"O Dayspring..."
advent antiphons
The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.
-- Isaiah 9.2 (NKJV)
Today we pray for Christ's coming:
O Dayspring,
splendor of light everlasting:
Come and enlighten those
who . . .
"O Key of David..."
advent antiphons
The key of the house of David
I will lay on his shoulder;
So he shall open, and no one shall shut;
And he shall shut, and no one shall open.
-- Isaiah 22.22 (NKJV)
Today we pray for Christ's coming:
O Key of David and scepter of the house of Israel,
you open and no one else . . .
"O Root of Jesse..."
advent antiphons
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots...
“And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.”
-- Isaiah 11.1, 11 (NKJV)
. . .
"O Adonai..."
advent antiphons
But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist...
For the . . .
"O Wisdom..."
advent antiphons
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
His delight is in the fear of the Lord,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
-- . . .
prayerful waiting: the "O Antiphons"
The seven days of Advent leading up to Christmas Eve and the proper celebration of Christmas are sometimes called the "Golden Nights" and are marked with an additional set of prayers in the Vespers (Evening Prayer) service. These prayers are sometimes called the "O Antiphons" because of how they begin and mark a . . .
the war prayer
NOTE: Being asked to give the invocation for our wing’s 100th anniversary later this summer and thinking about the dissonance between many Christian chaplains’ prayers and the teachings of Scripture led me back to this classic by Mr. Twain. It is pointed, sarcastic, and wonderfully still as relevant today as when it was penned.
. . .Posted in: chaplaincymilitaryprayertheologywar
