O Emmanuel

LATIN: O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.

ENGLISH: O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: come to save us, O Lord our God. (From Catholic Online)

Isaiah foretold that “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” (7:14). Remember “Emmanuel” means “God is with us.” (From Catholic Education Resource Network)

Of some note, according to Professor Robert Greenberg, we get an amazing message if we take the first letters of the titles backward in the Latin. They spell out Ero Cras, or “Tomorrow, I will come.” And, indeed, tomorrow Christ does come!

O Rex Gentium

LATIN: O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

ENGLISH:O King of the gentiles and their desired One, the cornerstone that makes both one: come, and deliver man, whom you formed out of the dust of the earth. (From Catholic Online)

Isaiah wrote that “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (2:4) . (From the Catholic Education Resource Network)

The Reason of the Season

So a bit of a more timely rant.

I was on one of the many sites I visit off and on during the day, when I saw a piece talking about how to explain Christmas to kids when they aren’t celebrating the holiday for some reason (in the author’s case because she’s Jewish). And I will note that I absolutely love this line of the author’s:

The appeal of Christmas is that every year we try to chase something we can’t get, and to create the family situation we wished we had. Listen up, Jewish children. For Christmas celebrating peoples, Christmas is a chance to get it right, and even though we inevitably fail, we keep trying. –Julia Sonenshein

And we have to admit it’s kind of true: it’s a time we strive for an ideal of perfection and even though it may not always come through (you can read Carolyn Hax’s Holiday Hootenanny for some great examples of the holidays falling apart), we always come back and try again. I think that says a lot about us as humans and our capacity for hope.

O Oriens

LATIN: O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol iustitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.

ENGLISH: O dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. (From Catholic Online)

Isaiah tells us that “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.” (9:1). (From Catholic Education Resource Network)

 

I’ll admit this is one of my favorites, simply because I love the hymn City of God by Dan Schutte, and this is the verse that the first verse of that song references.

O Clavis David

LATIN: O clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris.

ENGLISH: O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: come, and lead forth the captive who sits in the shadows from his prison. (From Catholic Online)

Isaiah prophesied, “I will place the Key of the House of David on His shoulder; when he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open.” (22:22), and “His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over His kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever.” (9:6). (From Catholic Education Resource Center)

 

O Radix Jesse

O Radix Jesse: LATIN: O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare.

ENGLISH: O Root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: come, to deliver us, and tarry not. (From Catholic Online)

Isaiah tells us that “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (11:1), and A On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” (11:10). Remember also that Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:1). (From Catholic Education Resource Center)