O Emmanuel (O God With Us - Dec 23th)

Today's great O antiphon is "O Emmanuel" - (O God With Us).  How can we possibly comprehend the mystery that God so loved us and desired that we know him intimately, that he took on human flesh and dwelt among us.

[Posting this after the fact (on Christmas day), but our Holy Father's Christmas Eve homily beautifully contemplates 'Emmanuel, God with us'.]

Monsignor Mark J. Seitz of the Diocese of Dallas TX has a beautiful reflection on this today.  It begins with the following:

"God entered concretely, in the flesh, in the midst of human lives and he continues to dwell in the midst of human lives, in the midst of our lives."

He goes on to encourage us to:

"Pause and consider this Mystery anew in this holy Season. Remove it from the restrictive confines of its familiarity. Just pause a moment before the Nativity scene and ponder as did Mary, as did the shepherds and the wise men. And realize that if God entered our history in a given moment, it was a moment whose impact would never cease to be felt."

O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver, the hope of the nations and their Saviour: Come and save us, O Lord our God

* * *

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.

O Come Emmanuel Verse Come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that morns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Veni, veni, Emmanuel captivum solve Israel, qui gemit in exsilio, privatus Dei Filio.   Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel  Nascetur pro te, Israel!

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