Day 2: O Adonai (O Lord)

Tonight’s O Antiphon is “O Adonai,” which means “O Lord,” and is one of the Divine titles used in the Old Testament.  Because the name YHWH was considered too sacred to even speak, pious Jews would often replace the Name with Adonai, meaning Lord, instead.  In Isaiah 33:22, the prophet Isaiah says: For the Lord is our judge,the Lord… Continue reading Day 2: O Adonai (O Lord)

Day 1: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)

Tonight’s O Antiphon is “O Sapientia,” which means “O Wisdom.” All of the first three O Antiphons are tied to the Messianic prophesy in Isaiah 11:1-5.  I’ve bolded the relevant part for today’s Antiphon: Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the… Continue reading Day 1: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)

Last Things First: The Two “Mini-Seasons” of Advent

Some of the Advent readings at Mass seem strangely inappropriate for the season. For example, yesterday’s Gospel began with Jesus saying, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” That doesn’t seem very… “Christmasy.” Nor is this an isolated instance. In fact, a… Continue reading Last Things First: The Two “Mini-Seasons” of Advent

Is This the End of the Christmas Season, or the Beginning?

Terry Mattingly of GetReligion has a great column about the “two Christmases.”  As he notes, for the Church, the Christmas season runs from Christmas Day (December 25) to Epiphany (January 6).  These are the famous Twelve Days of Christmas.  But in secular society, the Christmas season runs from around Thanksgiving until December 25.   So… Continue reading Is This the End of the Christmas Season, or the Beginning?