Making Polish nut roll right now. Here’s a post from last year.
From tonight’s Vespers:
O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
This is my favorite O Antiphon. I love sunrises–they’re the only thing that ever makes it worth getting up early. And there’s that serendipitous Sun/Son homophone that we English-speakers enjoy. Also, there is a tradition that at the Second Coming (which is what we are rehearsing for with our yearly celebration of Advent and Christmas), Our Lord will appear in the east: “For as lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the son of man be.” (Matt.24:27) Today’s concluding prayer also references that final advent: Hear in kindness, O Lord, the prayers of your people, that those who rejoice at the coming of your Only Begotten Son in our flesh may, when at last he comes in glory, gain the reward of eternal life.
Furthermore, the corresponding verse from O Come O Come Emmanuel, with the words, “come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here, disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadow put to flight.” Is my favorite prayer during bouts of the blues. Custom made, I think, for seasonal depression, coming as it does, on this darkest night of the year.
Daria Sockey is a freelance writer from western Pennsylvania. Her articles have appeared in many Catholic publications. She authored several of the original Ignatius Press Faith and Life catechisms in the 1980s, and more recently wrote five study guides for saints' lives DVDs distributed by Ignatius Press. She now writes regularly for the newly revamped Catholic Digest. Her newest book, The Everyday Catholic's Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours, will be published by Servant Books this spring. Feel Free to email her at [email protected]
