We ask you, humbly, to help.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

The O Antiphons: 21 December

O Oriens

LATIN: O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol iustitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.

ENGLISH: O dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death

Scripture Reference:

Luke 1:78, 79
Malachi 4:2

Relevant verse of Veni, Veni Emmanuel:

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer,
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.

The version from the Dominican antiphonarium:

REFLECTION: We are all desperately in need of a Savior, a Redeemer who is capable of ransoming from the darkness of our sins and from the blinding and numbing wound of ignorance from which we all suffer. In their terrible Fall, our First Parents inflicted grave wounds in the souls of every person who would live after them, except of course - by an act of singular grace - the Mother of God. Our wills are damaged. Our intellect is clouded. In Christ we have the Truth, the sure foundation of what is lasting. All else, apart from Him fails and fades into dark obscurity. He brings clarity and light back to our souls when we are baptized or when we return to Him through the sacrament of penance.

At Holy Mass of the ancient Church, Christians would face "East", at least symbolically, so that they could greet the Coming of the Savior, both in the consecration of the bread and wine and in the expectation of the glorious return of the King of Glory. They turned to the rising sun who is Justice Itself, whose light will lay bare the truth of our every word, thought and deed in the Final Day.

This is the Solstice day, for the Northern Hemisphere the day which provides us with the least daylight of the year. From this point onward in the globe's majestic arc about the sun, we of the north, benefit from increasing warmth and illumination. It is as if God in His Wisdom, provided within the framework of the cosmos object lessons by which we might come to grasp something of His good plan for our salvation.

Let us turn to the LIGHT, repent our evil ways and habits, and grasp onto Christ in His Holy Church, for as we read in Scripture:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God."

John 3:16-21 (RSV)

Enjoy our RCIA class? Pay it Forward

Light your Free Virtual Prayer Candle: We will pray with you

Catholic PDFs - Print - Free Light a Virtual Prayer Candle

Biblical Lost Alphabet Traced Back to Ancient Canaanite Civilization

Enjoy Daily Readings? Pay it Forward

St. Benedict Door Hang 15% off

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.

The O Antiphons: 21 December

O Oriens

Enjoy our RCIA class? Pay it Forward

More Advent & Christmas

Advent & Christmas 2023

Begins Sunday December 3, 2023

Ends on Sunday December 24, 2023

Christ the King

Advent 2023 starts on Sunday December 3, 2023

Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary[holy day of obligation]

Advent 2023 ends on Sunday December 24, 2023

ChristmasBirth of Our Lord Jesus[holy day of obligation]

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God[holy day of obligation]

Epiphany

Enjoy our Confirmation Class? Pay it Foward

Advent Reflections

Advent Calendar

Advent Candle

Advent Wreath

Advent & Christmas Classes

Advent & Christmas PDFs

Christmas Gifts

Nativity Scene

St. Nicholas

Shop Prayer Cards

More Advent

More Christmas

Explore More

The Battle for Catholic Education - Prevent the Collapse Now!

More Advent & Christmas

Free Catholic PDF's - Home / Parish / School / Bulletin Inserts

Love is Born on Christmas Morn, and the World is Born Anew Watch

Advent Reflection - Day 22- The Fourth Sunday of Advent Watch

Advent Reflection - Day 21 - The Third Saturday of Advent Watch

Light your Free Virtual Prayer Candle: We will pray with you

Join the MovementWhen you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Daily Catholic

Enjoy Daily Readings? Pay it Forward

St. Benedict Door Hang 15% off

Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
[holy day of obligation]

Christmas
Birth of Our Lord Jesus
[holy day of obligation]

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
[holy day of obligation]

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.