O Emmanuel
O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!
Emmanuel: God is with us.
Can you imagine the joy in the hearts of Joseph and Mary as they witnessed the birth of the Lord? After all, He is the one whom the prophets had foretold as of old. He was the one who was going to save His people. He was the one who would ransom them from slavery to sin and from death. He was the one who would be named Emmanuel with means God is with us.
He is the one for whom we long.
His coming is what our Advent preparations have been all about.
Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, we will begin the celebration of His birth.
Let us not forget, though, that He not only came once in history, He will come again in glory and majesty.
Do not let our ‘Advent’ end. Let us live each day preparing the way of the Lord!
FAITH ACTION: Reflect upon the words of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
- O Come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.
REFRAIN: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
- O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high, And order all things far and nigh; To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go.
- O come, o come, Thou Lord of might, Who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height In ancient times did give the law, In cloud, and majesty, and awe.
- O come, Thou Rod of Jesse’s stem, From ev’ry foe deliver them That trust Thy mighty power to save, And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
- O come, Thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heav’nly home, Make safe the way that leads on high, That we no more have cause to sigh.
- O come, Thou Dayspring from on high, And cheer us by thy drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death’s dark shadow put to flight.
- O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind; Bid every strife and quarrel cease And fill the world with heaven’s peace.