Two of my favorite moments of Advent are Gaudete Sunday and the O Antiphons. And while I’m kind of sad that my favorite liturgical season is the shortest it can be this year, this Sunday gives me extra reason for rejoicing: Gaudete Sunday begins the O Antiphons!
The O Antiphons begin the octave before Christmas. While octaves following important feast days (Easter, Christmas, Pentecost) are an important part of our liturgical celebrations, this octave precedes the feast. We are in the homestretch of preparation – we can see the light on the horizon. The Gospel readings at daily Mass begin to tell the story of the birth of Christ as found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
The O Antiphons belong to this time. Each day, all over the world, Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) is prayed at Vespers (Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours). It is preceded by a short verse or prayer called an antiphon. From December 17-23, these antiphons invoke Our Lord using rich biblical titles for the Messiah. You may recognize them from the beloved Advent hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel. They are also prayed as the Alleluia verses at daily Mass during the octave. The exact origin of the antiphons is unknown, but they are mentioned as early as the 6th century. By the 8th century, they were used in liturgical celebrations in Rome. When the first letter of each (Latin) title is read backwards, the seven spell Ero cras – tomorrow I will be!
Beginning Sunday, I will be sending out short meditations on each of the O Antiphon titles to my email list. If you’re interested, you can sign up here.
This Sunday is our reminder that we live in joyful hope. Why? Not because this life is easy, nor because all suffering has been taken away from this earthly existence. Rather, we live in joyful hope knowing that the promises of the Old Testament have been fulfilled. A people who walked in darkness, who knew the writings of the prophets and longed for their fulfilment, who waited for the consolation of Israel… have seen a great light.
The readings at Mass this weekend are a reminder that we live in this joyful time of fulfilment:
- The first reading is the famous prophecy of Isaiah which Christ Himself proclaimed fulfilled in a synagogue in Nazareth. Do we live as if we share that anointing?
- The Responsorial Psalm chosen by the Church for this Gaudete Sunday compels us to share in Mary’s praise and joy, as we thank our God for not leaving his people orphan. Do we live in gratitude, as people saved?
- Paul commands us in the second reading to live with joy. We are not a people forgotten or abandoned. Do we live in the Spirit?
Perhaps we need to be shaken out of our complacency. Christians! There is joy is simply living anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi. Is this life hard? Sure. But not as hard as it would be without a Savior. I want to see a Christian people living in joy, grateful for their Messiah. Christians live differently, because our joy is a manifestation of our gratitude for promises fulfilled.
Our God has come to live with us! We have a Savior who is not deaf to our cries. These last few weeks of Advent, cultivate that gift of joy in your life. It doesn’t mean I’m waking up every morning singing. Nor does it mean I’m walking around with a fake smile plastered to my face or that I never have a bad day. It doesn’t even mean that I’m always cheerful. It certainly doesn’t mean we lack crosses in life.
I don’t have joy because my life is full of roses and butterflies and comfort. I have joy because I know the answer to the thorns and the crosses. The answer is Jesus Christ, and He has come to live with us. “The one who calls you is faithful… “for he has remembered his promise of mercy…”
Rejoice! The Lord is near.
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