O Antiphons – Welcoming the Miracle of Christmas By Stephen A. Macchia   Advent waiting, watching and wondering Embracing the coming of the Christ child Prophetically, humbly and gloriously   O come, O come, Emmanuel!   Rod of Jesse, freeing us from Satan’s tyranny victoriously Dayspring, dispersing gloomy clouds

O come, Desire of nations, bind in one the heart of all mankind; Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, and be Thyself our King of peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! As King of all nations, we now anticipate the arrival of genuine peace. In fact,

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine Advent here, Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! Dayspring is literally “dawn,” the physical light of the sun at the start of a

O come, thou Key of David, come and open wide our heavenly home, Make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! The Key of David reference signifies kingly authority; holding the keys to that control

  O come, O Rod of Jesse free, Thine own from Satan’s tyranny, From depths of hell Thy people save, and give them victory o’er the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! In alternative hymnals, the opening line is changed to “O come, O Rod of

O come, O come, thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height In ancient times didst give the law, in cloud and majesty and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! In Exodus 3 we see how the angel of the Lord came to

    O come, O Wisdom from on high, who orders all things mightily   To us the path of knowledge show, and teach us in her ways to go.   Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.   The second “type” of Christ is as Wisdom, also

  Advent hymns speak to the longing in our hearts for the coming of Christ. We sing them each year during this holy season, embedded with rich and deep significance for all. By far one of the most popular, and my personal favorite, is “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” with