Each Year as Advent approaches, I and others promise ourselves additional moments of quiet reflection to anchor Bethlehem’s gift into the ordinariness of the daily. As usual the obligations of the daily unfold, and moments of joy become added, as we celebrate Christmas (a bit early) with those with whom we live, meet and work. Often there is a trip to the mall, and we know for certain that upon departure we will hear echoed, “have a holly, jolly, Christmas, this year.” The days slip by.
It is not surprising that the Liturgy tries to recapture our attention with the beginning of the “O Antiphons of Advent” on December 17th . These antiphons will be with us until December 23rd. At first glance, we recognize that each of the seven is an attribute of the Child to be born in Bethlehem. For example, “O Wisdom” celebrates the creative and creating Word of God – a celebration and a hope/longing for truth/justice/peace to reign. We are conscious of the hunger of a world that cries for wholeness and seeks to acquire it- often by force. As we probe the meaning of each of the antiphons, we find both an attribute of Bethlehem’s Child and an existential challenge. “O Rising Sun” offers a supplication to God to intervene in the chaos we have created. We seek justice, for peoples, for nations, for the poor, for families, for war-torn lands. Our exploration of the Great “Os” and their significance in our daily lives continues until December 23rd.
