O Morning Star,
splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death.

cf Malachi 4.2

Listen to this antiphon:

There is a strange irony in my post for today being late. The old cliché goes that ‘the darkest hour is just before dawn’ – and like most clichés there is truth in it. As my friend Andy has written very movingly today, Christmas and advent have a darkness to them. Sometimes it feels like the world is swathed in darkness.

Have you ever caught a glimpse of the ‘bright morning star’? It can often be breathtaking and for me, like when I see a rainbow, it makes me swell with joy.

In today’s antiphon is both the hope of resurrection and of Christ’s coming again that we look forward to in advent. The sun rises without fail every day. The new light of a fresh start happens everyday and this reminds us of God’s promise in Revelation that all will be made new:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. (Revelation 21:3-5 ESV)

Read Sister Catherine’s much more eloquent thoughts on the O Oriens Antiphon here!