Rejoice! Ero Cras! - Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
 

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

 O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.

Emmanuel

God with us

Isaias 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

Finally! The last O Antiphon, which the birth of Christ, our Lord is upon us.

While I've been familiar with and praying Liturgy of the Hours for some time now, it was not until preparations for a retreat that fell in the fall of 2009 that I really understood the O Antiphons and the role they play in preparing us for Christmas. As my first post on this topic told, "The seven "O Antiphons" (also called the "Greater Antiphons" or "Major Antiphons") are prayers that come from the Breviary's Vespers during the Octave (8 days) before Christmas Eve, a time which is called the "Golden Nights.""

Each Antiphon begins with "O" and addresses Jesus with a unique title which comes from the prophecies of Isaias and Micheas (Micah), and whose initials, when read backwards, form an acrostic for the Latin "Ero Cras" which means "Tomorrow I come." Those titles for Christ are:

Sapientia
Adonai
Radix Jesse
Clavis David
Oriens
Rex Gentium
Emmanuel

Hopefully, God has blessed you these last seven days to see a deeper meaning of the Advent season in preparing our hearts and our families for Christmas, the coming of Christ. Not just buying gifts, putting up the Christmas tree or baking the ever sweet treats that come with the season, but really reflecting on the Savior of the World, come to set us free from darkness and death.

A sister in Christ of mine just posted a note on facebook today of recognizing the simplicity of the season. She indicated trying to follow a complex prayer and advent reflection schedule, ... well, she says very well what much of my advent season has been, less the actually lights and decorations (since I moved I didn't put much up). Aww-spiration.

Here goes:

"Light Displays. Wreaths. Candies. Presents. Ornaments. Parties. All of these items seem to be expected parts of the season leading up to Christmas. And yet, as Advent draws to an end and Christmas draws near, I've realized that the bright lights, shiny gift wrap, and parties no longer attract my attention.

I noticed this one night about a week ago as I sat in my living room trying to understand what I should be getting out of Advent. Our Christmas tree was very beautifully lit up in the dark, but that is not what captured my heart.

What captured my heart wasn't the pretty tree, but a simple wooden Nativity scene above the cabinet where the television sits. Looking into the room, you can hardly see it because the wood almost matches the entertainment center. And the Nativity Scene isn't anything like the elaborate ones you see outside of many churches. In fact, the wooden figures don't even have faces. But the simplicity of the Nativity Scene mesmerized me. It left me in complete awe. In it contained the simplicity of one of the biggest Christian beliefs. And it was simple. It was humble. It was the God of the Universe coming to mankind, not in an elaborate show with flashing lights, but as a baby boy in a manger. The humbleness and simplicity of Jesus' birth leaves me in awe - how he left all the elaborate beauty and richness in the Kingdom of Heaven to dwell with us on Earth - in a world filled with dirtiness, sinfulness, meagerness and brokenness.

And not just Jesus, but also Mary and Joseph. Was it not the simplicity of Mary's faith and her "yes" to God's will that contributed so profoundly to this plan of our salvation? Her ability to trust and not make God's message at the Annunciation too complex, but to humbly reply "I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy Word" shows a deep faith I dearly hope to one day possess! Joseph too was a good model of simplicity and humility. No word is attributed to him in the Bible, which is sometimes overlooked by many today. No word - he didn't need to have the attention, he didn't need to really be recognized for his role in the Holy Family.

I could go on and on about the simplicity of the manger, of the shepherds, and possibly even the Magi. But it is truly the simplicity and humility of Christ's birth that should capture our lives, transform our souls, and renew our hearts. The bright lights, gift exchanges, and decorations are fun, but they are not at the center of what Christmas and Advent are about.

I found this simplicity again in the Church this Advent. When the rest of the world put up Christmas decorations days after Thanksgiving, the Church put up a plain Advent wreath with four simple candles. When radios tried tirelessly to make the most popular and catchy Christmas carols, the Church faithful sang over and over the ancient lyrics of a simple hymn, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."

And now, with two days remaining in Advent, I have finally realized what I should be doing and getting out of Advent - simplicity. I tried to have a complex prayer schedule to ready myself for Christ's birth. I tried to find complex ways to do alms giving and fast and grow in my faith. However, the times that benefited me the most were the simple, humble experiences where I just gave God the time to gently take control and lead me. I am guilty of trying to make my faith journey too complex, but now I realize the closer you are to God, the simpler you become. God has the plan; He just wants simple souls to trust in His plan.

May God bless you and help you grow in faith this Christmas,"