Day 5: Comfort and Cheer

The fifth antiphon:

O Rising Sun, You are the splendour of eternal light and the sun of justice.

O Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here;

disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

During stressful seasons it is natural to fall back into living by the law of scarcity. It will require a conscious effort on our part to remember that the cheer we might bring springs from the original source - God himself. We do not have to give away that which we do not have or will never possess. But we are given the opportunity to recognize the gifts of light God is providing for us day in and day out.

At night, it is hard to remember such things. Our anxiety creeps up on our quieting mind. Fears run rampant. It’s not just children who fear the monsters in their closet.

So in the daylight, we must run with some degree of haste to comfort and cheer those around us. No comfort and cheer in your heart? No worries! Practice it anyway. You were never the source!

Day 6: Small, Gentle Steps

The fourth antiphon:

O Key of David and sceptre of israel, what You open, no one can close again;

what You close, no one can open.

O come to lead the captive from prison;

free those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O come, Though Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home;

make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

As we light our collective candles from our socially distanced homes, how do we grapple with our responsibility to lead captives from prison? The most logical place to start would be to acknowledge the prisons we know. What prisons have we lived in?

Struggled with depression? How can we advocate for the depressed?

Know the debilitating effects of anxiety? How do we support and encourage calm, peace and serenity in the world?

Know first hand the ravages of substance abuse? How do we support recovery?

So often we believe that our work should be high falutin’ and beyond our personal experience. This is not so!

Tonight, think about your own seasons of darkness, your own times of living in the shadow of death. If you are still there, right now, this minute, who can you reach out to for support? But if you are not, who are you loving, who is where you once were?

Small. Gentle. Next right steps.

Day 6: Small, Gentle Steps

The fourth antiphon:

O Key of David and sceptre of israel, what You open, no one can close again;

what You close, no one can open.

O come to lead the captive from prison;

free those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O come, Though Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home;

make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

As we light our collective candles from our socially distanced homes, how do we grapple with our responsibility to lead captives from prison? The most logical place to start would be to acknowledge the prisons we know. What prisons have we lived in?

Struggled with depression? How can we advocate for the depressed?

Know the debilitating effects of anxiety? How do we support and encourage calm, peace and serenity in the world?

Know first hand the ravages of substance abuse? How do we support recovery?

So often we believe that our work should be high falutin’ and beyond our personal experience. This is not so!

Tonight, think about your own seasons of darkness, your own times of living in the shadow of death. If you are still there, right now, this minute, who can you reach out to for support? But if you are not, who are you loving, who is where you once were?

Small. Gentle. Next right steps.

Day 7: Taking Responsiblity

The third antiphon:

O Stock of Jesse, You stand as a signal for the nations, kings fall silent before You whom the peoples acclaim, O come to deliver us, and do not delay.

O come, Thou rod of Jesse, free thine own from Satan’s tyranny; from depths of hell Thy people save, and give them victory over the grave:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Oh, how ancient our tradition of blaming Satan for what ails us! And to be sure, Satan does roam to and fro looking for ways to disrupt God’s kingdom coming. But Lord, O that we might not play into his hand by asking kings to deliver us rather than YOU deliver us. And woe be unto us if we do not take responsibility for our part in colluding with the Evil One. So on this night, when we pray, may we pray for open hearts, filled with love, inclusion, acceptance and service.

Day 7: Taking Responsiblity

The third antiphon:

O Stock of Jesse, You stand as a signal for the nations, kings fall silent before You whom the peoples acclaim, O come to deliver us, and do not delay.

O come, Thou rod of Jesse, free thine own from Satan’s tyranny; from depths of hell Thy people save, and give them victory over the grave:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Oh, how ancient our tradition of blaming Satan for what ails us! And to be sure, Satan does roam to and fro looking for ways to disrupt God’s kingdom coming. But Lord, O that we might not play into his hand by asking kings to deliver us rather than YOU deliver us. And woe be unto us if we do not take responsibility for our part in colluding with the Evil One. So on this night, when we pray, may we pray for open hearts, filled with love, inclusion, acceptance and service.