Suffering With Joy

O Emmanuel

December 23, 2009

O Emmanuel, Rex et Legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et salvator earum; veni ad salvandum nos, Domine Deus noster.

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Expectation and Savior of the nations, come and save us, O Lord our God.

Isaiah 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.

Isaiah: 33: 22: For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king: he will save us.

Emmanuel means “God with us”.  Jesus promised He would be with us until the end of time.  We find him in the Holy Eucharist.  We receive Him into our hearts at Holy Communion. We ask him to come and rule over our hearts, to help us to live according to His laws. We await His coming this Christmas with great expectation.

And how will we know He has come?  We see him in the arms of Mary, the virgin of virgins, the most holy and perfect virgin.  She presents Emmanuel to us to bow down before and adore.

Tags: Advent, O Antiphons