I will light candles this Christmas (complete) (2017)

I will light Candles this Christmas;
Candles of joy despite all sadness;
Candles of hope where despair keeps watch,
Candles of courage for fears ever present;

Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days,
Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens,
Candles of love to inspire all my living,
Candles that will burn all year long.

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.

Poem by Howard Thurman