The Greatest Christmas Story Ever Told: The O' Antiphons

In a civilization that has turned toward Baphomet & Away from Our Adorable Christ Child this devotion & story can save Christmas

A CHRISTMAS SHORT STORY

by Mike Church

Sometime in the 9th century as the Christian Faith continued to grow and flourish a humble monk, inspired by the Great Paraclete and a devotion to The Blessed Virgin Mary, set at his script station and began humming the words to “O Come, O’ Come Emmanuelle”. So moved by the beautiful hymn were this humble monk’s brothers that they urged him on by joining in the chant. Our nameless brother, whom we shall title “Benedict”, overcome with the impending joy of His Blessed Virgin bringing forth Her fruit, he continued his blessed composition for the “Root of Jesse”. Satisfied that he had done his most faithful best our composer approached, with great caution, his Abbot.

“There are 7 of these chants, Brother Benedict?”

“Yes, Father, 7, but in no particular order.”

Our abbott began studying the parchments lain before him and then, with a start exclaimed.

“Perhaps your Latin training has failed and your eyes have deceived you my son!” as he began to arrange the 7 scraps into an order where previously there was none and then slowly he began speaking in a cadence as he moved papers.

“These are antiphons, you know?” He said with a wry smile not wishing to give his charge too large a sense of accomplishment where humility was always due.

“E-R-O-C-R-A-S… yes, that is it, Ero Cras!”

“Tomorrow I will come!?” Brother Benedict carefully said to his Abbott.

“Yes, yes, tomorrow I will come and indeed, ‘gloria in exclesis, Deo!’ he shall!”

“You see, my son, each Antiphon begins with "O" and addresses Our Lord Jesus with a unique title which comes from….?

“The, the, the” he stammered, suddenly nervous, “…prophecies of Isaias and (Micah)!?”

“Yes, yes, I have arranged them in this order. They are: Sapientia or Wisdom, Adonai or Lord of Israel, Radix Jesse or Root of Jesse, Clavis David or Key of David, Oriens Radiant Dawn, Rex Gentium or King of the Gentiles, Emmanuel or God With us. Now, Benedict, providentially mind you,” the wise Abbott continuing to council humility in his now visibly excited charge “if you take the first letter from each of the Latin words, after the “O’”, in order, from last to first, they spell ‘E-R-O-C-R-A-S or ero cras’ which translated from the Latin means, “Tomorrow I will come”.

Together, then in choir in the Abbey’s chapel, all chant…

“O come O’ come Emmanuelle…”

The End

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Day 2

Day 3