O Emmanuel

We come to the last of the O Antiphons, for tomorrow is Christmas Eve, the great Vigil of the Nativity.

I mentioned yesterday that the O Antiphons were arranged backward into the song Veni, Veni Emmanuel. This was by design, for the Antiphons themselves are a backward acrostic.

The first letters of the Messianic titles — Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapiéntia — spell out the Latin words ero cras, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come”.

Which is pretty neat.

OEmmanuel, Rex et légifer noster,
exspectátio Géntium, et Salvátor eárum:
veni ad salvándum nos, Dómine, Deus noster.

Englished:

OEmmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.

Merry Christmas, one and all!