December 23, 2025
The Great ``O'' Antiphons
Isaiah 7:14
12/23/2025
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel. (ESV)
We come at last to the final of the Great ``O'' Antiphons.
The Church, since the beginning of Advent, has been preparing for
the day when her Savior appears. During the past week, as the
mood of the Advent season intensified, we prayed with the whole
church that Jesus would come and redeem His people.
The final ``O'' Antiphon forms the basis of the first verse
of the Advent hymn, ``O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.'' It's text is
from Isaiah: ``Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call
his name Immanuel.''
O Emmanuel, our king and our Lord, the
anointed for the nations and their | Savior:*
Come and save us, O | Lord our God.
Emmanuel means ``God with us.'' Tomorrow He comes, and we
shall see the incarnate Son of God reposing in a manger. He once
came to give His life for you and me. He comes now in Word and
Sacrament to give us hope. He will come again to raise us from
our graves, giving us life everlasting with Him.
Please join us at Trinity on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
to hear of our Lord's birth. May He continue to bless you
always. Amen.