O Come, O Come Emmanuel

This is the time we become more and more excited about the coming of Christmas and the coming of Jesus.

During the final days of Advent there are special prayers that can be said each day, asking Jesus to come soon. We know these as the “O Antiphons.” Beginning on December 17th and continuing through December 23rd, each evening, one of the 7 “O Antiphons is said (sung). They begin with the titles for Jesus which were chosen from the Bible.

The Song “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is a version of the O Antiphons so if you know that song you can choose the correct verse each evening and sing that. Here is a list of the days and the “O Antiphon” that corresponds: December 17 is “O Wisdom”; December 18 is “O Adonai” (which means Lord in Hebrew); December 19 is “O Flower of Jesse” (Jesse was King David’s Father and the Savior was to come from the root of Jesse); December 20 is “O Key of David”, these are quite a few different names for Jesus. Can you think of a reason why he might be called each of these wonderful names? The antiphon for December 21st is “O Daystar” (and since the 21st is the shortest day of the year this is the perfect way to use the old word for the sun); December 22nd is “O King”; and December 23rd is “O Emmanuel” (this means God is with us). Then on December 24th at sundown our Advent waiting is over and Christmas begins.

This might be a good year to start an Advent tradition of using the “O Antiphons” with your family. A wonderful way to end the day and give praise to Jesus at bedtime.
(from Take Me Home: ©LTP 1991)