O Antiphon 2019 – O Emmanuel

The last of the great antiphons: O Emmanuel! Advent culminates all of Israel’s hopes, and the hope of all nations, in One who is to come, and who has come to us through Mary’s immaculate womb. There is often so little room in our hearts. But the Great Antiphons of this last week of Advent help us to prepare a place for Jesus Christ, so that He might lay upon the straw of all our desires.
Did Jesus comes as a baby like we all came into this world, because we are always children at heart?
The name “Emmanuel” means “God with us.” This antiphon reminds us of the incredible reality that our Supreme God and Creator truly did become man. The Second Person of the Holy Trinity – God the Son – became Incarnate because of His unconditional love for us and His desire to save us. Though difficult to fathom, the truth is that the Ruler of the Universe, the Alpha & Omega, the eternal God, united Himself to a human nature & entered this world in the most humbling way: as a babe in swaddling clothes. God as man was then cared for by His mother Mary. He required diaper changes & had to learn to walk & talk just like we do. God being with us, also allowed Himself to suffer as we do. At the end of his life, Jesus Christ freely accepted humiliation, the cruelest form of torture, abandonment by friends, the excruciating pain of crucifixion and death in order to redeem the world and bring salvation to us all. What an awesome reminder of the love God has for us and of how ever-grateful we should be for all God has done for us.

“Faith gives joy. When God is not there, the world becomes desolate, & everything becomes boring, & everything is completely unsatisfactory. It’s easy to see today how a world empty of God is also increasingly consuming itself, how it has become a wholly joyless world. The great joy comes from the fact that there is this great love, & that is the essential message of faith. You are unswervingly loved. … Unbelief, too, is a heavy burden & in my opinion even more so than faith is. Faith makes man light. This can be seen in the Church Fathers, especially in monastic theology. To believe means we become like angels, they say. We can fly, because we no longer weigh so heavy in our own estimation.”  –Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

The O Antiphons 2019 – O King and Law Giver

Jesus is the King and Lord of the universe, of our personal universe and of the entire created universe, of all things seen and unseen. A king is not only a ruler/rex, but also a protector and advisor.
The Jews had long conceived of God as their special tribal God, one who would, for example, deliver them victory in battle over their enemies; the Psalms are full of such references. He is the King of Glory, before Him all the nations shall bow, and every tongue shall confess His holy name.

Jesus is a King who is so loved His people that He suffered for them. This is a direct inversion of the world order; this is revolutionary. He came not to command, but because He loved, and He calls forth our own love. He is not just a King, He is a creator, and He comes to die – and rise – that His creation should live with Him forever.


The Augustinian monk, Fr. Pius Parsch, wrote in the 1950s, “The antiphon should provoke enthusiasm for the conversion of pagans. Try to realize how ardently Christ desires that we carry the gospel to non-Catholics [and today even to Catholics poorly catechized]; to all of us, directly or indirectly, His apostolic commission is addressed. Each one of us can at least pray for the conversion of those still ignorant of Christ.”

A Rex/ruler is the source of unity. In Jesus, the unity of believers, Jew and Gentile, is known. He’s spoken of as the cornerstone: the peacemaker where St Paul said “There is neither Jew nor Greek; neither slave nor free person, there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:29). But our King / Rex is also the Source of Unity within our own hearts and minds, within our families, city and nation. We need His help so desperately in this second decade of the new millennium.

Come, Lord Jesus, be the King of our hearts!

The O Antiphons 2019 – O Radiant Dawn

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death!
 
We ask Christ to enlighten us by His coming. Who are they who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death? Pagans and unbelievers, sinners and atheists. But also in us ” the Faithful” there is still much darkness much of death’s shadow. Open your soul and let the divine light shine in!              -Abbot Guerager OSB (19th c Abbot of Solesmes Abbey for nearly 40 years) He is considered the “grandfather” of the 20th c Liturgical Movement; The Liturgical Year Advent
 
 
Photo of a detail of the reredos in the National Cathedral, Washington, DC, by Fr. Lawrence Lew, OP
It is especially fitting that we pray this antiphon today, on the Winter Solstice. Today is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This title of Christ, Oriens, means daybreak, dawn, sunrise, the East, the beginning. The O antiphon for Dec. 21th begins by addressing our Savior as O Oriens, O Dayspring or Dawn rising from the East.
Oriens when translated from the Latin of today’s antiphon is understood as meaning Radiant Dawn, Rising Sun, or Dayspring from on High. “All beautifully express the idea of light shattering the darkness of night, of sin and death, of sickness and despair, with its brightness bringing healing and warmth to cold hearts. Jesus is indeed the true light, the radiance of his Father’s splendor. The church prays this petition daily in the Benedictus, joining in the words of Zechariah: “He, the Dayspring, shall visit us in his mercy to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death”(Luke 1:78-79).
Today is also an Ember Day on which our Bishop, Joseph Strickland, has encouraged everyone in our Tyler diocese to pray and make sacrifices in reparation for the crisis within the Church. Let us pray especially for all “those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death”. Those who live in the darkness of sin, ignorance of our Catholic faith; the darkness of addictions, depression, loneliness and misery. Those who dwell in the shadow of death, physical death in which they should prepare themselves to meet God; those in the death of mortal sin; the death of insanity.
Come Lord Jesus and shine the Light of your Love upon us all.

The O Antiphons 2019 – Come, O Root of Jesse

December 19 – O Root of Jesse
O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.
Come, Lord, of the family of Jesse, and make us a part of your divine family. There are many families suffering today. Our society has turned against the sacredness of family life. Let us pray for all families, secure ones, broken ones; those suffering in poverty and war; those suffering in dysfunction and addiction. Those who have no religious home to strengthen them against the
“snares of the devil.” And, don’t forget to pray for those who are struggling to live according to the teachings of the Catholic Faith.

The O Antiphons 2019 – Come, O Key of David

The beloved Advent hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, is a musical rendition of the O Antiphons. The O Antiphons have been part of the Church\’s liturgy for more than a thousand years. Scholars say that Boethius (480-524, a Roman senator and philosopher) mentions them. They first were used in monasteries, but by the 8th century, they were common throughout the Church. While the words that most people sing today come from early 18th century Germany, the music dates back to 15th century France. Let us continue this powerful tradition.

December 20 – Come, O Key of David

The purpose of a key is to unlock and open something. Humanity has been, and still is, locked and enchained in sin, selfishness, addictions of various kinds, since it existence.
God is the only One who holds the KEY to free us. JESUS is that Key. As St. Catherine of Siena wrote, “All the Way to Heaven, is heaven, because Jesus is the Way.”
Let us pray that we will open ourselves to God\’s grace this Christmas Season so that the Holy Spirit can transform our lives; and the lives of our family and friends. May all who have left the Church, respond to the Father’s invitation to come Home this Christmas.

The O Antiphons 2019 — Come, O Wisdom and Lord

An Advent tradition from the 8th century to prepare for the ever-closer arrival of Jesus, Christ our Lord, anew in the world and in our hearts is to say the “O Antiphons” in the days leading to Christmas Day beginning with December 17th (yesterday). 

Monasteries around the world make their solemn entrance into the last week of preparation before Christmas with the great O Antiphons sung as the antiphon for the Magnificat. These beautiful antiphons, pregnant with meaning

Each Antiphon begins by proclaiming the names of our Messiah found in the Old Testament—Wisdom, Lord, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Radiant Dawn, King of Nations and Emmanuel. The names remind us of the rich blessings of our Savior to the world.

Perhaps you would like to say the antiphon for the day before your evening meal. It is a particularly joyful ritual to say with children. After saying the “O Antiphon” you can talk about what the name might mean. 

December 17 – COME, O WISDOM
The Wisdom of God created all that exist. Let us try to treat every person as a child of God.
December 18 – COME, O LORD
O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm
O Lord, fill our hearts with the fire of Your Love so that we might obey You in all things, and attain, at last, our true home in heaven.

Good Brothers – the Knight of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus have been watching over us for almost 40 years. They provide festive meals, honor guard when the Bishop comes for Mass for funerals and professions. And the individual Knights use their personal gifts and talents when we have special needs.

In October they truly went beyond the call of duty by presenting us with another very large check to help complete our Air Conditioning Project.

Prioress Sister Mary Margaret happily holds a check for $25,000 from our Local Knights of Columbus.

We are more than half-way finished with the Project. All the nuns have the individual units in their cells (private rooms). Now the workmen are replacing general units in the hall, plus a large one for our Chapter Hall (large meeting room for official ceremonies).
THANK YOU, KNIGHTS!!!