed it as a closing hymn.\nScot said ranking the top 3 was tough for him. The next one was number 1 for a while.\n3. O Come All Ye Faithful\n\n\n\u2018Glory to God In the highest\u2019; Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be glory given;\n\nScot said this has been the opening hymn for 33 of the past 35 years of Christmas he remembers. Fr. Mark said this is the first of this list that he sang to himself here because it\u2019s so familiar. Scot said it\u2019s an appropriate song for the entire year. We come to Mass every week to worship God and adore Him at that altar. Fr. Mark said because Mass is so full at Christmas, hearing this song at full volume tells you that this is Christmas.\nNow cutting to Fr. Mark\u2019s Top 4. His Number 4 is different. It\u2019s personal and it\u2019s favorite because of the story connected to it.\nFr. Mark\u2019s Number 4: Elvis Presley\u2019s \u201cBlue Christmas\u201d\n\nFr. Mark said it\u2019s number 4 because when he was a young teenager and his father was very sick in the hospital and there was a huge snowstorm at Christmas, they couldn\u2019t have a tree. But the storm was so violent it knocked the top off their blue spruce tree which they brought into their house. The song symbolizes how Christ brings hope to those who are sad at Christmas.\nFr. Mark\u2019s Number 3: In the Bleak Midwinter\n\n\nOur God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain; heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign. In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.\nWhat can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give my heart.\n\nScot said he\u2019d never heard the song before. It would be wonderful as a Communion meditation. Fr. Mark said his number one matches Scot\u2019s and Scot said Cardinal Se\xe1n agreed. He said his Number 2 is probably not in most people\u2019s top 10. It\u2019s also one of his favorite hymns of all time.\n2. Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence\n\n\nLet all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly-minded, for with blessing in his hand, Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand.\n\nScot said he loves the lyrics and he said it rocks on the organ, the bigger the pipes the better. Fr. Mark said he would rank this one a lot lower on his list. Rick said it\u2019s not a difficult song to sing, but it\u2019s a very good reflective song. You can sing it to yourself and meditate on it. Scot said the theme of knowing God was taking on flesh that we should approach that mystery in silence with awe.\nAnd now Scot\u2019s, Fr. Mark\u2019s, Cardinal Se\xe1n\u2019s favorite Christmas hymn. This version is the one recorded by Josh Groban.\n1. O Holy Night\n\n\nLong lay the world, in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth;\nFall on your knees, O hear the angels voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born!