The Great O Antiphons. 23 December.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

"The Adoration of The Shepherds".
Artist: Gerard van Honthorst (1590–1656).
Date: 25 December 1622.
Current location: Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne, Germany.
Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei.
DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
Permission: http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikide-l/2005-April/012195.html.
(Wikimedia Commons)





"O Emmanuel".
The Great O Antiphon
for 23 December.
Available on YouTube at
YOU TUBE

23 December: Isaias vii. 14, xxxiii. 22.

O Emmanuel,

Rex et legifer noster,

exspectatio Gentium,

et Salvator earum:

veni ad salvandum nos,

Domine Deus noster.

O Emmanuel,

our King and Lawgiver,

The Expected of the Nations

and their Saviour,

come to save us,

O Lord our God.

Versicle. Rorate.

"Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant justium . . ."

"Ye Heavens, drop down from above,

and let the clouds rain down The Just One."

"Rorate Caeli".

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

This is one of my favourite Hymns of The Catholic Faith. Taken from Isaiah and other sources,

it is a reverent and humble supplication to the mercy of God. A Hymn of Repentance and Sorrow.

On top of that, this is one of my favourite renditions. The French accents are very noticeable,

and the quality is poor, but it is very old and priceless. The lyrics and translation follow:

Roráte caéli désuper, et núbes plúant jústum.

Peccávimus, et fácti súmus tamquam immúndus nos,

et cecídimus quasi fólium univérsi:

et iniquitátes nóstræ quasi véntus abstulérunt nos:

abscondísti faciem túam a nóbis,

et allisísti nos in mánu iniquitátis nóstræ.

Víde Dómine afflictiónem pópuli túi,

et mítte quem missúrus es:

emítte Agnum dominatórem térræ,

de Pétra desérti ad móntem fíliæ Síon:

ut áuferat ípse júgum captivitátis nóstræ.

Consolámini, consolámini, pópule méus:

cito véniet sálus túa:

quare mæróre consúmeris,

quia innovávit te dólor?

Salvábo te, nóli timére,

égo enim sum Dóminus Déus túus,

Sánctus Israël, Redémptor túus.

Drop down ye Heavens, from above,

and let the skies pour down righteousness:

We have sinned, and are as an unclean thing,

and we all do fade as a leaf:

and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away;

Thou hast hid Thy face from us:

and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

Behold, O Lord, the affliction of Thy people

and send forth Him Who is to come

send forth The Lamb, The Ruler of the Earth,

from Petra of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Sion

that He may take away the yoke of our captivity.

Ye are my witnesses, saith The Lord,

and My servant whom I have chosen;

that ye may know Me and believe Me:

I, even I, am The Lord, and beside Me there is no Saviour: 

and there is none that can deliver out of My hand.

Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people,

My Salvation shall not tarry:

why wilt thou waste away in sadness ?

why hath sorrow seized thee ?

Fear not, for I will save thee:

for I am The Lord thy God

The Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer.