From the Manse – Dec 2015

The “O” Antiphons are responsive songs or “calls” of praise, traditionally used during the last seven days of Advent. The people who wrote these Advent cries used names that described the long awaited Messiah,  names that we sometimes use when we talk about Jesus: O Wisdom; O Key of David; O Root of Jessie; O King of the Nations; O Dayspring/Morning Star; O Emmanuel.

The most familiar rendition of these Advent cries is found in the Advent hymn: O come, O come Emmanuel, which is a lyrical paraphrase of these “O” antiphons.

The short days and long winter nights are full of cries – usually about the terrible weather!  But this year, there is so much more to cry about as the dark winter days seem to have coincided with a very dark time for our world; chaos and terrorism and people on the move all across Europe, seeking refuge and peace. We need the message of the Angels– “Do not be afraid” – more than ever this year.

In Advent, we find ourselves waiting and longing for the light. By singing the antiphons, we are calling on God to come, to stretch out his hand to us, to comfort us and to lead us on into the light – the light of hope, the light of peace in our time.

So as Christmas 2015 approaches, let’s remember to call upon God in prayer – to bring ourselves and our world into God’s presence every day.  And if we do not know what to pray, we can always turn to that beautiful Advent hymn:

O come, thou dayspring, come and cheer

our spirits by thine advent here

disperse the gloomy clouds of night

and death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice, rejoice!  Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

I wish you all a happy and restful Christmastime.

Blessings

Dorothy