23 December

23 December 

 

O Emmanuel, 

Rex et legifer noster, 

exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum:

veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.

 

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.

 

 

Photo:  Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Campion Center, Weston, MA.  The four advent candles lit for the final time.  

 

Meditation:  Advent has run its course.  Tomorrow we begin the Great Feast, commemorating that Jesus Christ, true God and true man, was born into this world on which we too live and die.  Try to put the sloppy sentimental imagery out of your head.  What we call "The Christmas Story" does not end with the angels' Hosanna, in Excelsis.  It is barely the beginning of the story of our redemption.  There was much to be suffered before the final chapter in the history of our salvation through Jesus' saving act would be written. 

 

 

Prayer: 

 

Give us, O God, the vision 

which can see Your love in the world 

in spite of human failure.

Give us the faith to trust Your goodness 

in spite of our ignorance and weakness.

Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray 

with understanding hearts.

And show us what each one of us can do 

to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace.

 

                                                        Frank Borman,

                                                            Apollo 8 space mission, 1968

 

Background for this prayer.  On Christmas Eve 1968 the Apollo 8 astronauts, Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, and Frank Borman broadcast live from their space capsule.  Each of them read part of the Creation narrative from Genesis chapters 1-10 while orbiting the moon.  An interesting side note is that Madalyn Murray O'Hair, the chronically hostile notorious atheist, sued the U.S. government claiming that the astronauts violated the first amendment.  The Supreme Court dismissed the suit because of lack of jurisdiction.  Borman wrote the above prayer for Christmas Day.  It is most appropriate today. 

 

Lagniappe: 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel.'  Even more appropriate tonight than the first day of Advent.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSRocN1dTrM

(Latin)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoqMJxlaUnQ

(English, the late Jessye Norman)