Category Archives: O Antiphons

El Che is dead. He is not now with us. Nor was he ever. He was an ideologist, one who serves an idea without regard to truth, or to charity, instead serving himself by killing others and smashing others until he gets them to murder as he does, but only at his direction, as if power was best exemplified by death and always more death.

But hey there hermit guy, el Che was at least a realist in this dark world of ours. At least he made a difference, a change, offering hope. Hope is change! Revolution! And I’m holding a candle! Now, you had better pay for my free abortifacients, you ignorant Catholic, or I’ll tax you, penalize you, close your businesses. I’ll outlaw your religious freedom. I’ll make a difference, that offers hope of abortifacients for myself: I’ll kill you.

Whew! That spiral of dialectic revolution, ever spinning in vertiginous cycles, only appears to be rising up to the excitement of “change” because the one being sucked into the spiral upside down, being tortured with lies upon lies. That nicey-nice spiral is, instead, a violent vortex sucking him into the hell of the violence and hatred which is its engine. Such a one is on his way to the hell exemplified by the dialectic itself: all violence, all hatred, where there is no destination other than this same reactionary sadness.

So, instead, let’s meet the One who is truly our hope, what with His living Truth and living Charity lifting us out of dialectic, of revolution, but setting us on the path of that which is not selfish, not egotistic, not filled with hate and violence, but is, instead, ready to bring the greatest love in one’s life to others, that which is reasoned, that which is full of respect for the individual, that which thirsts for justice in a way that will actually bring justice about, with a forgiveness which does not bless any further injustice, and with a development which is only possible, that is, possible only when there is love of God and love of neighbor in one’s heart and soul:

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O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.

O God-With-Us! Our King and our Lawgiver! Hope of the Nations! And their Saviour! Come and save us, O Lord, our God.

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We discern that God is with us, only when we hear His Kingly command that we are to love one another AS He has loved us, that is, loving one another always with goodness and kindness, with all truth and charity, without backing down, ever, even if this means our being tortured and put to death, as was our Lord Himself.

We only discern that this God-With-Us is the Hope of the Nations and our Savior when we recognize that, in fact, we need hope that is found in this salvation. Instead of the violent, El-Che-like vomiting of self on others until they are brought into violent subjection or death, we, instead, are actually to be helpful to others in all love of God and neighbor, not because we are such saints, but because of salvation, because of the love of God and neighbor which is provided for us by the Lord, God-With-Us, Himself.

The idiots who follow the revolution will only find a revolver brought to their heads. Those who are lifted out of this vortex of violence by Christ Jesus, who threw Himself into that hell on our behalf, do not rejoice in a revolution, that change for the sake of change, but in the steadfastness, the stability, the groth in that Living Truth and Living Charity that the Lord is in Himself.

Do we suffer the idiocy of others in this world? Sure.

Do we suffer the idiocy of our own sin in this world? Sure.

We even suffer the just consequences of original sin, with all the weakness of mind, of will, of emotions all over the place, of sickness and death, even if we are forgiven by our Lord. Sure. But that’s only for this world, not for heaven!!!

The salvation we receive is not apart from the justice of God, but, learning from that justice of God in this world, we will then have the wherewithal, sanctifying grace, friendship with God, to do what is in accord with all that is good and kind, striving for justice, sure, but with a view that we all come to know Him who is Justice and Mercy. The darkness all around us is not a motive to join the darkness, but a motive for us to bring the light and goodness of Christ our God, God-With-Us, to others.

I’ve never met — to this very day — even in all the Marxist countries in which I’ve been — I’ve never met an ideologue like Che who ever did anything for anyone. I know those who knew Che (one in particular from Argentina). Know this: It’s all ideology, the “power” merely of death.

But those who give up doing mere social work so as to do so much more, serving the Lord Jesus in our neighbor, do great things for all the individuals who the Che crowd want to keep poor as a group, “the people,” for their own ideological political ends.

To be with the Lord in His solidarity for us, we pray: Come and save us, O Lord, our God.

Thomas the Doubter, the Apostle who wouldn’t believe that God would love us so much as to die for us, is that Apostle who would rather ask, “Why?” and “Where?” even as he ran away from Christ our God hanging on the Cross.

Why all this suffering of mankind? Sin.

Where is God? On the cross. And now, risen from the dead, He who was born to die and then rise to bring us who are so very dead to life in Him.

The Lord stands before us as He did after His resurrection with Thomas, that is, with His wounds. Jesus would also like to shove our hands right into His the wound on His side, right into His Sacred Heart still torn open for us, and yet beating with the most tender love for us, as He watches us fall to our knees with Thomas, and exclaim: “My Lord and my God!” Indeed:

Come! And save us! O Lord, our God!

In these last days of Advent, let’s not run from the drama of our fallen human nature, trying to come up with a suitable-to-my-own-pride type of self-salvation, like so many little Che Guevaras running about until we shoot ourselves in the feet or are brought down, but rather, in taking note of all that for which we need salvation, look to Him who actually is in solidarity with us, God-With-Us, Emmanuel, our King who gives us a law of love, and for that reason is our hope and Savior, He who is the Son of the Immaculate Conception.

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

O King of the nations! And their desire! And the cornerstone! You who make out of many one! Come and save mankind, whom you formed from clay!

Rather skeptical that the Son of the Immaculate Conception is…

• King of the nations? (since almost no king or emperor or president or prime minister or chief or any other politician of any rank has any regard for tiny baby boy in the manger)
• The desire of the nations? (since it seems that there is hardly a nation on earth that has any desire to be one with the Lord)
• The cornerstone of the nations? (since even nations which proclaim that their first liberty is religious liberty persecute Judeo-Catholic faith)
• The One who makes of many One? (since the purpose of politics is to divide and conquer for egotistic, self-serving reasons)

O.K.! So, [with my comments] let’s look at Psalm 2 (nab) for some a description of some incisive mockery issuing from the Most High against all the raging stupidity we can come up with:

Why do the nations protest and the peoples grumble in vain? [They are upset at religious principles which demand also their obedience, as those religious principles are consonant with natural law.] Kings on earth rise up and princes plot together against the LORD and his anointed: “Let us break their shackles and cast off their chains!” [The idea is that they want to do religious people a "favor" by destroying what they consider to be a limitation of their freedom, an oppressive religious way of life, when instead, true religion frees one's freedom for the good, for that which is unselfish, for that which is of love and truth and goodness and kindness. All of that sends the egotistic rulers into screaming fits of anguish, considering all this to be a mere incrimination of them instead of the invitation to life that it is.] The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord derides them, Then speaks to them in anger, terrifies them in wrath: “I myself have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” [where He reigned as King of all from the cross, drawing all to Himself, having the right in justice to have mercy on us, having taken on what we deserved, though He was innocent. The irony is excruciating for the kings of the earth, but hopefully they will one day say with the soldier who thrust the spear into the Heart of Christ: "Truly this was the Son of God!"] I will proclaim the decree of the LORD, who said to me, “You are my Son [the Son being the Head and members of the Mystical Body of Christ]; today I am your Father [because this is all about love and family goodness, so different from the ways of the kings of the earth. The Father then says to the Son:]. Only ask it of me, and I will make your inheritance the nations, your possession the ends of the earth. [And He did ask this: "Father, forgive them! They know not what they do!" And He does draw all to Himself, that untold though much hidden multitude among the nations (the real constituents of the nations, by the way), who take Him as the cornerstone, the foundation of all they do, with Him now as their desire, so much do they realize their need and His goodness.] With an iron rod you shall shepherd them, like a clay pot you will shatter them.” [Yes, how majestic He is in forming us, and now guiding us back to Himself. If only we knew we were but clay, and would be malleable in His hands, instead of hardening ourselves in egoism, shattering in our stubborn rage.] And now, kings, give heed; take warning, rulers on earth. Serve the LORD with fear; with trembling bow down in homage, Lest God be angry and you perish from the way in a sudden blaze of anger. [But they are unlikely to do this. There is always a multitude of martyrs as the kings try to oppress religious freedom. There is great suffering. Much death. Always. Everywhere.] Happy are all who take refuge in God! [Indeed. If you haven't read over the truly ferocious series on the beatitudes over on the sidebar of the blog, now, in these last days before Christmas, is a good time. This is what Advent is all about. When we are convinced of the joy of the martyrs, their blessedness, their exultation in taking refuge in the Lord, that is when we will be able to rejoice at the birth of the little tiny boy in the ever so impoverished manger in a cave in a desert in the middle of nowhere, on a freezing night in Winter. Come Lord Jesus!]

O Radix Iesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem Gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare.

O Sapling of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples; before you kings will shut their mouths, to you the nations will make their prayer: Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.

Arrogant kings, thinking that they cut down the Savior of the World forever, look in horror at the goodness and kindness of the Son of the Living God, the Priest of priests, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Prince of the Most Profound Peace.

Our Heavenly Father chose not a priest of Aaronic lineage, but a Priest after His own Heart, Jesus, the Son of David, of Jesse, Son, indeed, of the Immaculate Conception.

Christ our God, the Word of the Father, The King, shuts the mouths of kings who only speak words of self-aggrandizement, of political correctness. But this Word of God saves us from the idiocy of the kings of the earth. They may put us to death, but this Word of God brings us to life. The kings of this earth have nothing to say about it.

All nations make their prayer not to the kings of this earth, as such kings would wish, but to the humble Son of Jesse, of David, of God Himself.

Come and deliver us! — We know we are in bondage of sinful stupidity.

Delay no longer! — And the martyrs were told: “Be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been” (Apocalypse 6,11).

The kings of the earth respond with horrific violence against the goodness and kindness of Jesus manifested in the lives of His little flock in this world. But they make manifest more clearly that goodness and kindness of Him who is goodness and kindness Incarnate.

Jesus crucified, redeeming us with outstreached arms — a drawing by Saint John of the Cross

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

O My Lord and Leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the Law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

“Adonai” is not just “Lord” but My Lord! This makes it all very personal, does it not? Sure, the King of kings and the Lord of lords is our Lord of necessity, but voicing this, saying My Lord! makes a difference. It’s like saying I believe instead of We believe.

My Lord is the Leader of the House of Israel, greater than Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, greater than David, greater than all the saints and prophets. Greater than Moses. He is their Leader, My Leader. I belong to the House of Israel, the family of faith, whose Father is Jesus, the Son of the Mother of the Redeemer in Genesis 3,15.

He is Yahweh. He is I am who Am in the flame of the burning bush. He is the One providing The Law, the Commandments.

He is the One, who provides the wherewithal to fulfill the commandments with the redemption he provides to us, to me, with an outstretched arm, indeed, with outstretched arms, crucified for love of us, for love of me, our Lord, My Lord, Adonai.

O My Lord! Son of the Immaculate Conception, grant that we, that I, might live in humble thanksgiving for all you have done and continue to do for us.

Wisdom Incarnate teaching the teachers in the Temple.

The “O Antiphons” appear at the Magnificat in Vespers from today up until Christmas.

Today we have “O Wisdom!”

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodidisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

O Wisdom, who was begotten from the mouth of the Most High, reaching out from end to end and ordering all things with power and friendship, come to instruct us in the way of prudence.

We cannot know Wisdom Incarnate unless we belong to Jesus, who presents us to our Heavenly Father in Himself, us, from the first man Adam until the very last, with the divine power of friendship.

We surely know nothing of this Wisdom Incarnate unless we praise in all humble thanksgiving that prudence which judged that being crucified for sinners is the way of love in all truth.

That “fortiter suaviter,” which I translated with the force of the context as “power and friendship,” reminds me of this beatitude: Yikes!

Wisdom and its prudence demands that our understanding is consonant with God’s will, not just on an intellectual level, but by way of sanctifying grace, by way of the supernatural virtue of faith.

If we are in the state of sin, we cannot be wise, we cannot be prudent, we cannot but do things for the sake of appearances, which is a bitter abuse of power.

It is great wisdom to judge that the Lord is to be praised for permitting any suffering in our lives, by which we learn to look to Him instead of to ourselves.

It is great wisdom to judge that it is most fitting to rejoice in the Lord at all times, in all conditions and circumstances.

O Wisdom!