22 DecemberOffice of Readings | Morning Prayer | Evening Prayer | Night Prayer | MassO Rex gentium!

O Rex géntium et desiderátus eárum, lapísque anguláris, qui facis útraque unum: veni et salva hóminem, quem de limo formásti.“O King of the peoples, whom they long for, the cornerstone, who make the two into one: come and save man, whom you made from clay.”In this, the penultimate of the seven great antiphons to the Magnificat at Vespers which count down the days to Christmas, two new images appear. Jesus is now no longer the king just of Israel, but of all the peoples, who long to be united under his kingship. He is, then, like the stone at the corner of two walls, or (by an ancient and praiseworthy conflation) the keystone which, merely by being there, stops the two sides of an arch from collapsing inwards. These inanimate, even mineral images are appropriate because after all we ourselves are minerals given life by God. As Genesis says, “The Lord God fashioned man of dust from the soil. He breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being.” And Isaiah adds, “We are the clay, you the potter, we are all the work of your hand.”

4th Sunday of AdventOffice of Readings | Morning Prayer | Evening Prayer | Night Prayer | Mass(O Oriens!)

O Oriens,  splendor lucis ætérnæ et sol iustítiæ: veni et illúmina sedéntes in ténebris et umbra mortis.“O Rising Sun, you are the splendour of eternal light and the sun of justice: come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”Yesterday’s antiphon spoke of the people sitting in darkness and shadow and so does today’s, but there is a difference. The light of Christmas is very near. Jesus is nearly here. No longer do we look forward to being led out of our prison: now we look for his light to come and shine into the prison itself, dispelling its darkness.Isaiah sees this future as a present: “The people that walked in darkness has seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone.”For five evenings now the Magnificat antiphon at Vespers has been counting down to the birth of Jesus. There are only two evenings left to go.(Saint Peter Canisius, priest, Doctor (1521 - 1597))

20 DecemberOffice of Readings | Morning Prayer | Evening Prayer | Night Prayer | MassO clavis David!

O clavis David et sceptrum domus Israel; qui áperis et nemo claudit; claudis et nemo áperit: veni et educ vinctum de domo cárceris, sedéntem in ténebris et umbra mortis.“O key of David and sceptre of Israel, you who open and nobody then can close, who close and nobody then can open: come and lead the captive from prison; free those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”The last antiphon celebrated the descent of Jesus from the family of David; today’s antiphon, the middle of the sequence of seven great ‘O Antiphons’ at Vespers, does not recall his descent but looks forward to his royal power, of which David’s was only a shadow and prefiguration.Here is the prophecy spoken by Isaiah: “He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the House of Judah. I place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; should he open, no one shall close, should he close, no one shall open. I drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a throne of glory for his father’s house.” The prophecy was made not about a king but about a mere Master of the Palace, Eliakim, whose family eventually sank into obscurity. But like so many Old Testament prophecies, this one receives a new lease of life as it is illuminated by the light of the rising Sun.(Blessed Scubilion (1797 - 1867))