Nativity of Christ in the Flesh The last eight articles have been on the seven “O Antiphons” used in the Liturgy Advent and which contain rich Biblical images for the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The antiphons are: O Wisdom; O Sacred Lord; O Root of Jesse; O Key of David; O Radiant Dawn; O King of All Nations; O Emmanuel. These antiphons are also paraphrased in the popular carol, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel . The deacon St. Ephraim the Syrian (c. 306-373), an incredible poet and hymn writer, wrote a marvelous Christmas hymn with many biblical images of the Messiah. Following is a portion of Hymn I for the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh . This is the day that gladdened them, the Prophets, Kings, and Priests, for in it were their words fulfilled, and thus were the whole of them indeed performed! For the Virgin this day brought forth Immanuel in Bethlehem. The voice that of old Isaiah spake, today became reality.... The Psalm that David once sang, by i...

Virgin Birth       Christmas celebrates the miraculous birth of Christ Jesus our Lord over two millennia ago. Miraculous meaning not in the ordinary course of nature. As the angel Gabriel told Mary, “With God, nothing will be impossible” ( Lk 1:37 ). Jesus puts that truth this way: “What is impossible with men [humanity] is possible with God” ( Lk 18:27 ; cf.. Mt 19:26 ; Mk 10:27 ).       Last week we discussed Isaiah’s prophecy: “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [Emmanuel]” ( Is 7:14 ). The Hebrew word translated “virgin” here is “ almah ,” which can mean “virgin” or “young woman,” and virginity was expected of every young woman. There is a separate word, “ bethulah ,” that means a virgin specifically, and the two terms can be used interchangeably as with Rebekah ( Gen 24:16, 43 ).       The Greek Septuagint translation (3rd Century ...

O Antiphons: O Emmanuel       This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and the “O Antiphon” we consider this week is the Lord’s Messianic title, “O Emmanuel.” This is the last of the seven “O Antiphons” we have discussed over the last six weeks.       The antiphon for Vespers is:           O Emmanuel, King and Lawgiver,           Desire of the Nations, Savior of All People,           come and set us free, Lord our God.       The Alleluia for Mass modifies it as, “O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law: come to save us, Lord our God!”       Isaiah’s prophecy giving us the messianic title of “Emmanuel” (or “Immanuel”) is from a prophetic word to King Ahaz (ca. 735-715 BC): “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,...

  O Antiphons: O King of All the Nations       This Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent, and the “O Antiphon” we consider this week is the Lord’s Messianic title, “O King of All the Nations.”  The antiphon for Vespers is:           O King of all the nations,           the only Joy of every human heart;           O Keystone of the mighty arch of man,           come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust. The Alleluia for Mass modifies it as, “O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!”       We start with the last phrase, the “dust.” Genesis 2:7 tells us, “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” The prophet Isaiah has this to say to us creatures of dust: “Your d...

O Antiphons: O Radiant Dawn   This Sunday is the Second Sunday of Advent, and the “O Antiphon” we consider this week is the Lord’s Messianic title, “O Radiant Dawn.” This antiphon reads the same both for Vespers and at Mass: O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death. The Latin is “ O Oriens ,” which can mean “rising” and “dawn,” so sometimes this is translated, “O Rising Dawn.” The Antiphon tells us of a radiance of the rising dawn, a splendor of light that is eternal, a “sun” who is justice and righteousness – the Messiah – who will dawn upon our darkness, shadows, gloom, and death. Isaiah prophesies, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown” (Is 9:1; quoted at Mt 4:16 as fulfilled in Christ). And, “Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily” (Is 58...