
Emmanuel
Rex
Oriens
Clavis
Radix
Adonai
Sapientia
Let us conclude this spiritual exercise with the prayer of the Mass of December 24:
Come quickly, we pray, Lord Jesus,
and do not delay, that those who trust in your compassion
may find solace and relief in your coming.
who live and reign with God the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
As our longing for the Saviour intensifies the Lord himself gives us his response to that desire to see the Redeemer which was expressed in those Great Advent Antiphons. The first letters of those seven titles given to the Messiah by the Prophet Isaiah, and which we prayed over the last week, make a Latin sentence: ERO CRAS which means: “Tomorrow I will be there.” It is a profound assurance coming in this hectic time of preparations for the feasts. May this assurance resonate in our minds and hearts. The Lord is not deaf to those who invoke him, particularly to those who desire to welcome him into their lives.
If you have some time today I would like to encourage you to take your Bible and once again retrace the journey we have just completed praying the Great Advent Antiphons. It could be your meditation leading you to Christmas.
O Sapientia (O Wisdom ) Is. 11:2-3; 28:29
O Adonai (O Adonai ) Is. 11:4-5; 33:22
O Radix Jesse (O root of Jesse) Is. 11:1, 10
O Clavis David (O key of David) Is. 9:6; 22:22
O Oriens (O Rising Sun) Is. 9:1
O Rex Gentium (O King o nations) Is. 2:4; 9:5
O Emmanuel (O God with us) Is. 7:14
Have a prayerful final day of Advent.