O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.
The O Antiphon today exhorts us to invoke the Messiah as Emmanuel, God is with us. This helps us to remember the beautiful and amazing truth of Christmas. God reveals himself with the face of Christ who stands at our side to sustain, encourage, forgive and love us. Jesus is the God with us that fills our life with joy and peace thanks to the presence of this dear friend. Christmas is approaching and we often invoke God with the name Emmanuel because it is a synthesis of the entire mystery that we are about to celebrate.
Come Jesus! Maranatha!
O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.
Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, †
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour *
for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: †
the Almighty has done great things for me, *
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Saviour of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.
Concluding Prayer
Lord, fill our hearts with your love, and as you revealed to us by an angel the coming of your Son as man, so lead us through his suffering and death to the glory of his resurrection, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.