[Salvation]

Antiphon for December 23

 

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of the nations and their
Savior.  Come and save us, O Lord our God.
 

Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel".

Isaiah 33:22: "Indeed the Lord will be there with us,  majestic.  Yes, the Lord our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king, he it is who will save
us".

With this last antiphon our expectation finds joy now in the certainty of fulfillment.  We call Jesus by one of the most personal and intimate of his titles, Emmanuel, God-with-us.  We recall that in his birth from the Virgin Mary God takes on our very flesh and human nature: God coming nearer to us than we could have ever imagined!  Yet he is also to be exalted above us as our king, the lawgiver and judge, the one whom we honor and obey.  And he is our savior, long-expected by all creation.  The final cry rises from us urgent in our need for daily salvation and forgiveness of our sins, and confident that our God will not withhold himself from us.  

[Salvation]

Title:	Meaning:	Old Testament prophetic verses:
Emmanuel	God with us	Isaias 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

[Grateful2God]

The final cry rises from us urgent in our need for daily salvation and forgiveness of our sins, and confident that our God will not withhold himself from us.

This year, I had four deaths in my family, two were a matter of days apart. I lost my job due to failing health and have had no income since. It could have been a complete nightmare, but: I have hope in prayer for those who have gone before me; I attended a parish mission; made a 33-day Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for her triumph in the world; attended a Life in the Spirit seminar. Without my Faith, that knowledge the Jesus is there every step of the way, and that Mary is my Mother who keeps us under her mantle, as she told St. Juan Diego, I would be lost. This Christmas doesn't have presents or decorations, and I have not been out much. My days have been more prayerful, and thus I feel closer to Jesus, operating on blind trust in Him. Praise God in all things, for soon shall come Emmanuel: He is truly God With Us-always!

A blessed Advent; a Merry Christmas; and God's Peace to you, one and all!