Seventh Day: O Emmanuel . . .

 

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.

Meditation: Advent has run its course. Tomorrow we will begin the Great Feast commemorating that Jesus Christ, true God and true man, was born. Try to put the sloppy sentimental imagery associated with Christmas out of your head.  What we call "The Christmas Story" does not end with Hosanna in Excelsis and a star. That is only the beginning of the story of our redemption. There was much to be suffered before the full history of our salvation through Jesus' saving act would be written. Consider the manger and the shadow the cross cast on it. 

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

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 Genesis chapters 1-10 while orbiting the moon. An interesting side note is that Madalyn Murray O'Hair, a notoriously strident atheist, sued the U.S. government for violating the first amendment. The Supreme Court dismissed the suit due to lack of jurisdiction.  Borman wrote the prayer which he also shared.  That must have made O’Hair nuts. 

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

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

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Today is the last of the antiphons.  Photos are from this morning.  I had the 8 AM Mass.  Took camera with me.  Did not expect a flurry of confession requests after Mass.  Did not have the energy to relight the candles etc.  I like the effect.  

 

Through some decorative ironwork in a door at the back of the chapel.

It was a beautifully sunny day though very cold.  Seven.  Fahrenheit.  

 Fr. Jack, SJ, MD