Monday, December 19, 2011

Journeying Toward Christmas - O Antiphons

    As we celebrate the fourth week of Advent, we journey closer to the birth of the Christ Child.  On the 17th of December we begin singing the O Antiphons at Evening Prayer.  Each evening we sing one of the antiphons to remind us remind us of who Christ is.

O Wisdom reminds us that Christ is the Word of God through whom all things are created.

O Adonai calls upon the Lord who spoke from the Burning Bush, telling Moses to lead his people to freedom.

O Root of Jesse speaks of Christ, born of the line of David; God born into the human family.

O Key of David refers to Christ who has the power to open all the prisons we find ourselves in, and to lock away all things that hinder us in our journey to God.

O Rising Dawn is the promise that even in our darkest times, Christ the Light of the World will shine forth.

O King of Nations looks forward to Christ's reign of justice and peace.

O Emmanuel brings us to Bethlehem, to that moment in history when Christ became a human being.