Rejoice - It's Christmas!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace
there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom,
to order it, and to establish it
with judgment and with justice
from henceforth even for ever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

(Isaiah 9:6-7, King James Version)

To-day's O Antiphon - Saturday

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver,

the Expected of the nations and their Savior.

Come and save us, O Lord our God.

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O Lord Jesu Christ,

Who wast foretold as the king

in whom God would manifest his presence,

Who should reign in righteousness,

bringing peace and happiness to all peoples;

Thou art Thyself indeed Emmanuel,

the very Son and Word of God made man:

Come, we pray Thee, by Thy grace, and reign over us,

so saving us from our spiritual enemies

and from the hand of all that hate us,

that we may serve Thee without fear

in holiness and righteousness

all the days of our life.

The Advent AntiphonsWith Scripture references and paraphrases.

By A.C.A. Hall, Bishop of Vermont.Milwaukee:

The Young Churchman; London: A.R. Mowbray & Co., n.d. but c. 1914

To-day's O Antiphon - Friday

O King of the Gentiles and the Desired of all,

you are the cornerstone that binds two into one.

Come, and save man whom you fashioned out of clay.

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O Lord Jesu Christ, for Whom all peoples yearn,

even though they know not whom they seek;

Thou hast made of one blood all nations

to dwell on the face of the whole earth;

and Thou dost bind together Jew and Gentile

in the one body of Thy catholic Church:

Come, we pray Thee, and by Thy truth and grace

raise man whom Thou didst make out of the dust of the earth,

from his low condition,

and set him in Thy holy Church with the princes,

even with the princes of Thy people.

The Advent AntiphonsWith Scripture references and paraphrases.
By A.C.A. Hall, Bishop of Vermont.
Milwaukee: The Young Churchman; London: A.R. Mowbray & Co., n.d. but c. 1914.

To-day's O Antiphon - Thursday

O Rising Dawn, Radiance of the Light eternal and Sun of Justice:

come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

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O Lord Jesu Christ,

Who art the outshining of Thy Father's glory,

Light streaming forth from Light:

Thou didst come in the incarnationto our poor darkened world

as the Sun of Righteousness

bringing healing in Thy beams,

dispelling noxious influences,

and gladdening men's hearts with the good news

of their Father's kindness and love for man:

Come, we pray Thee, now by Thy grace,

and through Thy Church let Thy truth and love shine forth to all that are in the darkness

of sin or ignorance or error;

penetrate the hidden recesses of our hearts,

and enlighten the cruel habitations of the earth.

The Advent AntiphonsWith Scripture references and paraphrases.
By A.C.A. Hall, Bishop of Vermont.
Milwaukee: The Young Churchman; London: A.R. Mowbray & Co., n.d. but c. 1914.

To-day's O Antiphon - Wednesday

O Key of David and Sceptre of the House of Israel;

you open and no man closes;

you close and no man opens.

Come, and deliver from the chains of prison

those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

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O Lord Jesu Christ,

to Whom is given the throne and sceptre of David Thy father over the house of Israel,

that Thou mighest extend his kingdom over all peoples:

Thou didst come in our nature,

as the Son of man forgiving sins,

dispelling sickness and loosing bonds:

to Thee now is committed all authority in heaven and on earth,

and the powers of hell cannot withstand Thy word:

Come, we pray Thee, by Thy grace, and through the instrumentality of Thy Church,

to loosen the prisoner from the chains of sin,

to enlighten with the glad tidings of Thy word all who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,

that they may rejoice in the deliverance which Thou hast wrought.

The Advent AntiphonsWith Scripture references and paraphrases.
By A.C.A. Hall, Bishop of Vermont.
Milwaukee: The Young Churchman; London: A.R. Mowbray & Co., n.d. but c. 1914.

To-day's O Antiphon - Tuesday

O Root of Jesse,

you stand as a sign for the peoples;

before you kings shall keep silence

and to you all nations shall have recourse.

Come, save us, and do not delay.

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O Lord Jesu Christ, the new shoot from the hewn down stump of Jesse's line,

in whom all the promises should be fulfilled;

the champion of Thy people,

to whom the Gentile nations should turn in submission and obedience:

Thou hast come of the seed of David according to the flesh,

being born in obscurity of a maiden of the royal line;

Thou hast set up Thy holy catholic Church,

commanding Thine apostles to make disciples of all nations

and to train all peoples in obedience to Thy holy commandments:

Come now, we pray Thee, by Thy grace, and tarry not,

hasten the manifestation of Thy kingdom;

grant that Thy Church may continually be increased

by the gathering in of new children to Thee,

and perfected by the increasing devotion of those who have been regenerated.

The Advent AntiphonsWith Scripture references and paraphrases.
By A.C.A. Hall, Bishop of Vermont.
Milwaukee: The Young Churchman; London: A.R. Mowbray & Co., n.d. but c. 1914.

To-day's O Antiphon - Monday

Oh, how great are your works, Adonai! (Psalm 93)

O Adonai and Ruler of the House of Israel,

you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush

and on Mount Sinai gave him your law.

Come, and with outstretched arm redeem us.

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O Lord Jesu Christ,

Who as the Angel of the Lord

didst rule and guard God's people of old;

Who didst appear to Moses in the burning bush,

that told of Thy presence hallowing but not consuming,

and of Thy people's preservation through fiery trials;

Who didst give the Law in Sinai and majesty and awe;

Thou didst come to visit mankind oppressed

and didst redeem us therefrom

by the victory of Thy Passion:

Come, we pray Thee, now by Thy grace,

and with Thine outstretched arm deliver us

from the bondage of evil habits

from the crafts and assaults of Satan,

from the tyrrany of the world,

and the disorder into which our nature has fallen

Write in our hearts by Thy Spirit

the law in obedience to which we shall find our true freedom,

Thy law of truth and purity and love.

The Advent AntiphonsWith Scripture references and paraphrases.
By A.C.A. Hall, Bishop of Vermont.
Milwaukee: The Young Churchman; London: A.R. Mowbray & Co., n.d. but c. 1914.

To-day's O Antiphon - Sunday

O Wisdom,

you came forth from the mouth of the Most High

and, reaching from beginning to end,

you ordered all things mightily and sweetly.

Come, and teach us the way of prudence.

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O Lord Jesu Christ,

who art the very Wisdom of God most high,

by whom He made the world, impressing on His creation

the reflexion of His own power and goodness;

Who dost uphold the world in its being and harmony,

as Thou reachest from one end to the other

mightily and sweetly ordering all things;

Who didst visit God's prophets and servants of old,

giving them ever fuller knowledge of His mind and will;

Thou in the fulness of time didst come forth in the incarnation,

clothing Thyself in our nature and living amidst our conditions,

to teach us the way of prudence--how to use the complex nature Thou hadst framed,

how to escape the snares and temptations by which we are surrounded,

how to attain the blessedness which Thou hast prepared for us.

Blessed be Thy Name for Thy teaching by word and by example,

for the testimony of Thine Apostles and the record of the Scriptures,

for the continual guidance of Thy Spirit and the witness of Thy Saints.
Come now, we pray Thee, by Thy grace

to Thy Church and people,

and teach us in our day and need

the way of prudence--how best to promote Thy Father's glory,

and extend Thy kingdom,

and win our perfect life,

as we so pass through things temporal

as not to lose the things eternal.

The Advent AntiphonsWith Scripture references and paraphrases.
By A.C.A. Hall, Bishop of Vermont.
Milwaukee: The Young Churchman; London: A.R. Mowbray & Co., n.d. but c. 1914.

The O Antiphons are coming

Beginning this Sunday, 17 December, the final week of Advent is enriched with the traditional 'O' Antiphons. You haven't heard of the 'O' Antiphons? They are part of the rich heritage leading up to the traditional Christian celebrations of Christmas. Poetry, art, prayer. They express this spiritual heritage in the deepest way. Read about them here.

First Sunday in Advent