Focus the Microscope of Christmas, The O Antiphons

Today begins the last prep for Christmas, the seven O Antiphons. They bring the holy day into focus in a big way. O Come Emmanuel is the hymn of the O Antiphons. Today is also the first of the December ember days. So we have abundant opportunities to make this last week before Christmas a time of magnifying our preparation. Even if we've had an Advent with too much emphasis on the secular preparations with decorating and baking, we can spend this last week decorating our hearts and turning up the heat of love for the little King.

If you aren't familiar with the O Antiphons, check out this article. Here's just a bit:

These seven antiphons, which begin on December 17th, and end on December 23rd, Christmas Eve’s Eve – a sort of novena, or rather septena, of seven days, if you will – are as follows, in their Latin original:

O Sapientia, O Adonai, O Radix Iesse, O Clavis David, O Oriens, O Rex Gentium, and O Emmanuel.

They are, in their somewhat variable English translations, O Wisdom, O Lord God, O Root (or Rod) of Jesse, O Key of David, O Rising Sun (or Morning Star), O King of the Nations (or Gentiles) and O Emmanuel. They are the basis for the verses in the traditional chant hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

As for the ember days (practiced four times a year, one set for each season), the winter set begins today and continue on Friday and Saturday. On the Catholic calendars of my youth, the day showed half a fish -- meat only once during the day compared to the whole fish on Friday. These days invite us to fast and focus on prayer and preparation, especially this season before Christmas. They aren't obligatory, but they do remind us of the reason for the season and can help us focus our attention on what's truly important. It isn't the gifts like the Grinch learned. It's God with us.

May these last days fill your heart with the joy of anticipating the newborn King, the Savior of the world.