O Come, O Come
The Desire for Christ is the Desire for Divine Love
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel…”
Many collections of Christmas carols feature this ancient hymn, often in surprising new arrangements. I especially love the imaginative setting of this hymn by Chip Davis’s Mannheim Steamroller, from the album A Fresh Aire Christmas.
One of the reasons I love it so much is that it begins with the hymn sung in Latin by a men’s chorus that sounds very much like monks chanting. Which befits the history of this particular piece of music: it’s not a “Christmas carol” at all, but an Advent hymn, based on the ancient practice of referring to the coming of Jesus with seven different titles, each one belonging to a day between December 17 and December 23. Because these titles for the Christ were sung antiphonally before the reading of the Gospel lesson at the daily mass, they have become known as the “O Antiphons.” The O Antiphons are:
O Sapientia (O Wisdom), December 17;
O Adonai (O Lord), December 18;
O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), December 19;
O Clavis David (O Key of David), December 20;
O Oriens (O Eastern Dawn), December 21;
O Rex Gentium (O Ruler of All Nations), December 22;
O Emmanuel (O God-With-Us), December 23.
Find a complete recording or performance of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” and you’ll see it is seven verses long: each verse corresponds to one of these antiphons.
Some of the language of the antiphons may seem a bit out of sync with our age: do we really long for a “ruler of all nations”? And if we aren’t dialed in to the narratives of the Old Testament, it may seem a bit forced to long for the root of Jesse or the key of David. But I invite you not to get caught up in the language of the antiphons, but in their mystical heart. Advent is a time of longing, of desire: we not only remember the desire for a savior or messiah that characterized the people of the New Testament, but we have our own desires for today: desires for justice, for freedom, for equality and inclusivity, for a world shaped by mercy, empathy, and goodwill towards all. And for those of us who are inclined toward contemplative or mystical spirituality, we can add the longing for Union with God, for the felt experience of Divine Love that will heal and transform ourselves and the world.
The next time you hear or sing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” take a moment to breathe gently and get in touch with your own desire for the One who loves eternally and infinitely. No matter what time of year it might be: for Advent is not just dates on a calendar, but a dimension of consciousness that we all carry tenderly in our hearts. May our desire for love blossom into a life of joyful care and service.
A note to all my friends: this piece should have been published a few days ago, during the O Antiphon days. But I’m just getting over a head cold, and I’m a bit behind in my writing! I’m feeling better now, and I wish you and your loved ones all the blessings of this holy season.
The priest-poet Malcolm Guite has sonnet responses for each of the O’s - and his O Sapientia response is my favourite of them.
O Sapientia
I cannot think unless I have been thought,
Nor can I speak unless I have been spoken.
I cannot teach except as I am taught,
Or break the bread except as I am broken.
O Mind behind the mind through which I seek,
O Light within the light by which I see,
O Word beneath the words with which I speak,
O founding, unfound Wisdom, finding me,
O sounding Song whose depth is sounding me,
O Memory of time, reminding me,
My Ground of Being, always grounding me,
My Maker’s Bounding Line, defining me,
Come, hidden Wisdom, come with all you bring, Come to me now, disguised as everything.
_
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Carl. Deep gratitude for all you do !!!