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.

This evening at my parish of Holy Rosary, you can hear this glorious antiphon as part of our annual chanting of the Sunday Vespers. It will be glorious!

Vespers begins in the School Hall at 5:30pm.

Original Latin:

Englished:

Merry Christmas, one and all!