O Antiphons
Depressed or lonely at Christmas? (and the winter solstice)
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Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
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.
~ O Antiphons
There sometimes can be a lot of depression swirling around at Christmas.
People can feel lonelier because we’re expected to be more cheerful and we may just not feel it.
This blog is meant for us to pray and reach out and notice these folks.
Let’s be with folks who have lost a loved one and who still miss them.
With kids who are shuffled back from one parent to another to “celebrate” the holidays.
With soldiers far away from home and from their families.
And so, may we pray:
There are sometimes dark clouds in our lives, Lord.
Pierce the gloominess of our lives with Your very own Light.
May we allow You to dawn in us and on us this day.
May we be ready for Your dawning in a new way in our lives this Christmas.
May this celebration of Jesus’ birth bring meaning and joy in the midst of our worries and concerns.
And may we BE the dawning of your light and love and justice
in our homes, our neighborhoods, our jobs, our world.
And there are dark and ominous clouds over our world right now, Lord.
Pierce our greed and hate, fear and complacency, violence with hope, Lord.
May we pray earnestly for a new dawn for our beloved country and our world. We need healing in our nation right now, Lord.
May we BE the dawning of your light and love and justice in our land.
Lord Jesus, come! May we be ready for the dawn of your coming in a new way this Christmas,
May the light of that dawning transform our lives and our land.
We need Your Light and Your Love more than ever.
COME LORD JESUS!
And this morning the Winter Solstice occurred in the northern hemisphere at 5:44am. It’s the shortest day of the year, and is a major celebration for our pagan brothers and sisters, most notably at Stonehenge in Great Britain. I do not use the term pagan pejoratively; they are the peoples who are reverently close to the earth.
Did you know the date of Christmas was taken from the winter solstice because it marks, in the northern hemisphere, the beginning of the ascendency of the sun? It connotes the phrase in Scripture in which John the Baptist says the “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30). And the Baptist’s feast day, likewise is near the summer solstice on June 24th. Thus, the church did not hesitate to borrow from the existing pagan customs. Christmas trees, for example, came from Germany and the wreath symbolized eternity were again pagan customs.
Did you know that in the middle ages they lit real candles on their Christmas trees? How ’bout that? Times were more quiet and peaceful back then, with less anger to upset the trees, I would surmise, and more well-behaved kids?
Some Christians today misunderstand our “cross-enculturation” of things that once had a pagan origin and sometimes berate those of us who celebrate Christmas.
Now before you go, here’s a charming version of Tiny Tim’s “God bless us, everyone” from Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, composed and sung by Andrea Bocelli. Click here. Be sure to enter full screen and turn up your speakers.
And here are today’s Mass readings, if you would like to reflect on them. Click here.
Advent Day 22 ~ O Rising Dawn! ~ and the winter solstice
TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT
“O Rising Dawn, splendor of eternal Light and Sun of Justice:
come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.”
~ O Antiphons
Yesterday evening at 11:49 pm EST, we observed the Winter Solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, and celebrated by our pagan brothers and sisters. I do not use the term pejoratively; they are the peoples who are reverently close to the earth.
Actually the date of Christmas was taken from the winter solstice because it marks, in the northern hemisphere, the beginning of the ascendency of the sun. It connotes the phrase from John 3:22-30 in which John the Baptist says the “He must increase, I must decrease.” And the Baptist’s feast, likewise is near the summer solstice on June 24th. Thus, the church did not hesitate to borrow from the existing pagan customs. Christmas trees, for example, came from Germany and the wreathe symbolized eternity. Again, these were pagan customs.
Did you know that in the middle ages they lit real candles on their Christmas trees? How ’bout that?
Some Christians today misunderstand our “cross-enculturation” of things that once had a pagan origin and sometimes berate those of us who celebrate Christmas.
Here’s my prayer for today . . . .
O John, In your humility,
you knew there was One to come ~
that you were only to prepare the way for Him.
Help me ~ help us to prepare my heart ~ our hearts for Him this Christmas.
Help us to prepare a way for Him in our world today.
COME LORD JESUS!
Now before you go, here’s a terrific music video of Tiny Tim’s “God bless us, everyone” from Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, composed and sung by Andrea Bocelli. Click here. Be sure to enter full screen and turn up your speakers.
And here are today’s Mass readings. if you’d like to reflect on them. Click here.
With Love,
Bob Traupman,
contemplative writer
Advent Day 21 ~ Depressed or lonely at Christmas?
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.
~ O Antiphons
MONDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT
There sometimes can be a lot of depression swirling around at Christmas.
People can feel lonelier because we’re expected to be cheerier and some of us just don’t feel it.
This blog is meant for us to pray and reach out and notice these folks.
Let’s be with folks who have lost a loved one and still miss them.
With kids who are shuffled back from one parent to another to “celebrate” the holidays.
With soldiers far away from home and their families at home without them.
With refugees and immigrants far from their homelands and loved ones.
And so, may we pray:
There are sometimes dark clouds in our lives, Lord.
Pierce the gloominess of our lives with Your very own Light.
May we allow You to dawn in us this day.
May we be ready for Your dawning in a new way in our lives this Christmas.
May this celebration of Jesus’ birth bring meaning and joy in the midst of our worries and concerns.
And may we BE the dawning of your light and love and justice
in our homes, our neighborhoods, our work places, our world.
And there are dark and ominous clouds over our world right now, Lord.
Pierce our greed and hate, fear and complacency and violence with hope, Lord.
May we pray earnestly for a new dawn for our beloved country and our world.
May we BE the dawning of your light and love and justice in our land.
Lord Jesus, come! May we be ready for the dawn of your coming in a new way this Christmas,
May the light of that dawning transform our lives and our land.
We need Your Light and Your Love more than ever.
Now, before you go, here’s an enjoyable music video for you. Click here. Be sure to turn up your speakers and enter full screen.
And here are today’s Mass readings, if you’d like to reflect on them. Click here.
With love,
Bob Traupman
contemplative writer
Advent Day 16 – The Burning Bush of the World and Hanukkah Day 1
Tuesday of the third week of Advent
Advent themes are all about waiting for light to shine in our darkness.
For we who are Christians we await, Jesus, Yeshua, who is for us the Light of the World.
And Hanukkah, which begins tonight at first starlight is also about light.
We prepare a place for him to shine in our own hearts this day.
We invite you to search out your own inner meaning whatever that might be.
In the Catholic liturgy just before Christmas, one of the magnificent O Antiphons appears:
O Adonai and Ruler of the House of Israel,
you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and on Mount Sinai gave him your law.
Come, and with outstretched arm redeem us.
And my prayer . . .
O Adonai*, we need you in our world more than ever!
You appeared in the burning bush long ago.
I remember this awesome sunrise several years ago over the ocean at St. Augustine Beach.
I’m reminded of the old sailor’s maxim: “Red at night, a sailor’s delight; red in the morning, sailor’s take warning.”
Come with your refiner’s fire and burn your way into our hearts.
so that we can prepare the way for the Messiah to come into our lives,
into our homes,
our workplace and marketplace,
our neighborhoods
our beloved country,
our waiting world!
Come Lord Jesus!
______
What are the “O Antiphons?” One of the most cherished collections of our ancient liturgical chants are the seven “O Antiphons” which are sung each of the seven nights before Christmas at Vespers. They have beautiful chant melodies. I am using some of them interspersed in the next 9 days before Christmas. Here is a web site that has information and recordings of all seven. Click here. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page; when you see the little speaker symbol with a music note next to it, click on it and it will give you the recording for each O Antiphon you want.
Here is an audio slide show of O come,O Come. O Come Emmanuel for your reflection. Click here. Be sure to turn up your speakers and enter full screen.
* Adonai — one of the names the Jewish people use for God.
With love,
Bob Traupman
contemplative writer
Advent Day 16 – The Burning Bush of the World
Monday of the third week of Advent
Advent themes are all about waiting for light to shine in our darkness.
For we who are Christians we await, Jesus, Yeshua, who is for us the Light of the World.
We prepare a place for him to shine in our own hearts this day.
We invite you to search out your own inner meaning whatever that might be.
In the Catholic liturgy just before Christmas, one of the magnificent O Antiphons appears:
O Adonai and Ruler of the House of Israel,
you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and on Mount Sinai gave him your law.
Come, and with outstretched arm redeem us.
And my prayer . . .
O Adonai*, we need you in our world more than ever!
You appeared in the burning bush long ago.
I remember this awesome sunrise several years ago over the ocean at St. Augustine Beach.
I’m reminded of the old sailor’s maxim: “Red at night, a sailor’s delight; red in the morning, sailor’s take warning.”
Come with your refiner’s fire and burn your way into our hearts.
so that we can prepare the way for the Messiah to come into our lives,
into our homes,
our workplace and marketplace,
our neighborhoods
our beloved country,
our waiting world!
Come Lord Jesus!
______
What are the “O Antiphons?” One of the most cherished collections of our ancient liturgical chants are the seven “O Antiphons” which are sung each of the seven nights before Christmas at Vespers. They have beautiful chant melodies. I am using some of them interspersed in the next 9 days before Christmas. Here is a web site that has information and recordings of all seven. Click here. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page; when you see the little speaker symbol with a music note next to it, click on it and it will give you the recording for each O Antiphon you want.
Here is an audio slide show of O come,O Come. O Come Emmanuel for your reflection. Click here. Be sure to turn up your speakers and enter full screen.
* Adonai — one of the names the Jewish people use for God.
With love,
Bob Traupman
contemplative writer
ADVENT DAY 18 ~ THE BURNING BUSH OF THE WORLD
O ADONAI AND RULER OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL,
YOU APPEARED TO MOSES IN THE FIRE OF THE BURNING BUSH
AND ON MOUNT SINAI GAVE HIM YOUR LAW.
COME, AND WITH OUTSTRETCHED ARM, REDEEM US.
~ O ANTIPHONS
WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT
YESTERDAY, WE SAID THAT ONE OF THE ADVENT THEMES WAS THAT OF WAITING.
WE’LL NUANCE THAT TODAY AND SAY THAT A FURTHER THEME IS TO WATCH FOR LIGHT TO SHINE IN OUR DARKNESS.
FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE CHRISTIANS AWAIT, JESUS,YESHUA, WHO IS FOR US THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
WE PREPARE A PLACE FOR HIM TO SHINE IN OUR OWN HEARTS THIS DAY.
WE INVITE YOU TO SEARCH OUT YOUR OWN INNER MEANING WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.
AND MY PRAYER . . .
O ADONAI*, WE NEED YOU IN OUR WORLD MORE THAN EVER!
YOU APPEARED IN THE BURNING BUSH LONG AGO.
I REMEMBER THIS AWESOME SUNRISE THREE YEARS AGO OVER THE OCEAN AT ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH.
I’M REMINDED OF THE OLD SAILOR’S MAXIM: “RED AT NIGHT, A SAILOR’S DELIGHT; RED IN THE MORNING, SAILOR’S TAKE WARNING.”
COME WITH YOUR REFINER’S FIRE AND BURN YOUR WAY INTO OUR HEARTS,
SO THAT WE CAN PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE MESSIAH TO COME INTO OUR LIVES,
INTO OUR HOMES,
OUR WORKPLACE AND MARKETPLACE,
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
OUR BELOVED COUNTRY,
OUR WAITING WORLD!
COME LORD JESUS!
______
WHAT ARE THE “O ANTIPHONS?”
THEY’RE ONE OF THE MOST CHERISHED COLLECTIONS OF OUR ANCIENT LITURGICAL CHANTS. THE SEVEN “O ANTIPHONS”ARE SUNG EACH OF THE SEVEN NIGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS AT VESPERS. THEY HAVE BEAUTIFUL CHANT MELODIES. I AM SHOWING YOU SOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL TEXTS THIS WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
HERE IS AN AUDIO SLIDE SHOW OF O COME, O COME EMMANUEL FOR YOUR REFLECTION THAT IS AN ENGLISH POETIC TRANSLATION OF THESE 7 ANTIPHONS. WHEN YOU GET TO YOU TUBE THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER PRESENTATIONS OF THE MELODY AVAILABLE INCLUDING A HAUNTING ONE BY ENYA. ENJOY.
* ADONAI IS ONE OF THE NAMES THE JEWISH PEOPLE USE FOR GOD.
WITH LOVE,
BOB TRAUPMAN
CONTEMPLATIVE WRITER
Advent Day 16 ~ O Radiant Dawn ~ A Memorial
In Ramah is heard the sound of moaning,
of bitter weeping!
Rachel mourns her children
she refuses to be consoled
because her children are no more
~ (Jer 31:15).
Wherever I saw little kids playing in the streets as I drove home from church this morning, my mind and heart would turn to the picture in Saturday’s paper. And even now, as I try to write the next word, the word is grief. And the next is tears, because I have them now.
You know, the infant Jesus was threatened by violence himself. So, the Christmas story is not all sweetness and light. The Wise Men inquired of Herod where the newborn King of the Jews was born. Seething with diabolical fury because of his jealousy, Herod orders the massacre of all who resemble Jesus in gender and age.
Three days after Christmas each year, we thus have the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the very first martyrs. The Mass text proclaims:
The innocents were slaughtered as infants for Christ;
spotless, they follow the Lamb and sing for ever: Glory to you, O Lord.
I would think the same is true for our own dear innocent children ~ not that all of them are Christian, but that will in their own way sing for ever.
Psalm 124 states, “Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.” So, for many, an eternal life of happiness and a reunion with loved ones is indeed a consolation. But, for those who are left behind, especially the parents of these dearest ones, the trauma, the shock will take all the faith, all the courage, all the strength that they can muster to survive this tragedy.
Jesus’ Mother Mary is some help as an inspiration here and as someone to pray to. When Jesus was circumcised in the temple, the old man Simeon prophesied to Mary “a sword will pierce your soul.” We’ve all seen images of Michelangelo’s Pieta with Mary holding the dead body of her son in her lap. No one wants to bury their own child! When my best priest friend died at age 46, his Mom kept saying What a dirty trick, What a dirty trick.
So, here we are one week from Christmas Eve. The Church begins the wonderful ancient O Antiphons this evening at vespers. I’ve selected this one and the image for this post to match it because it will almost conclude my thought the day, but you must watch at least the first of two very powerful videos ~ Surely He hath borne our grief.
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the
shadow of death.
~ O Antiphons
The first powerful music video is Surely He hath borne our grief. The second one is equally powerful I know my Redeemer lives, and is sung by Al Green. You’ll find just to the right of your screen. Click here. Be sure to enter full screen and turn up your speakers.
Remember to keep these people in Connecticut in your prayers,
With love,
Bob Traupman
contemplative writer
Advent Day 19 ~ The Burning Bush of the World
Saturday of the third week of Advent
Christmas Eve is a week away.
Advent themes are all about waiting for light to shine in our darkness.
For we who are Christians we await, Jesus, Yeshua, who is for us the Light of the World.
We prepare a place for him to shine in our own hearts this day.
We invite you to search out your own inner meaning whatever that might be.
Here is one of the magnificent O Antiphons that appears in the liturgy as a countdown to Christmas:
O Adonai and Ruler of the House of Israel,
you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and on Mount Sinai gave him your law.
Come, and with outstretched arm redeem us.
And my prayer . . .
O Adonai*, we need you in our world more than ever!
You appeared in the burning bush long ago.
I remember this awesome sunrise two years ago over the ocean at St. Augustine Beach.
I’m reminded of the old sailor’s maxim: “Red at night, a sailor’s delight; red in the morning, sailor’s take warning.”
Come with your refiner’s fire and burn your way into our hearts.
so that we can prepare the way for the Messiah to come into our lives,
into our homes,
our workplace and marketplace,
our neighborhoods
our beloved country,
our waiting world!
Come Lord Jesus!
______
What are the “O Antiphons?” One of the most cherished collections of our ancient liturgical chants are the seven “O Antiphons” that are sung each of the seven nights before Christmas at Vespers beginning tonight. They have beautiful chant melodies. I am using some of them interspersed in the next week before Christmas.
Here is a dramatic audio slide show of O come, O come Emmanuel for your reflection (which is the text of the seven O antiphons. Be sure to turn up your speakers and enter full screen
* Adonai — one of the names the Jewish people use for God.
For those those of you interested in Gregorian Chant, here is a web site that has information and recordings of the chant melodies of all seven. (Scroll down to the bottom of the chart. The recordings for each antiphon are there; you have to click on the audio sign for each. Have patience! It’s well worth it.)
With love,
Bob Traupman
contemplative writer
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