Canada Day... and the rarely sung stanzas

Ok, it's Canada Day, a national holiday for us to celebrate the land of the true north. But how many of us know our national anthem? I mean, the whole thing? Sure we know the first stanza. But, if I was a betting man, which I'm not, but if I was, I'd still bet you have never or rarely sung these stanzas..... Well.... this week Wednesday we sang the 1st and the 4th stanzas at the beginning of a high school graduation of one of our local Christian schools. I think it may have been the first time for me that I sang that last verse, at least that I can recall. Also gotta love the 2nd stanza - about prairies, pines, and maples. Though we miss the true maples. Real maples that is, not Manitoba ones (sorry Manitobans... MB ones just are not quite up to the real ones in Southern Ontario - you don't have to tie them all up there so that they grow up straight and tall instead of having branches sticking out all over the place). :)

In all seriousness, it is good to know that we have words in our national anthem that express our faith in Christ in this way. May God bless Canada! And may our countrymen acknowledge our Ruler as their own personal Saviour! Here are stanzas 2,3 & 4:

O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western sea.
Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Thou True North, strong and free!

Refrain:
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies
May stalwart sons, and gentle maidens rise,
To keep thee steadfast through the years
From East to Western sea.
Our own beloved native land!
Our True North, strong and free!

Refrain

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.